Unmanned WATER STRIDER Boat from Yamaha Motor Could Improve Rice Cultivation Efficiency and Reduce Cost
Weed control is one of the most laborious and expensive steps in rice production. The rice cultivation requires proper control and spraying of herbicide on the fields.
To automate and increase an efficiency of rice cultivation, Yamaha Motor has announced an unmanned WATER STRIDER boat that will be available for the agricultural market from 25 April 2017.
The WATER STRIDER (Images credit: Yamaha Motor)
Cultivating rice is a wet, messy, and often back-breaking task involving raising seedlings, plowing the paddies, fertilizing them, planting the rice, weeding, pest control, cutting, gathering, and threshing – much of it still done by hand.
The WATER STRIDER boat approx. 1.6 m in length is capable of spraying herbicide from its hull while traversing rice paddy fields that reduces the labor cost.
The company has recommended retail price of the WATER STRIDER at ¥975,000 (about US$8,500) and aims the first year sales target of 150 units.
It can be remotely controlled for herbicide spraying work, which required before and after rice planting and direct sowing in paddy rice cultivation.
The features include speedy chemical supply through the adoption of the industry’s first detachable cassette tank, shock absorbing material, light weight and hull shape enhance the handling and maneuverability.
Its wind-powered engine operates through a dedicated transmitter and graphic design improves the visibility.
In past, Yamaha Motor had released an industrial-use unmanned helicopter in 1987.
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