What's the way forward for Agri-Meals Robotics within the EU and past?

By Kees Lokhorst, Mission Coordinator of the agROBOfood challenge

Over the last a long time robots are reworking from easy machines to cognitive collaborators. The space that has been lined is lengthy, however there are nonetheless challenges, in addition to alternatives that lie forward. That was additionally the primary matter of debate within the agROBOfood occasion ‘Visioning the way forward for agri-food robotics’ by a panel of specialists of the area.

The subject was launched by two inspiring shows. The primary one was by Jérôme Bandry, who shared the imaginative and prescient of CEMA (European Agricultural Equipment). Based on their insights digitalization, precision agriculture and robotics might be half and even drive the re-shape of agricultural programs that deal with the societal challenges. Industrial management might be wanted to deal with challenges on investments within the knowledge infrastructure, laws, and expertise improvement. Nevertheless, the most important problem is to bridge the hole between the event of modern robotic options and the profitable uptake of those options in follow.

The second by Dr. Slawomir Sander, Chair of the EU-Robotics AISBL matter group on agriculture robotics showcased the alternatives and challenges for the neighborhood concerned within the European Robotics for the agri-food manufacturing. These can be found within the strategic agenda that was developed by EU-Robotics together with agROBOfood, an H2020 challenge that goals to construct a pan-European community of Digital Innovation Hubs within the agri-food sector. The aim of this strategic agenda was to contribute to the event of the European Strategic Analysis and Innovation and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA) of the AI, Information and Robotics PPP, a broad and coherent view of the wants, purposes, key challenges for robotics for the agri-food manufacturing area together with knowledge and AI, a 360o stakeholder view addressing expertise, enterprise, and ecosystem improvement, and a foundation for the imaginative and prescient, alignment, and improvement of packages, tasks, teams, and consortia that intention to contribute to the event and deployment of robotics, AI, and knowledge within the agri-food manufacturing community.

The agenda’s imaginative and prescient is effectively encapsulated within the following sentence: “Future agri-food manufacturing networks might be versatile, responsive, and clear, offering enough high-quality and wholesome services for everybody at an affordable value whereas preserving sources, biodiversity, local weather, surroundings, and cultural variations”. The mission’s respectively within the following: “Stimulate the event and integration of modern robotic, AI, and Information options that may efficiently be utilized in versatile, responsive, and clear agri-food manufacturing networks”.

The present launch of the agenda primarily focuses on the meals manufacturing half. Being a working doc although it’s going to function a foundation for additional elaboration to embody the entire agri-food area in its full width and depth. With an emphasis on robotics and to a lesser extent on AI and Information, it gives a imaginative and prescient and mission on what robotics ought to contribute and learn how to facilitate the transition to a extra sustainable agri-food manufacturing. Key challenges by way of expertise, ecosystem, and market are derived from 12 use-case themes inside the agri-food manufacturing area (desk).