Robot Harvesting a Paddy Field? Find Out the Facts… - Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka English

The rapid advancements in generative AI tools and computer graphics have meant that anyone with a creative imagination could produce mid-boggling photos and videos. However, some of these creations get shared with misleading narratives.

Let’s look at one such purported claim of a robot harvesting a paddy field.

Social Media Posts:

A short video clip, claiming to be an amazing instance of a robot harvesting rice, resembling human movements, drew much attention in social media circles.

Facebook

This video was shared in different languages and was viral on TikTok, as seen here. We came across numerous videos on ‘X‘ & YouTube which also showcased purported robots involved in a variety of activities.

Fact Check:

Upon close examination of the viral clip, we noticed several irregularities in the movements of robots and the background. On several occasions, the robot’s legs appeared not to touch the ground, and the area surrounding the robot’s body appeared blurred, which are tale-tale signs of manipulations to the original footage.

We submitted the video for a reverse image search and discovered its posting on the @TheFigen_ ‘X’ account in January 2024. Numerous users on the platform indicated that the video was generated using artificial intelligence (AI), and the corresponding video post was subsequently deleted.

We even found another video with the same background but with a different robot this time, impersonating the same movement, which further clarifies that the footage is regenerated.

What is The Technology Behind These Videos Impersonating Human Movement?

Wonder Studio, an AI tool that automatically animates, lights, and composes CG characters into live-action scenes, is a widely used application in this regard. It provides a detailed explanation of the creation process for videos showcasing 3D robot movements synchronised with human actions. A video released on a YouTube channel in December 2023 discussed various aspects of the videos created using Wonder Studio, impersonating even some of the complex human movements.

Robotics and Automation technologies are increasingly becoming part of modern farming!

Especially in many Western countries, automated machinery and robotics are used to perform various tasks in the agricultural sector. From planting and harvesting crops to monitoring and managing livestock, there are many cases where these technologies are being employed. Even more, successful experiments using robotic techniques for rice farming have been carried out, as seen here.

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Conclusion:

Our investigation reveals that the video depicting robots harvesting a paddy field is not original footage. Instead, it is a video generated using an AI (artificial intelligence) tool that robotically animates human movements.