Global overview
A fast-growing area covering Europe and the United States
An in-depth examination of data collected from 3,593 international patent families in the field of Autonomous devices in precision agriculture reveals a notable CAGR of +10.4% from 2017 to 2021, indicating a substantial increase in interest in the subject matter (Figure 2.22).
The USPTO, WIPO and EPO are widely regarded as the top global authorities for patent filings, with 1,923, 1,789, and 1,768 international patent families respectively (Figure 7.1). In Asia, China takes the lead with 1,379 international filings, followed by Japan with 584 international filings and the Republic of Korea with 420 international filings. It should be noted that this analysis excludes non-international patent families, which could result in an underestimate of the influence of regional jurisdictions in Asia.
In Europe, Germany stands out with 718 international patent families, while in North America, Canada contributes 683 international patent families. Latin America and the Caribbean are represented by Brazil with 618 international patent families. Oceania is also making its presence felt, with Australia filing 466 international patent families.
Inventive regions
China, the United States and Germany as main providers of solutions for autonomous guidance
In the realm of R&D for Autonomous devices in precision agriculture, Europe is leading the way with 1,279 international patent families dedicated to this field, largely attributed to the significant involvement of German industrial actors (Figure 7.2). Following behind, Asia boasts 1,177 international patent families. North America secures the third spot on the podium with 1040 international patent families, primarily due to substantial industrial investments in the United States. Analysis of CAGR in top locations worldwide reveals a growing interest in specific jurisdictions. For instance, Brazil shows a remarkable CAGR of +69.5%, while Japan follows closely behind with +38%. The Republic of Korea also demonstrates a notable CAGR of +30.0%, and the United Kingdom shows a CAGR of +20.1%, indicating an emerging regional interest in Autonomous devices in precision agriculture in these areas.
No specific policies or regulations directly favor the development of autonomous agricultural devices. However, a large effort on the global digitalization of agriculture tasks is conducted worldwide from several initiatives to globally gain access to modern farm machinery and equipment, ultimately promoting sustainable agriculture productivity.
Asia
In Asia, China promotes the revamping of Agrifood machinery and storage facilities. The Republic of Korea will use less fossil fuel in agriculture by increasing the use of renewable energy, and by developing electric agricultural machinery. In Japan, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, each location will take appropriate approaches for achieving carbon neutrality, including the electrification and hydrogenation of agricultural and forestry machinery as well as fisheries vessels. In Timor-Leste, efforts will also be made to sustainably manage tractors and other agricultural machinery to increase agriculture productivity and production. To enable this, the government will immediately embark on an exercise to map and catalog existing public and private agricultural machines to ascertain current coverage and conditions and strengthen regional maintenance centers and hiring services. The private sector will be involved to ensure mechanization is sustainable and production costs are minimized. (1)National Pathways Analysis Dashboard | UN Food Systems Coordination Hub (https://www.unfoodsystemshub.org/member-state-dialogue/national-pathways-analysis-dashboard/es).
Africa
In Africa, various strategies are used to renew farm equipment. Nigeria is developing regulatory standards for manufacturing agricultural machinery, to prevent the proliferation of inefficient machinery in the location. Uganda is improving its food systems infrastructure especially through efficient transport networks, technology, energy supply and agro-industrialization machinery supporting food system value chains. Burundi is improving the valorization of food crops through processing (machining), improving the quality and prices of agricultural products. This valuation gives farmers greater income that allows them to buy what they do not produce on their farms. Angola facilitates access to foreign exchange for the import of agricultural inputs (seeds, machinery and work tools, fertilizers and additives for animal feed, vaccines and fishing artifacts). (2)National Pathways Analysis Dashboard | UN Food Systems Coordination Hub (https://www.unfoodsystemshub.org/member-state-dialogue/national-pathways-analysis-dashboard/es).
Top players
Companies from Germany and the United States are leading the auto steering sector
Considering the top 50 players in the autonomous devices segment, industrial actors largely dominate the domain by 97% compared to academic ones. The majority of top players in the industry are primarily from Germany, making up 33% of the total. The top 10 players own 24% of the international patent families. They all are manufacturers of agricultural machinery (Deere, CNH Industrial, Kubota, etc.), with one German agrochemical company (Bayer) (Figure 7.3).
Deere is one of the few companies from the United States as a top actor (10%) but leads the field dedicated to Autonomous devices in precision agriculture, mostly from its large experience in autonomous harvesters. Deere currently holds 256 international patent families and exhibits a strong and diversified portfolio, with worldwide extensions.
