# Canon makes moves into .. Lettuce Farming?



## canonnews (Mar 4, 2018)

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I’m beginning to think that Canon Electronics does a lot of really cool things.  As you may have remembered, they are also partnered up for Japan’s private company launch facilities, rocket and satellite programs.</p>
<p>Here, they are working with a company in Japan to help mass produce lettuce in factories.</p>
<p>As the article from Nikkei Asia Review notes;</p>
<blockquote><p>Canon Electronics will provide automated systems for seeding, harvesting and shipping to Vitec’s vegetable unit. This will be Canon’s first time sharing its automation technology with an outside party. The company hopes to soak up more farming expertise that it can later use on its own.</p>
<p>One of the locations, in the central prefecture of Ishikawa, is expected to be capable of producing 4,400 tons of leafy vegetables a year, or 120,000 pieces a day. This would make it Japan’s largest facility of its kind.</p></blockquote>
<p>Clearly they are attempting to be not outdone by Canon USA’s little robot..</p>
<p><a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Canon-to-put-automation-tech-to-work-in-lettuce-factory-venture">Read the article here.. </a></p>
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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 4, 2018)

It sounds like a move into Industrial Robotics.

A few years back, Canon announced that all their new products would be designed for robotic assembly, and from that multi year effort, they have likely developed a lot of expertise and are looking to make a profit from it.

Japan has a severe labor shortage and farming is probably the most labor intensive industry. Automated growing and harvesting of vegetables would free up workers for higher paying jobs. The US also has a shortage of workers for agricultural work, its a low paying job. There have been lots of harvesting machines developed over the years, but I have not heard of end to end robotic machinery. Picking apples is still done by hand.


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## canonnews (Mar 4, 2018)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> It sounds like a move into Industrial Robotics.
> 
> A few years back, Canon announced that all their new products would be designed for robotic assembly, and from that multi year effort, they have likely developed a lot of expertise and are looking to make a profit from it.



Their lens assembly automation has been done for a while. 50% of the 16-35 2.8L III is done by automated assembly, and Canon is aiming for 80%.

Always interesting to see other uses for the technology and helping to feed people especially where there is power and water but otherwise not a good enough environment for farming.

I think there was some factories in NYC experimenting with lettuce / green food farming.

Was also interesting is that Canon may be thinking about getting into factory farming of their own in the future


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## LDS (Mar 4, 2018)

canonnews said:


> Canon Electronics will provide automated systems for seeding, harvesting and shipping to *Vitec’s *vegetable unit.



Hope it's not the same Vitec owning the Manfrotto/Lowepro/etc. brands...


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## Talys (Mar 4, 2018)

Soon, Canon robots will farm Canon lettuce Farms!


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## justawriter (Mar 4, 2018)

Waiting for someone to comment how Sony lettuce has much better DR (Digestive Resistance).


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## Click (Mar 4, 2018)

justawriter said:


> Waiting for someone to comment how Sony lettuce has much better DR (Digestive Resistance).



LOL ;D


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## AJ (Mar 4, 2018)

Do some bunches of lettuce have a red ring?
I guess L stands for lettuce.


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## Don Haines (Mar 4, 2018)

AJ said:


> Do some bunches of lettuce have a red ring?



No.

Lettuce is a crop.... not a Full Frame....

Canon has never put a red ring on a crop......


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## Click (Mar 4, 2018)

Don Haines said:


> Lettuce is a crop.... not a Full Frame....
> 
> Canon has never put a red ring on a crop......



;D Excellent, Don.


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## GMCPhotographics (Mar 5, 2018)

Apparently....Canon doesn't innovate...according to some...just saying...


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## Lurker (Mar 5, 2018)

This isn't anything new, Canon has been picking my lettuce crop since 1996. They haven't gotten as much from me as they have from some of you, my GAS has been fairly well controlled. Only 3 bodies, 1 grip, 2 printers, 4 flashes and 9 lenses in 22 years.


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## dolina (Mar 5, 2018)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Japan has a severe labor shortage and farming is probably the most labor intensive industry. Automated growing and harvesting of vegetables would free up workers for higher paying jobs. The US also has a shortage of workers for agricultural work, its a low paying job. There have been lots of harvesting machines developed over the years, but I have not heard of end to end robotic machinery. Picking apples is still done by hand.


