Hruthik Chindam, Poojitha Nellipudi, Gusev Svyatoslav
#wettbewerb #2024
Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

Ceres FieldCheck provides small farmers with affordable AI robots that autonomously inspect crop health and remove harmful weeds, improving their profit margins through healthier fields and reduced crop losses.

In 2023, 6.6 billion kilos of chemicals were used to combat farming losses, primarily caused by weeds and diseases, which account for up to 60% of total losses. Farmers often rely on labor-intensive methods and harmful chemicals to manage these issues. As weeds and pests develop resistance, chemical usage increases, further degrading the soil. This negative cycle will persist until affordable modern technology becomes available.

Our compact AI robot, Luke, autonomously navigates fields, removing weeds using a proprietary wheel mechanism. Luke uses deep neural network models to inspect crop health at every growth stage and advises farmers on sustainable disease prevention. Luke’s swarm intelligence allows it to communicate with other robots for continuous updates, requiring human input only for initial setup and cable charging.

With Luke, we aim to prevent the yearly loss of up to 60% of crop value caused by the inefficiency of current practices. Our solution eliminates the need for harmful herbicides and reduces pesticide use by nearly 30%. Renting Luke for €16 per day allows farmers to save 19% through timely crop health inspections, chemical replacement, and lower labor costs. This is more affordable than traditional methods, making our solution accessible to small farmers.

Join us and Luke in keeping world's fields healthy!