Leading innovations in Germany, CLAAS is part of a huge German ecosystem of manufacturers of agricultural machines focusing on autonomous guidance. Together with Bernard Krone Holding, CLAAS targets their R&D on tractors and harvesters. Interestingly CLAAS shows a complementary patent portfolio with Amazonen-Werke H Dreyer and Horsch Holding, these companies being oriented toward sprayers, distributors and fertilizer spreaders. Another aspect of automation is covered by Baader Holding, which developed a full range of innovations dedicated to the automatic discharging, slaughtering and processing of livestock. Finally, Bayer, an agrochemical company, shows a diversified patent portfolio regarding many aspects of Agrifood domain. Bayer developed an interesting expertise in autonomous tillage practices as well as automatic systems for the evaluation of agricultural products. German top companies largely favor North American and European protection compared to Asia (Japan, India, the Republic of Korea) and Latin America.
CNH Industrial from the United Kingdom covers the automated guidance for tractors and harvesters. Despite a high number of patents with worldwide extensions in diversified areas, CNH’s portfolio is less impactful with a lower number of non-self forward citations compared to Deere and CLAAS.
Kubota is also a major Japanese manufacturer of agricultural machines covering the field. With Iseki, both focus their development on automatic traveling using satellites, mostly for seeding and transplanting machines. Asian top companies majorly protect their innovations within Asian jurisdictions (China, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea), the United States and Europe, with additional few extensions in national phases.
Jiangsu University is the only non-industrial player, with patents dedicated to multiterrain intelligent mobile robots.
Emerging technologies: controlling non-electric variables
The primary technologies are concentrated in the fields of data processing and controlling systems, with the technology of controlling non-electric variables experiencing the fastest growth in precision agriculture
Through a comprehensive analysis of IPC subclasses, we were able to establish a global ranking based on the total number of international patent families. By calculating the fluctuations in document numbers from 2017 to 2021, we were able to identify the key technologies involved in precision agriculture with a focus on autonomous devices. These major technologies can be categorized into four primary domains: data collection, data processing, information communication technologies and controlling systems (Figure 7.4).
Among these domains, a significant concentration of patent applications is observed in the fields of data processing and controlling systems.
Notably, the IPC subclass G05D, which pertains to the technology of controlling non-electric variables, stands out. This subclass not only has the highest number of international patent families but also exhibits a remarkable growth in patent applications, with a CAGR of 37.6% from 2017 to 2021. The technology of controlling non-electric variables refers to the control and regulation of non-electrical parameters such as temperature, humidity, pressure, flow and chemical composition. In the context of precision agriculture, this technology finds applications in various scenarios, including environmental control, irrigation system management, fertilization and pesticide spraying. Such technology is crucial for optimizing agricultural practices, ensuring optimal growing conditions and improving resource efficiency. Given its substantial growth and pivotal role in precision agriculture, the technology of controlling non-electric variables is anticipated to be a major trend in the development of precision agriculture. Advances in this field are expected to significantly enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of autonomous agricultural devices.
The ranking of applications in the autonomous devices segment of the precision agriculture sub-domain was established by examining the number of IPC subclasses of each international patent family, as shown in Figure 7.5. The analysis revealed a significant growth rate of over +20% CAGR from 2017 to 2021, indicating a notable increase in the adoption of autonomous devices for tasks such as soil working (A01B), crop harvesting and mowing (A01D). Autonomous devices are also being utilized in other agricultural applications, however with very low CAGRs, such as crop planting and culture, as well as animal husbandry practices. Furthermore, the food supply chain (A22C, B01D), including transportation and storage, is also being targeted for robotization in order to improve efficiency and productivity within the industry (data not shown).
Publication number: WO2021/097368
Applicant: 80 Acres Urban Agriculture, Inc.
Application Date: 13.11.2020
The invention describes an autonomous farming system that incorporates a computing device to analyze plant data and detect growing deficiencies, prompting corrective actions through a farming controller. By utilizing machine learning models and sensor data, the system is able to autonomously optimize plant growth conditions, ultimately improving agricultural efficiency. This innovative technology falls within the realm of autonomous farming systems specifically designed to monitor and enhance plant growth in indoor settings. Compared to traditional farming methods, this system provides significant advantages by allowing for real-time monitoring and precise adjustments to plant conditions. As a result, it is able to boost crop yield, decrease the need for manual labor, optimize resource utilization and promote sustainable agricultural practices.