ioCrops, an AgTech startup leading AI-based agricultural production automation, announced today the launch of two new autonomous driving greenhouse robots, ‘HERMAI Spray Robot’ and ‘HERMAI Transport Robot’. This expands their lineup to three robots, including the ‘HERMAI Scout Robot’ released last year.

HERMAI agricultural robots are designed to help manage large greenhouses using AI and data-driven technology. These robots autonomously navigate designated paths in the greenhouse, performing specified agricultural tasks. They also visualize collected data and task results in a dashboard format, which can help address labor shortages and improve working conditions in the greenhouse.

The newly released 'HERMAI Spray Robot' automates existing manual pest control tasks, such as automatic pest control, pest monitoring, targeted pest control area selection, and digital record management, thus helping reduce pest control costs. The 'HERMAI Transport Robot' supports automation of tasks such as monitoring actual harvest quantities and transporting harvested crops, reducing harvest time by about 10% and decreasing the number of required harvest workers by approximately one per every ten workers.

The ‘HERMAI Scout Robot’, first introduced last year, uses AI vision technology to monitor crop growth conditions, predict yields, and optimize cultivation plans through fruit set strategy and profitability analysis.

A notable advantage of the HERMAI robots is that all three types can be operated using a single drive unit. This drive unit autonomously generates travel paths within the greenhouse, avoids obstacles, and allows for the exchange of the scout, transport, and spray modules.

Currently, major domestic greenhouse companies such as ParmFarm, Harang, Rose Valley, and the Seongju Oriental Melon and Vegetable Research Institute are planning to introduce HERMAI. Internationally, the largest private greenhouse company in the Middle East, Saudi Greenhouse, is also considering adopting HERMAI.

Jin-hyung Cho, CEO of ioCrops, stated, “We plan to expand our robot lineup to four (HERMAI Scout/Spary/Transport/Harvest) by launching the ‘HERMAI Harvest Robot’ in the first half of next year. ioCrops is developing AI technology to automate the entire agricultural production process. By establishing a ‘Full Tech Value Chain’ necessary for agricultural production, we aim to achieve fully automated unmanned farms.”

Additionally, ioCrops develops and operates ‘Data Analysis & Operational Solution: ioFarm’, and ‘Data-Driven Labor Management Solution: Ation’, leading advancements in agricultural technology. Notably, Saudi Greenhouse, the largest private greenhouse in the Middle East, adopted ‘Ation’ in their local greenhouse last January.