Japan has the world's oldest population, with one-third of its citizens over 65 and one in ten aged 80 or older, due to low birth rates and high life expectancy.

This demographic shift is significantly impacting the workforce, with the number of working-age individuals (15 to 64) expected to decline by 30 million between 2020 and 2070.

Agriculture has been particularly affected. According to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the number of primary farmers has dropped by half between 2000 and 2023, with those under 60 comprising only 20% of the sector. To address this labor shortage, Japan is increasingly turning to robotics alongside immigration and fertility policy adjustments.

Tamir Blum, an Israeli-American, founded Kisui Tech in 2021 while still a student. His company is leveraging space exploration technology to develop an AI-assisted farming robot. “Over the past two decades, half of Japan’s farmers have retired, placing a growing burden on the remaining workforce to sustain food production,” Blum explains.

The semi-autonomous robot, named Adam, can transport harvested crops across rough terrain, mow grass, and spray pesticides. Blum’s expertise in lunar rovers, gained during his PhD research in Japan, inspired the project.

“During my PhD, I traveled extensively through rural Japan and saw firsthand the challenges posed by the labor shortage,” he recalls. “Abandoned houses, aging farmers, and struggling agricultural communities were everywhere. I realized that the same off-road robotic technology used for space exploration could be invaluable for outdoor orchards, which have similarly rough and uneven terrain.”

This innovative approach could help Japan’s agricultural sector overcome its workforce crisis while ensuring a stable food supply for the future.