Aiming to combine a long trajectory of expertise in their respective fields of activity, that of automation engineering and indoor agriculture, SmartMill and Virgo Technologies Ltd., signed a partnership agreement which includes the design and the manufacture of rotary drums intended for indoor agricultural crops.
The technology of rotating drums developed by Virgo Technologies Ltd., allows several functionalities such as: the measurement of crop growth in the drum; measurement of leaf temperature and fluorescence; the collection of data using an algorithm to optimize production as well as the detection of any disease and the inspection of substrates.
SmartMill, a recognized specialist in the design of automated solutions for the forest industry, brings an unparalleled know-how around the manufacture of rotary drums given by its team of experts in mechanical design, automation, and robotics; and for this a new division is born: SmartMill Agricultural Mechatronics. Not only limited to mechanical engineering, SmartMill’s expertise also encompasses its knowledge of the manufacturing supply chain which is extremely necessary to secure the production of rotary drums and to be able to meet the growing demand for this innovative technology for indoor crops.
A unique technology with multiple advantages.
The rotary drums allow the cultivation of homogeneous and controlled products with a consumption of 95% less water than that required in traditional agriculture. In this way, they are 61 times more efficient than agriculture on the fields and 6 times more efficient than greenhouse crops. Production is completely autonomous (without human intervention) and can be done 24 hours a day, which shortens enormously the harvest time and gives the possibility of cultivating year-round products that previously were seasonal or involved a dependence on products from from abroad.
