Afara (cotton harvesting robot)

2024: Product Announcement

In mid-February 2024, a smart robotic combine Afara is presented in Turkey, designed to harvest cotton from fields. It is claimed that the machine provides up to 98% efficiency, which almost completely eliminates the need for manual labor.

It is noted that after ordinary self-propelled combines have processed the field, up to 20% of the cotton crop can remain on plants. Due to the limitations of traditional agricultural machinery, planting density and other factors, the only way to collect cotton remains remains by hand. However, it is a grueling, time-consuming and expensive process. Because of the costs involved and the overall labor shortage, cotton often remains in the fields. The creator of Afara, a Turkish farmer, says his machine allows these problems to be solved.

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Electrek

The new robot is equipped with four cameras, two lidars and an array of ultrasonic sensors. These sensors allow you to identify the remains of cotton, detect obstacles and navigate. The machine can simultaneously process two rows of plants, and the internal container is designed for 200 kg: after filling it, the combine is automatically sent to the unloading point.

The cotton detection rate is said to be 99.8%. The efficiency of harvesting reaches 94%, and in the future the developer intends to bring this indicator to 98%. Thus, Afara will allow harvesting with almost no residues, which will minimize financial losses.

The combine is equipped with a fully electric power plant powered by lithium-ion batteries, the charge of which will last for about 6 hours of battery life. It takes 6 to 7 hours to replenish the energy supply. And when using fast charging, this time is reduced to one and a half hours.^[1]

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