Resilient Communities profiles Farmbot, an open source DIY, “automated, precision farming machine” for backyard gardening. It travels on rails and will do just about everything except harvest your crops. And it’s free. Take the plans and do whatever you want with them. The first production models are being built now.
Using a computer, anyone can tell FarmBot where and how to plant a garden. Although it appeals to everyone looking to streamline gardening using cool technology, it is especially useful for new gardeners and for people with mobility issues.
Using an Arduino and Raspberry Pi, the FarmBot tool head can be precisely positioned for a variety of operations such as soil preparation, seeding, watering, fertilizing, weed control, and data acquisition.
Farm or garden layouts are designed with a drag and drop web-based interface allowing complete customization from any device. Operations are auto-scheduled ensuring your plants never miss a day of watering.
A decision support system automatically adjusts water, fertilizer, and pesticide regimens; seed spacing, timing, and more based on soil and weather conditions; sensor data, location, and time of year.