AI and digitalisation in gardening and landscaping: How gardening and landscaping companies can benefit from new technologies

Advancing digitalisation is changing the business processes of gardening and landscaping companies. Lucas Winkler, Managing Director of Winkler Garten- und Landschaftsbau, advises them to deal with digital changes in a goal- and process-orientated manner in order to remain future-proof and competitive. In this interview, the author of numerous specialist articles on the subject explains how this can be achieved.

Analysing collected data with the help of AI

Mr Winkler, what are currently the most important digital trends for gardening and landscaping?

Lucas Winkler: 3D measurements can now be easily created using so-called lidar sensors on a smartphone. Linking the Internet of Things with certain services is also a major topic. BLE tags (Bluetooth Low Energy) are used for this purpose, among other things. These are small hardware components that connect small devices to the internet via a Bluetooth signal. They can be used to retrieve information on performance data, for example.

Plants can also be linked to the internet in order to send data to the cloud or the office. In the meantime, the main focus is on analysing years of collected data with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

Where are there successful examples of the use of digital solutions that landscaping companies are already using today?

Lucas Winkler: When I have to prepare a quote for a private customer, I calculate it in the office based on the digital measurements taken on site. I can move around in the 3D model and measure areas, lengths and circumferences. In addition, smaller local authorities around here use sensors to water trees, for example.

ChatGPT and similar text-based chatbots are on trend. What can they offer landscaping companies?

Lucas Winkler: Generative artificial intelligence can be used to create images, videos or texts. GaLaBau companies can then use these in the design phase or in marketing. However, the technology is still in its infancy when it comes to transferring it to gardening and landscaping. On the other hand, AI tools are increasingly being implemented in graphics applications such as Photoshop. If landscape architects or gardeners in the design sector work with them, they already have functioning AI tools at their fingertips.