North Forge Technology Exchange will be hosting an exclusive tech launch for Ukkö Robotics as they release the first ever autonomous poultry tractor – Rova.

In an industry where time is money, Rova operates as a self-sustaining poultry barn so farmers can focus on other areas of their business. The autonomous barn was designed to provide unprecedented flexibility, allowing individuals to raise their animals on pasture while having the same benefits as today’s most high tech barns.

“Solar-powered robots that raise chickens on the pasture – how cool is that! Ukkö Robotics is a great example of how young innovators can create efficient, environmentally-minded solutions that can disrupt the traditional ways we do things,” said Jeff Ryzner, President of North Forge Technology Exchange.

Ukkö Robotics saw the issues that the agriculture sector was dealing with and addressed them head-on by using clean technology and artificial intelligence. “We came to the realization that maybe we have been looking at the barn design wrong this whole time,” said co-founder, Daniel Badiou. “The traditional poultry barn is ineffective and outdated. We believe that a completely automated, moving barn can solve many issues that traditional barns currently have, such as lack of time and high labour costs. Our design and mobile app now make it possible for farmers and non-farmers to raise the animals they want with ease.”

Rova is 100 percent solar powered with a five-day battery reserve. The modular units maintain heat, grass, litter and water, with a 360-degree monitoring system that provides alerts and updates to the mobile app. An onboard GPS gives farmers the ability to track field position and predetermine Rova’s path without manual intervention. Rova continually collects data through the mobile app to improve and update its system.

There are several options when it comes to model sizes, from single families who want to raise a couple of chickens to large poultry farms, Rova is making the farm-to-table mentality accessible to all. The largest model has the capacity for up to 200 chickens and each unit can hold up to three days of egg storage.

On September 19, 2018, Ukkö Robotics will share their prototype with an exclusive audience of North Forge Technology Exchange members at 1770 Dawson Road South.

“We are very excited to be able to finally show what we have been working on at Ukkö Robotics for the past year,” says Badiou. “Attendees of our technology launch can expect to see some happy chickens, brown eggs, and a pretty amazing robot.”

The launch will feature a field demonstration as well as presentations from the company’s founders.