For centuries rice farmers in Asia did not have Aigamo, but they used real geese as a natural alternative to pesticides. Gluttonous with weeds and insects, palmipeds also acted as natural fertilizer, in the way you can imagine.
In the 21st century, the practice is no longer in use, but a cybernetic hand could give new life to old methods.
What is Aigamo
An engineer at Nissan made a cybernetic friend to patrol the fields: it is currently being tested in the Japanese prefecture of Yamagata, in north east Japan.
Aigamo (did you realize that was the name of the amphibious robot?) Weighs only 1.5kg and is about the size of one of those automatic vacuum cleaners. Two rotating rubber brushes act as legs for swimming underwater, and helping to oxygenate the water prevent the growth of weeds and algae.
Here he is in action in the video distributed on YouTube by the same Japanese house Nissan.
I find very romantic the idea that a robot brings to life ancient farming techniques otherwise lost.
A bit like Robocrop, which in the UK will keep the berry harvest alive.
In Japan plagued by the contraction in consumption and the aging of the population, Aigamo could guarantee the survival of an industry of immense cultural value.
