Always love seeing local startups getting broader coverage. Especially when they’re working on challenging problems that could have significant and positive impact on society. Like Canopii, which GeekWire just featured in a recent writeup.
The team designed an automated conveyor system that takes specialty lettuces, herbs, Asian broccoli and other greens from seed to boxed produce. A robotic arm inserts seeds into soil pucks the size of mini cupcakes; once seedlings develop leaves, the system transplants them into larger containers and, at harvest, clips and deposits the greens into bins.
The company is pursuing a grant to develop AI-powered plant monitoring to further reduce labor, with conveyors routing trays to stationary cameras rather than outfitting the entire facility.
For more, read “No dirt, no tractor, no problem: Canopii aims to tuck robotic farms into tennis court-sized urban spaces.”
