Farmbot, vegetable garden robot for busy people
A vegetable garden is a great way to get a lot of cheap and healthy vegetables, without pesticides. A small problem is that it does take time to keep up with the plants in the vegetable garden. Time we don’t always have. Can the Farmbot ensure the return of the vegetable garden, even for people with less time?
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Farmbot: a CNC that maintains a piece of land
Like most 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters, the American Farmbot uses a large XY frame. In this way, the robot head can reach every spot within the frame. With the largest model, the Farmbot Genesis XL, this is even an area of 3 x 6 m.
You can of course grow a lot of vegetables on it, which is estimated to be enough for a family of four. In a climate with a clear winter, such as in the Netherlands, it is useful to put a greenhouse over it. That way you can ensure that there is enough vegetables all year round, even in winter.
How does the Farmbot work?
Farmbot has a number of specialized heads that can be switched on and off with the aid of a magnetic holder. This means that if you give the agricultural robot certain commands via the Farmbot app on your smartphone, it will pick the correct head from the holder itself.
These heads can be used to perform actions such as sowing, weeding, spraying water, fertilizing and cultivating the soil. So basically this robot is several farm implements in one.
Open source and unlimited customization
Another powerful feature of Farmbot is that it is open source and infinitely customizable. If you are a bit handy with technology and programming, you can adjust the robot exactly the way you want. For example, a very interesting option, increasing the surface area a bit so that you can enjoy your robot more. Most people opt for a small area because their garden is not that big, but if your backyard is very large and long, it can be interesting to build a large robot.
Can the robot go out, economically?
Many horticulturists in the Netherlands are currently shutting down their greenhouses. The reason for this is the high gas prices. This is expected to lead to a lot of scarcity and therefore higher prices for vegetables.
The most expensive, but because of the large surface area the most interesting robot in the series, the Farmbot Genesis XL, costs around € 5000, plus import tax and VAT. But vegetables are also very expensive, think of €1 to €2 per kilo or more. That will probably increase in the future.
And since we have to eat at least 200-400 g of vegetables per person, that comes to an estimated € 100 per month for a family with two children. That would mean that you can buy this most expensive model in about four years. up to five years.
Of course, a greenhouse has to be matched and they are not cheap either. And you must have a power connection and water supply. A budget option is the Farmbot Express XL, which costs around half the price of the Genesis XL. This has only one toolhead with the three functions sowing, spraying and weeding, so fewer options. But you do get out faster.
More information on the manufacturer’s site
