TRIC Robotics scales UV-C pest control to 1,500 strawberry

Ag robotics firm TRIC Robotics has expanded from half-acre trials in 2021 to treating more than 1,500 acres of commercial strawberries this year. The company operates a fleet of 15 autonomous robots that use ultraviolet light and bug vacuums at night, according to founder Adam Stager in an interview with AgFunderNews.

Stager explained the company's core function is helping farmers control pests and disease using UV-C light and vacuums as a replacement for chemical pesticides. The firm deploys its robots as a service, requiring no upfront investment from growers.

Scaling from garage to giant machines

The company's journey involved significant hardware evolution. TRIC started with small golf cart-sized machines built in a garage. Farmers advised that covering large acreage was essential for economics, and the early models struggled in field conditions.

Working with Andros Engineering, TRIC scaled the form factor to tractor size. The machines now feature six-foot-tall tires and weigh 25,000 pounds, designed for open-field strawberry terrain. The company also automated the boom holding the UV array to precisely control the dose delivered to plants.

Business model and market dynamics

TRIC employs a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model. Stager outlined the pros, including recurring business and control over technology deployment. The model fits strawberries well because farmers already pay per application for traditional spraying services.

"Since we operate as a service, they don't have any upfront capex, and we operate at night out of the way of all the things that they normally do during the day," Stager said. He noted the geographic density of the strawberry market in California makes the service model viable.

The company charges roughly what farmers currently pay for chemical spraying. An independent case study by the California Strawberry Center found the vacuum service alone pays for both the vacuum and light treatment. Some farmers have increased treatment frequency from twice to three times weekly.

Competitive landscape and expansion

TRIC differentiates itself from other UV-C players like Saga Robotics through machine size and target crop. Saga uses smaller, battery-powered units in vineyards, while TRIC's large diesel machines cover multiple rows in open strawberry fields.

Stager sees a substantial addressable market. The initial wedge in strawberries represents hundreds of millions of dollars. By stacking additional capabilities onto the robotic platform, he believes the opportunity grows to a billion dollars.

Future add-ons could start with simple tasks. Some farmers currently use tractors or metal skis to flatten dirt in furrows weekly to prevent tripping hazards. Automating this would add customer value. A more complex goal is robotic weeding, which Stager said could double the company's revenue.

The firm plans to scale by adding services for strawberry growers, expanding into new crops using UV treatment as an entry point, and pursuing international expansion with existing customers. The nightly fleet operations continue across California's strawberry fields.