A California company is using robots to grow plants in greenhouses that it says use 90 percent less water than traditional farms. The company, Iron Ox, operates several greenhouses and has plans to expand. It recently announced a new $50 million investment. The financing was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a company established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. At a 930-square meter center in Gilroy, California, Iron Ox uses a self-driving robot named Grover to transport containers of plants. The large greenhouse uses hydroponics, a system designed to grow plants in materials other than soil, such as water. The company says each container, known as a module, carries 30 liters of water and about 70 seedlings as it moves. Another machine uses robotic arms to lift the top of the plants out of the water. This permits the roots to be inspected. Sensors also examine the water, measuring levels of nitrogen and acidity. Iron Ox claims the system uses 90 percent less water than traditional farms, as well as 90 percent less electricity than indoor farms using LED lights. LED stands for light emitting diode, which produces light up to 90 percent more efficiently than regular lights. Sarah Osentoski is the company’s senior vice president of engineering. She told Reuters news agency she believes robots like these can help prepare for a more sustainable future. “I think it’s a really exciting way we can move forward in agriculture right now,” Osentoski said. “I really believe that we need to grow in a way that could feed the future of the world without hurting the Earth,” she added. “So, a big part of our mission is to grow more with less.” The company notes that in its greenhouses, any water not used can be pumped back into the system to be reused later.
Title: California Startup Uses Robots in Greenhouses to Grow Crops
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='California Startup Uses Robots in Greenhouses to Grow Crops' data-article-id='5926'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='15875'>A California company is using robots to grow plants in greenhouses that it says use 90 percent less water than traditional farms.</span> <span data-start-time='15875' data-end-time='26854'>The company, Iron Ox, operates several greenhouses and has plans to expand. </span> <span data-start-time='26854' data-end-time='32646'>It recently announced a new $50 million investment. </span> <span data-start-time='32646' data-end-time='44667'>The financing was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a company established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.</span> <span data-start-time='44667' data-end-time='63458'>At a 930-square meter center in Gilroy, California, Iron Ox uses a self-driving robot named Grover to transport containers of plants. </span> <span data-start-time='63458' data-end-time='76938'>The large greenhouse uses hydroponics, a system designed to grow plants in materials other than soil, such as water.</span> <span data-start-time='76938' data-end-time='91188'>The company says each container, known as a module, carries 30 liters of water and about 70 seedlings as it moves. </span> <span data-start-time='91188' data-end-time='100125'>Another machine uses robotic arms to lift the top of the plants out of the water. </span> <span data-start-time='100125' data-end-time='105333'>This permits the roots to be inspected. </span> <span data-start-time='105333' data-end-time='114708'>Sensors also examine the water, measuring levels of nitrogen and acidity.</span> <span data-start-time='114708' data-end-time='132792'>Iron Ox claims the system uses 90 percent less water than traditional farms, as well as 90 percent less electricity than indoor farms using LED lights. </span> <span data-start-time='132792' data-end-time='145604'>LED stands for light emitting diode, which produces light up to 90 percent more efficiently than regular lights.</span> <span data-start-time='145604' data-end-time='153604'>Sarah Osentoski is the company’s senior vice president of engineering. </span> <span data-start-time='153604' data-end-time='164896'>She told Reuters news agency she believes robots like these can help prepare for a more sustainable future. </span> <span data-start-time='164896' data-end-time='175875'>“I think it’s a really exciting way we can move forward in agriculture right now,” Osentoski said.</span> <span data-start-time='175875' data-end-time='187313'>“I really believe that we need to grow in a way that could feed the future of the world without hurting the Earth,” she added. </span> <span data-start-time='187313' data-end-time='194875'>“So, a big part of our mission is to grow more with less.”</span> <span data-start-time='194875' data-end-time='207167'>The company notes that in its greenhouses, any water not used can be pumped back into the system to be reused later.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/B.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18147 data-hint-location='32646' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/what_is_a_venture.wav'>What is a venture?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a new business activity that may or may not be successful'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/a_new_business_activity_that_may_or_may_not_be_successful.wav'><span>a new business activity that may or may not be successful</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/an_entertainer_who_makes_their_voice_appear_to_come_from_a_dummy_of_a_person_or_animal.wav'><span>an entertainer who makes their voice appear to come from a dummy of a person or animal</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/a_simplified_drawing.wav'><span>a simplified drawing</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/a_set_of_related_web_pages_located_under_a_single_domain_name.wav'><span>a set of related web pages located under a single domain name</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18148 data-hint-location='15875' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/what_is_the_name_of_the_california_startup_in_this_news_story.wav'>What is the name of the California startup in this news story?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Iron Ox'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/steel_fox.wav'><span>Steel Fox</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/carbon_bull.wav'><span>Carbon Bull</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/copper_cow.wav'><span>Copper Cow</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/iron_ox.wav'><span>Iron Ox</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18149 data-hint-location='132792' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/led_stands_for__blank__emitting_diode_which_produces_light_up_to_90_percent_more_efficiently_than_regular_lights.wav'>LED stands for <span class='blank'>light</span> emitting diode, which produces light up to 90 percent more efficiently than regular lights.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='light'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/legal.wav'><span>legal</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/louvre.wav'><span>Louvre</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/loop.wav'><span>loop</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5336/light.wav'><span>light</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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