The National Equipment Register estimates that between $300 million and $1 billion in heavy equipment is stolen from farms each year, while feral hogs can cause losses of up to $1.6 billion annually, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. In response to these challenges, a new robotic security system called Asylon DroneDog is being introduced for use in agriculture.
Dennis Crowley, chief growth officer for Asylon Robotics, said, “They do the dull, dangerous, dirty tasks that humans don’t like to do and don’t do as well when they get mundane and repetitive.” The robot takes the form of a dog and is designed to autonomously patrol farmland after an initial route is established by company staff. Farmers subscribe to Asylon’s services rather than owning the robots outright. Once operational, DroneDog can be monitored remotely by both farmers and Asylon’s command center.
Crowley said that DroneDog “takes advantage of the things that a traditional human can do and adds to that the capabilities of a machine,” but added it still requires human oversight for decision-making. He also highlighted potential future uses beyond security such as equipment inspections.
The four-legged design was chosen because it allows greater stability on varied terrain compared with wheeled robots. Crowley explained, “If it does fall over, it’s able to right itself and get back up. It doesn’t need anyone to go out and help it.” He also noted its ability to access tight spaces where aerial drones may not reach.
Bayer Global has used DroneDogs for about two years at sites in Hawaii and California for guarding seed corn fields against threats including theft, vandalism, wildlife damage from feral hogs or deer, flooding and wildfires. Matthew Paschoal of Bayer said the technology has been a “game-changer” for security efforts: “These dogs checked all the boxes.” At one site spanning 387 acres in Kihei, Hawaii, both humans and robotic dogs share patrol duties; DroneDog often works overnight shifts up to 16 hours long. Paschoal described it as “a force multiplier” rather than a replacement for human staff: “We’re able to gain efficiency by not having to rehire anybody because we have the dog.”
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