Introduction to technologies at AgriD Inc.
Corporate profile
AgriD Inc. practices large-scale greenhouse farm management by combining Japan's top-ranking horticultural and breeding technology of Asai Nursery, Inc., together with DENSO's industrialized technologies of agriculture, such as climate control inside the greenhouse, lavor saving through operation improvement or automation inside greenhouses, and cultivation management.
Through development of this highly productive and sustainable next-generation horticulture model, DENSO and Asai Nursery aim to contribute to development of farm management in Japan and abroad.
| Company name | AgriD Inc. |
|---|---|
| Shareholding ratio | Asai Nursery 51% DENSO 49% |
| President & CEO | Yuichiro Asai |
| Business Scope | Production and sale of fresh vegetables |
*Start of cultivation: December 2019, Start of sales: March 2020
Concept
Human-robot Collaboration
DENSO developed a system by integrating all processes of the greenhouse in one system to enable workers to be assigned to tasks they are skilled at, while operations that robots could perform better are being left to establigh optimum system for greenhouse management. Through this system, DENSO aims to create a worker-friednly workplace where local residents, even those who previously had difficulties engage in agriculture, could work actively.
Technology
Work Management System
DENSO aims to develop worker-friendly environment by enabling flexibility to the workers through this system, those who had difficulties on engaging in agrictulture will be able to work as well.
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1. Each worker registers their workshift through smartphone.
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2. The system automatically unites all request and develops a work plan.
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3. Each worker confirms the workshift and on the day of work, confirms the task assigned by using the tablet.
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Integrated Production Management System (using digital transformation tool)
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All workers posting information from tablet
Each employee works with a tablet and can gather work results automatically. The progress of work is summarized simultaneously, improving the efficiency of progress management for the administrator. Furthermore, by building work plans based on the results, labor management could be done more accurately.
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Quick action and judgement in the office
If a worker notices abnormal condition of the crop, report could be sent via tablet immediately, enabling the administrator to determine the issue even in the office. This enables quick action for the problem as well as to reduce administrator's workload of patrolling inside the farm.
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Discussing the results by all workers
The work results of all employees are automatically gathered and displayed in various forms, such as graphs. As it is no longer necessary to analyze the work, all workers can focus on discussing the results and making improvements.
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Automatic Transport System
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Autonomous transport between greenhouse and shipping area
Heavy loads such as crops or residues can be transported robots, leading to reduction of work for employees, realize worker-friendly environment, and provide working opportunities for those not used to heavy-load works.
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Automated management of the order of crops
Automatic weighing of crops, inventory visualization, and automatic arrangement in the shipping area to ensure first-in first-out shipping in accordance with the order of harvesting, to help improve the accuracy of inventory management, which is complicated and error-prone.
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Process Design
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Optimize process from designing stage
From harvesting to shipping, optimize all processes from the designing stage to eliminate overburden, unevenness, and waste from operations performed by workers and robots, leading to improvement of efficiency.
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Simple and flexible designs
The simple and flexible layout designs of the sorting and shipping area ensures flexible response to daily production outputs and shipment volumes.
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Harvest Robot “FARO”
FARO* uses a camera and AI technology to automatically harvest crops based on truss detection and ripeness judgement.
By replacing part of the harvesting work to robot machinery in accordance with the fluctuation of harvest volume, reduce the burden on employees during peak harvest, leading to efficient and sustainable operation for workers as well.
| Name | FARO |
|---|---|
| Driving function | Autonomous driving (on pipe rail) |
| Robot body | DENSO VS060 |
*<FARO> is registered trademark of DENSO corporation in Japan
FARO is being developed by Food Value Chain Biz Development Division in Japan
FARO video