To fill in the gap they hire Filipino migrant workers. A Japanese classmate of my mom used to head the efforts in Manila.


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## greger (Mar 5, 2018)

Here in Canada the rush is to convert green houses from growing lettuce to growing marijuana. Canon will have a hungry market with the munchies wanting good lettuce on their burgers!


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## SV (Mar 5, 2018)

Lettuce hope they come out with a FF mirrorless soon...


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## NancyP (Mar 5, 2018)

No weirder than Fujifilm at one time being an esteemed and major breeder of KOI (yes, those beautiful decorative carp)... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi

A family member used to work for Fujifilm America as a color scientist, and told me about the huge koi ponds at the Japan headquarters, originally started as a public relations effort in order to reassure the locals that the film chemistry plant wouldn't be contaminating the environment (look, our fish live in the effluent...). Given that koi are essentially big catfish, bottom feeders, this may not have been a high demand on the fish. However, apparently the sales of excess koi did become a (relatively small) line item in the Fujifilm tax returns. Some individual mature fish were line item assets, being worth (equivalent) $10,000.00 to $60,000.00 - the fish equivalents of Secretariat.


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## Mancubus (Mar 5, 2018)

This website only publishes depressing news, lettuce crops and a decade old technology on a plastic entry level body.

Meanwhile the Nikon D850 goes on unmatched and Sony releases a body under 2000usd that steamrolls over any Canon FF body under 4000usd.


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## Don Haines (Mar 5, 2018)

In similar robotics news, robot cats are getting ready to take over the internet!

https://www.amazon.ca/Joy-All-Orange-Tabby-Cat/dp/B017JQQ01A/ref=sr_1_1/143-8997470-4033434?ie=UTF8&qid=1520268781&sr=8-1&keywords=robot+cat


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## transpo1 (Mar 5, 2018)

Click said:


> Don Haines said:
> 
> 
> > Lettuce is a crop.... not a Full Frame....
> ...



So good. 

Lettuce innovate, Canon!


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## KeithBreazeal (Mar 5, 2018)

I'm going to look into a salad bowl with a red ring.
Canon is smart to diversify. Right now, I need a robotic snowblower.



My winter in the Sierras by Keith Breazeal, on Flickr


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## Nelu (Mar 6, 2018)

Mancubus said:


> This website only publishes depressing news, lettuce crops and a decade old technology on a plastic entry level body.
> 
> Meanwhile the Nikon D850 goes on unmatched and Sony releases a body under 2000usd that steamrolls over any Canon FF body under 4000usd.


So true, so true...lettuce? Really?


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## littleB (Mar 6, 2018)

A lot of people would say "I am fed up with Canon crops, I would not even taste their recent crops. Canon is ******* because it still uses mirrors to collect light for crops. I better go Sony lettuce, because it is lighter on me, even though I never tasted a Sony lettuce. But their grass is greener in my mind.".


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## canonnews (Mar 6, 2018)

Nelu said:


> Mancubus said:
> 
> 
> > This website only publishes depressing news, lettuce crops and a decade old technology on a plastic entry level body.
> ...



Canon as a company is pretty diverse and does a lot of neat things.

In my humble opinion, it's always good to see what they are doing in other fields, or how camera technology evolves into other things, such as this; something that just may in the future help the world feed it's population. 

Since I'm helping Craig while he's on vacation, bear with me a bit. I find it cool. Just not as cool as cucumbers.


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## AdjustedInCamera (Mar 6, 2018)

canonnews said:


> Nelu said:
> 
> 
> > Mancubus said:
> ...



What they are doing 'in other fields'? - tomatoes probably.

I just hope the new 5DSR has a tilty-flippy screen.

Lettuce wait and see.

(Sorry)


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## littleB (Mar 6, 2018)

canonnews said:


> Since I'm helping Craig while he's on vacation, bear with me a bit. I find it cool. Just not as cool as cucumbers.


This is as cool as liquid nitrogen!


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