2-Acre Vertical Farm Run By AI And Robots Out-Produces 720-Acre Flat Farm

Found on Intelligent Living on Monday, 28 December 2020
Browse Science

Plenty’s climate-controlled indoor farm has rows of plants growing vertically, hung from the ceiling. There are sun-mimicking LED lights shining on them, robots that move them around, and artificial intelligence (AI) managing all the variables of water, temperature, and light, and continually learning and optimizing how to grow bigger, faster, better crops. These futuristic features ensure every plant grows perfectly year-round. The conditions are so good that the farm produces 400 times more food per acre than an outdoor flat farm.

Plenty’s farms grow non-GMO crops and don’t use herbicides or pesticides. They recycle all water used, even capturing the evaporated water in the air. The flagship farm in San Francisco is using 100% renewable energy too.

This is pretty impressive and looks like it could be a useful way to reduce the need for land, which in turn can be returned to nature itself to increase the habitats for plants and animals. Still, you cannot help but to wonder if their name was a hint at Orwell.