MocoBot - Smart Farming Robot for Pest Removal
According to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, pests are responsible for up to 40% of global crop losses each year. In response, a researcher at Kennesaw State University is developing a chemical-free, low-cost robotic solution to protect strawberry crops.
Assistant professor Taeyeong Choi has introduced MocoBot, an AI-powered robot designed to autonomously patrol strawberry fields at night, using night vision to detect and remove pests like slugs and snails. Unlike traditional pest control methods that rely on pesticides, MocoBot offers a targeted and environmentally friendly alternative.
“This approach is innovative because it brings AI and robotics into a space where solutions have traditionally relied on chemicals or manual labor,” said Choi, whose research is supported by a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant. “By targeting pests with smart technology, we can help farmers reduce crop loss while protecting the environment.”
MocoBot operates during nighttime hours when pests are most active. It captures specialized low-light images and uses AI trained to recognize pests in various poses and conditions. This allows the robot to function effectively in real-world farming environments.
"We realized a lot of farmers can’t afford high-tech robots," Choi said. "We’re committed to keeping MocoBot cost-effective by using inexpensive robotic platforms and simplistic AI models. This, in turn, ensures that performance remains high without requiring costly, high-powered hardware.”
The development process included a three-phase training regimen: teaching the robot to identify pests, programming a robotic arm to remove them, and enabling safe navigation through fields without harming crops. Choi’s team collaborated with local farmers and the KSU Field Station to build a diverse image dataset, as no existing nighttime pest database was available.
Choi sees MocoBot as the beginning of a broader initiative to apply AI and robotics to sustainable agriculture. “Food security is a growing concern as the global population increases,” Choi said. “By helping farmers reduce pest-related losses without harming the environment, we can make a real difference.”
CCSE Dean Sumanth Yeduri praised the project, saying, “Dr. Choi's research on MocoBot is a perfect example of how our faculty are pushing the boundaries of technology to solve real-world problems.”