Team Iron Claw Robotics developed an autonomous robot designed to improve crop evaluation for artichoke farmers by addressing the problem of limited field inspection time. The robot utilizes advanced cameras and soil probes to efficiently monitor artichoke growth and soil conditions, offering a competitive advantage over systems focused solely on disease detection. Built on a robust steel frame, it features adjustable cameras that slide along a horizontal beam, enabling it to take pictures from optimal angles.

The primary problem Iron Claw Robotics is attempting to solve is the inefficiency of manual crop evaluation. Farmers have limited time to inspect fields due to travel and other job responsibilities. This limitation leads to reduced productivity and missed opportunities for improvement. Many farming ranches are geographically dispersed, adding to the time and effort required for consistent and efficient monitoring.