AS IT IS 2016-08-25 For People Too Busy to Garden, FarmBot Can Help

AS IT IS 2016-08-25 For People Too Busy to Garden, FarmBot Can Help

In a small home garden, about 1.5 meters wide and 3 meters long, a robotic device called the FarmBot is busy planting vegetable seeds. The FarmBot will control the soil’s moisture, water the seeds and plants, and take out any wild plants or weeds.

Rory Aronson is the inventor of the FarmBot and chief executive officer of the company that produces it. He tells VOA who would find the device helpful.

“Our ideal customer is somebody who is a maker¹ or a hacker² type person who wants to grow their own food but doesn’t have the time.”

Aronson says he has been testing the FarmBot in his garden.

“We had Swiss chard, arugula, spinach³. We also had broccoli⁴, kale, beets⁵, and parsnips. We had 65 plants total and so we got a pretty good amount.”

To survive in extreme weather, the FarmBot is made of aluminum⁶, stainless⁷ steel and 3D printed plastic. The tools are designed to plant, water and care for each vegetable. They are attached to a long, thin rod that moves up and down the garden.

Aronson says putting the FarmBot together takes about 8 hours.

“If you can use a screwdriver⁸ and follow instructions you should be able to put FarmBot together no problem.”

The FarmBot works with Internet programs and can design a garden based on each person’s needs. Its software is open source. That means the computer program that makes it work can be freely used, changed and shared by anyone.

Hundreds of people have already ordered the FarmBot online. They and can expect to receive their devices in February.

The cost of the FarmBot is $3,100. For now, it is only one size. But the company is planning to make bigger robots for commercial gardening.

Words in This Story

ideal – n. someone or something that is believed to be perfect

customer – n. someone who buys goods or services from a business

maker – n. a person who makes something

hacker – n. a person who manages one's time and daily activities in an orderly way

aluminum – n. a silver metal that is strong and light and that is used for making many products

stainless steel - a type of steel that does not rust⁹

rod – n. a straight, thin stick

screwdriver – n. a tool that is used for turning screws

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 hacker   

n.能盗用或偷改电脑中信息的人，电脑黑客

参考例句：

• The computer hacker wrote that he was from Russia.这个计算机黑客自称他来自俄罗斯。
• This site was attacked by a hacker last week.上周这个网站被黑客攻击了。

3 spinach   

n.菠菜

参考例句：

• Eating spinach is supposed to make you strong.据说吃菠菜能使人强壮。
• You should eat such vegetables as carrot,celery and spinach.你应该吃胡萝卜、芹菜和菠菜这类的蔬菜。

4 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

5 beets   

甜菜( beet的名词复数 )； 甜菜根； （因愤怒、难堪或觉得热而）脸红

参考例句：

• Beets are Hank's favorite vegetable. 甜菜根是汉克最爱吃的蔬菜。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

6 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

7 stainless   

adj.无瑕疵的，不锈的

参考例句：

• I have a set of stainless knives and forks.我有一套不锈钢刀叉。
• Before the recent political scandal,her reputation had been stainless.在最近的政治丑闻之前，她的名声是无懈可击的。

8 screwdriver   

n.螺丝起子；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒

参考例句：

• He took a screwdriver and teased out the remaining screws.他拿出螺丝刀把其余的螺丝卸了下来。
• The electric drill can also be used as a screwdriver.这把电钻也可用作螺丝刀。

9 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。