A Siberian Robot to Assess Black Soil Quality
A new AI-powered soil‑analysis robot developed in Russia is entering production, offering farmers faster, more accurate insights into soil health and enabling major efficiency gains across large agricultural operations.
Agriculture
Cognitive Pilot has begun production of Russia’s first AI-enabled robot designed for rapid analysis of agricultural land.
Know Your Soil
Fast, accurate soil assessment has long been one of the most resource‑intensive challenges in crop production. Farmers need detailed chemical and physical data to determine soil health and its suitability for planting. Without regular testing, farmland risks nutrient depletion, structural degradation, moisture imbalance and the accumulation of toxic compounds. Russian law also mandates periodic soil evaluation.
Traditional soil testing requires collecting samples and sending them to specialized laboratories. The process is costly—averaging between $33 and $60 per sample—and slow, taking up to two weeks depending on field size. During planting season, such delays can make it nearly impossible to generate timely soil‑composition maps with sufficient measurement density.
In 2022, Cognitive Pilot, a subsidiary of the Cognitive Technologies Group, won a competition organized by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade to develop an automated agronomic soil‑analysis system. One requirement was preparing the device for serial production in Russia using domestic electronic components. The project was funded under the national program “Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation.”
Automated and Drone‑Ready
In November 2025, Cognitive Pilot unveiled Cognitive Terra Sense, Russia’s first AI‑driven robot for rapid soil assessment. Its production is launching at a robot‑manufacturing facility in Tomsk. All soil‑composition sensors were engineered domestically.
The robot analyzes soil at depths up to 60 cm and measures key indicators such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and moisture. It can also determine soil compaction—critical for evaluating root development and field productivity.
Cognitive Terra Sense is designed to be universal: it can be mounted on any agricultural vehicle, including unmanned platforms, making the analysis process fully autonomous.
Measurements are taken automatically as the robot moves along a pre‑programmed route, with sampling frequency determined by the agronomist. Up to 100 measurements can be performed within 12 hours. A customizable measurement grid ensures accuracy, and a navigation module records coordinates and stores complete soil‑parameter sets for each point.
Automated Fertilizer Application
The robot integrates seamlessly into broader digital‑farming systems. Data from Cognitive Terra Sense are used to build a detailed field map showing nutrient distribution, acidity and other critical indicators. The information is transferred to the Cognitive Agro Manager precision‑farming platform, which generates a prescription map. This map is then uploaded to a tractor’s autopilot system, enabling precise variable‑rate fertilizer application and completing a fully digital workflow.
Cognitive Technologies founder and president Olga Uskova wrote in the company’s Telegram channel (spelling and punctuation preserved): “Our new robot makes it possible to APPLY FERTILIZER TARGETEDLY BASED ON RAPID SOIL ANALYSIS, performing accurate measurements across the entire field automatically. This is a major scientific breakthrough. Cognitive has developed DOMESTIC HIGH‑EFFICIENCY ANALYZER SENSORS for chemical soil analysis. This is a serious optimization of your farm… The economics are real: 40 million rubles (about $440,000) per 10,000 hectares.”
According to the InterAgroTech association, farms can save between 20 and 25 percent on fertilizers while simultaneously increasing yields. For large farming operations, this means savings of billions of rubles—tens of millions of dollars.
Optimization and Growth
The agricultural community will see Cognitive Terra Sense showcased at the 32nd YugAgro International Exhibition, held on November 18–21, 2025, in Krasnodar.
The robot signals a technological leap for Russia’s agricultural sector. Faster soil diagnostics, more precise fertilizer application and lower chemical costs not only improve yields but also reduce production expenses. These advantages accelerate digital adoption across farms. Integration with additional digital tools—satellite monitoring, IoT sensors and drones—will enable comprehensive farm‑management platforms. Together, these systems support industry modernization and strengthen technological sovereignty in agriculture.
The new robot also has strong commercial potential in countries with large farmland areas where reducing input costs is crucial.
