Root AI, a Somerville, Mass.-based startup developing the Virgo harvesting robot for indoor farms, was acquired by AppHarvest for $60 million. AppHarvest is investing approximately $10 million in cash and the remaining balance in AppHarvest common shares to acquire Root AI. Founded in 2018, Root AI's 19 full-time employees are expected to join AppHarvest's technology group. Root AI co-founder and CEO Josh Lessing will take on the role of CTO for AppHarvest. He will take the lead in continuing to develop the robots and AI capabilities for the network of indoor farms AppHarvest is building.

In recent months, the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted frangibility in the global supply networks; particularly those involved in food security. Hallmarks of digital transformation, automation, and artificial intelligence, are being tapped to create a decentralized 21st century food chain. On Thursday, the agricultural robotics and artificial intelligence company Root AI announced new capabilities to its AI-enhanced robotic harvester as well as investments totaling more than $7 million. Now that the AI-enhanced robotic harvester has demonstrated enhanced dexterity to tackle crops of various shapes and sizes, the technology could help shore up these vulnerabilities. In the past, Root AI has provided glimpses of its robo-harvester, known as Virgo, picking ripe tomatoes off the vine.

This futuristic robot is helping eliminate the guesswork and manpower behind harvesting crops. Virgo 1, a robot created by Massachusetts-based tech start-up Root AI, uses artificial intelligence to pick tomatoes and other fruit when they're perfectly ripe. The gadget's sensors can "see" a fruit in 3D, analyze ripeness in realtime and understand if it is ready to pick -- even in "highly cluttered and complicated growing environments," according to the company's website. If Virgo 1 determines a piece of fruit is ripe, the robot extends its arm, gently grabs onto the fruit, gives a quick twist and gently plucks it from the branch without damaging the produce. While similar bots are restricted to harvesting one type of fruit, Virgo 1's software allows it to be programmed for any fruit or vegetable.