Intro to Farming:

To learn firsthand about the possibilities of implementing robotics in our out-of-ground prototype, we met with robotics professor Michael Gennert. He assured us that robotics can achieve practically anything, and are especially applicable to our project. Like kids in a candy store, we felt overwhelmed by the amount of possibilities. To overcome this feeling, as a team we focused on the learning about the mindset behind transitioning from human actions to robotic processes. A key topic was Technology Readiness Level (TRL). TRL was defined in 1989 by NASA as a method of measure to assess a product’s readiness in the field. This tool features 9 levels of readiness, starting from level 1, basic technology research, all the way to level 9, system operation. For us, this measurement will assist us in identifying easily applicable robotic technologies. Professor Gennert helped us develop a particular mindset towards robotics and the potentials for robotic farming, but more importantly, he directed us towards tools that will help us organize and eventually choose the best technologies for our project.