Chinese scientists develop world’s first full-process intelligent breeding robot
BEIJING, 15 August (BelTA — Xinhua) — Chinese scientists have recently
developed the world’s first robot capable of conducting full-process
breeding, highlighting deep integration of biotechnology and AI
technologies in the agricultural intelligent breeding sector.
GEAIR,
the name of this new AI-based robot model, is expected to facilitate a
breeding shift from experience-driven to precision agriculture. The
study was published on Monday in the journal Cell, said the Institute of
Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences (CAS).
«AI and robots offer vast opportunities in
shifting hybrid breeding toward precision agriculture to enhance crop
yields, reduce costs and promote sustainable practices,» said Xu Cao, an
IGBD researcher.
Through AI visual recognition and positioning
technologies, GEAIR is able to accurately move among crops to perform
cross-pollination operations — thereby enhancing breeding efficiency.
«Our
new study initiated an intelligent breeding model of integrated
biotechnology, AI and robot labor — marking China’s successful
pioneering efforts in the construction of a closed-loop technology
system for intelligent robotized hybrid breeding,» Xu said.
«It also shows the application prospects of ‘AI for science’ in the sector of biological breeding,» he added.
The
study team has demonstrated the potential of GEAIR in boosting
efficiency and lowering costs through automated, faster breeding of
climate-resilient crops, said Yang Minghao, an associate researcher of
the Institute of Automation of the CAS.
