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ASI’s Forge™ robotic platform stole the show in Tulare as it rolled through a mock orchard to demonstrate autonomous spraying for orchard and vineyard applications.
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Largest Tradeshow to Date

On February 11-13, marketing and sales representatives opened what would be Autonomous Solutions’ (ASI) largest tradeshow presence to date at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.

Located in California’s Central Valley, the World Ag Expo is one of the premier events in the farming industry, and draws the attention of many local specialty crop growers. The annual expo reports attendance in excess of 100,000 to see more than 60 acres of exhibits and is a frequent stop for political figures and major growing operations. ASI’s 40′ x 320′ booth space featured a 40′ exhibit and a 272′ mock orchard to demonstrate robotic farming in action.
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“We wanted to make a splash,” said Mel Torrie, President and CEO of ASI. “Our roots are in farming all the way back to the inception of ASI fourteen years ago, but we’ve historically developed for the large OEMs which required us to work in secrecy. Our recent products are a very good fit for specialty crops like nuts, vineyards, citrus, and berries. We wanted to tell that story in a big way.”

ASI’s booth also featured an exhibit by AGGIEAIR, a research division of Utah State University that focuses on farming applications for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The entire exhibit was designed to provide visitors with a panoramic view of what’s currently available in automated farming.

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Forge™ in Tulare

Specialty crops are known for narrow rows, unique harvesting techniques, and requiring frequent maintenance. The presence of canopies also adds complexity for systems that rely on GPS tracking and radio networks.

The slender, low profile and powerful GPS and mobile communication capabilities of ASI’s Forge robotic platform make it an ideal fit for these complicated conditions. ASI teamed up with On Target Spray Systems to show what a typical robotic spraying operation using Forge might look like in an orchard, vineyard, or other specialty crop application.

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An Uncertain Future

The week prior to the Expo, the Central Valley received its first rainstorm in nearly 55 days, slightly dampening the blow of one of the area’s severest droughts on record. Local and national leaders, prompted by dry winter conditions, are looking for ways to improve water access for stricken Central Valley growers. California Governor Jerry Brown made a highly publicized visit to the Expo, and President Barak Obama arrived in the area on the Friday following the Expo. However, unless weather conditions change, California’s specialty crop growers and the nation as a whole face a challenging future full of irrigation conflicts and higher food prices.
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