You've probably heard of Spot the dog but have you heard about Spot the robot?
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Developed by American engineering and robotics design company Boston Dynamics, Spot can 'walk' along the rows in crops like corn and sunflowers.
Robots like Spot have the ability to inspect operations, autonomously collect data and support the application of new crop protection discovery molecules.
Corteva Agriscience are one of the first companies to get its hands on the Spot platform and will be using the robot for in-field testing of new seed and crop protection solutions.
The company is also working with Trimble for the initial proof-of-concept and to integrate GPS guidance technologies with the Spot robot platform.
It is hoped Spot's capabilities can be used to better understand complex phenotypes and in turn support research and development selection processes.
Corteva has named its robot Anatoly or 'Annie' after Pioneer founder Henry A Wallace's Anatolian Shepherd dogs.
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Corteva Agriscience seed product development leader Geoff Graham said robotics has tremendous potential for the agricultural industry.
"Annie's proximal sensing capabilities and ability to execute specific actions at a certain plot or by individual plant will help us challenge assumptions about the way things are done," Mr Graham said.
"The ability to leverage an autonomous robot to navigate row crop fields, while carrying and pulling instruments to collect data or apply chemicals more efficiently, has tremendous potential as we push the boundaries of what we can deliver to farmers."
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