Thorvald is a robot for applying shortwave UV radiation to crops. It can be adapted for greenhouses, polytunnels and field crops. Weekly exposure of strawberries to shortwave UV light is highly effective in suppressing powdery mildew, but the treatments must be applied at night to avoid damaging the plants. The robots can carry the relatively lightweight lamp arrays and work all night. Thorvald is equipped with an array of UV lamps and applies the UV treatment autonomously, without a human labour requirement. Commercial solutions for glasshouse-grown crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers are currently under development.
The deployment of Thorvald is a turn-key solution offered through a 'Farming-as-a-Service' model, meaning Saga Robotics runs the entire operation. The robots require a power source, a site to house their docking pods and can operate in areas with good cellular network coverage. Saga Robotics engineers will set up the operation, deploy the robots and cover maintenance and servicing.
Thorvald can operate in vineyards, open-field and polytunnel strawberry production and in glasshouses.
Saga Robotics engineers manage robot operation remotely via the Thorvald Operations Centre and cover maintenance and servicing through regular site visits. Grower input is minimal and all training required is provided by Saga Robotics.
On-demand
Provided as a service
Automatic system, the robot require a power source and can operate in areas with good cellular network coverage.
Very high efficacy and accuracy
