Alicante, 22 December 2023. The Alicante Science Park (PCA) ecosystem company Bumerania has been one of the three winners of the first edition of the Agroinnova Award, organised by Mercalicante, which recognises innovative companies in the agri-food sector.
Bumerania has won the second prize thanks to its project ‘Agrai’, a robot that can navigate, weed and analyse row crops autonomously, powered by solar and wind energy, offering farmers a scalable and chemical-free way to grow healthier crops. Isidro Fernandez, CEO of Bumerania said, ‘Our robot runs 100% on renewable energy. The solar panels double as sails, taking advantage of the strong winds common in the fields. In addition, all motors on all four wheels are regenerative, capturing and reusing energy gains from wind and slopes’.
The robot has a neural network developed with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms for a wide range of applications in image analysis that provide that recognise weeds and a robotic arm pulls them out without using herbicides or pesticides.
Mercalicante sources have pointed out that ‘with this first edition of the awards we seek to make visible the innovation that is generated in the agri-food sector in our province, and that is a lot, and not only has to do with the products marketed, but also with the innovative techniques and tools that are used throughout the value chain generated by this sector, which is essential for the supply of our society’.
