Robotics secure 80% of rice harvest in 5% of the time in Japan

According to The Asahi Shimbun, robotics took over the task of growing rice plants in a paddy here, slashing the time needed for cultivation by 95 percent while simultaneously ensuring an almost comparable level of harvest.
The work was undertaken by Kyoto-based robot maker Tmsuk Co. It marked the first round of testing.
Working with Nobeoka city, which is seeking ways to claw back growing tracts of abandoned farmland due to the aging of farmers, Tmsuk is robotizing agricultural procedures in three paddies.
The process of creating dedicated beds for seedlings is replaced by a drone’s scattering of seeds directly on rice paddies. Conditions in each of the fields are monitored remotely, so farmers do not need to patrol them periodically.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15026367
​