EXEL industries group, a global leader in spraying and a trusted partner of farmers for over 70 years, is working to develop innovative solutions that will enable the ambitious goals of this agro-ecological transformation. The need for innovation is accelerating and concerns all the group's brands.It is these observations that are leading, in 2019, to the birth of EXXACT Robotics, a dedicated subsidiary for precision agriculture innovation. EXXACT Robotics is then rapidly structured under the direction of Colin Chaballier and builds a team of expert engineers and doctors in robotics, artificial intelligence, mechatronics and agronomy. Growing rapidly, EXXACT Robotics has now 25 employees and continues to recruit people with high level skills.
The objective of EXXACT Robotics is clear: To develop and provide farmers with innovative, pragmatic and sustainable technological solutions that facilitate the agricultural transition throughout the world.
Precision spraying, an imperative throughout the world
As the global population is expected to reach 10 billion people in 2050, world food production needs to increase. The production of cereals (wheat, rice, corn) must therefore rise from 2.7 to 3.5 billion tons per year in less than 30 years while drastically reducing agricultural inputs to preserve ecosystems.
It is a colossal challenge but one that is achievable! As proof, between 1970 and 2020, agricultural production has doubled while the applied chemical inputs reduced by two-thirds in the same period.
As a world leader in spraying technologies, EXEL Industries group is deeply invested in coming up with advanced technology solutions for precision application. The group is taking "the right dose, in the right place, at the right time" philosophy to a whole new level. Successive technological innovations by EXEL Industries significantly improved the precision and quality of product application on the field and reduced the inputs. These innovations resulted in anti-drift spray nozzles, variable flow rate in relation to sprayer speed, avoiding over-lap or skips, turn-compensation, accurate GPS based navigation etc. The most recent advancement builds on those innovations to precisely target the weeds by visually recognizing them. The cumulative result of these advancements would reduce the inputs by as much as 80%.
3S Spot Spray Sensor®, EXXACT Robotics technology for precision spraying
EXXACT Robotics has developed a technological solution for collecting and analyzing images in real time through artificial intelligence to detect biological aggressors such as weeds, diseases, pests and also determine fertilization needs.
The high-precision on-board sensors used by the 3S Spot Spray Sensor® technology allow instant data acquisition and real time analysis. Then, the information is sent to the sprayer product control system to deliver the right dose to the right place.
EXXACT Robotics has succeeded in developing a fully integrated technology in the spray booms of the equipment manufactured by the brands of the Exel Industries group, which can be used on weeds on bare ground as well as on field crops, day and night and up to a speed of 25 km/h.
The first booms equipped with the 3S Spot Spray Sensor® technology will be on the market at the end of 2022 for herbicide use. This solution will then be progressively advanced and offered on all the equipment of the EXEL Industries group brands.
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