Meet the Superhero Farm Robots in Training

By Robin Ann Smith

In the Marvel Comics universe, Thor is known for wielding a magical hammer with superhuman stamina. 

But at NC State University, Thor is a hammer-wielding robot in training for an earthly but backbreaking task: tending vegetables.

Grocery shoppers might not think about it, but the bulk of the fresh produce we buy in the supermarket is still tended and picked by hand. NC State researchers have been trying to do things a little differently, using AI and robots.

From her home office, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative Makerspace Director Andrea Monteza proudly showed off a rendering of Thor and a second device, dubbed SpiderBot — for weaving twine — mounted on a self-driving frame about the size of a golf cart.

On-board stereo cameras act as the system’s eyes, giving it a 360-degree view of what is around. Its LiDAR laser sensors help it scan and map a field of crops and maneuver through variable terrain.