THE AUTONOMOUS AGRICULTURAL ROBOTIC PLATFORM
“Without the support of Enterprise Solutions and the R&D Solutions Fund, many of these achievements would not have been possible. This support allowed for rapid acceleration of development at a very critical time.”
— Jake Gibson Shaw-Sutton, Robotriks Limited
Introduction:
In the current climate, there is a huge pressure upon farmers to deliver larger and larger crop yields, whilst managing with a diminishing manual labour force. In addition to this, greater concern is being raised over the volumes of pollution that are being emitted by the machinery used and soil health is diminishing at a rate that may leave soils infertile in under 60 years. To counter these critical issues, a new approach to agriculture is required. This is where the Autonomous Agricultural Robotic Platform offers great potential for the future of farming.
About the Project:
Enterprise Solutions provided funding to Robotriks Ltd in collaboration with University of Plymouth academics for the development of an autonomous agricultural robotic platform. The R&D Solutions Fund enabled the early stage part of this research and development for the Robotic Traction Unit (RTU) to move it towards commercial viability. This included a new design and hardware prototype, alongside research into autonomous navigation and uneven off-road terrain traversal, through testing and practical prototyping.
Outcomes, Impact and Reflection
What were the main outcomes from the project and how have they benefitted each stakeholder?
The main outcome for the business is a near-complete design which is now being rolled out to many farms for testing for commercialisation (this has led to over £100k of additional investment into the company as well as grant funding as detailed below).
For the academic and university?
A great benefit for the University is being able to have full access to prototypes and platforms for testing and producing further research, prototypes, and grant applications. This has led to securing additional grants of more than £900k. A number of academics are actively working on research that utilises the platform and its capabilities as a tool to further other developmental work.
What has your experience of working with Enterprise Solutions been like, either on this or previous projects?
"Incredibly easy, swift, and an all-round delight."
Are there any other comments or recommendations you would like to make, based on your experience?
Opportunities such as this are incredibly valuable. If your idea truly has legs, then linking with Enterprise Solutions can be a fantastic launchpad to be able to bring it to life.
“Without the support of Enterprise Solutions and the R&D Solutions Fund, many of these achievements would not have been possible. This support allowed for rapid acceleration of development at a very critical time. ” — Jake Gibson Shaw-Sutton, Robotriks Limited
Since the completion of this project, the impact and achievements of the robotic platform have led to a series of additional grant applications and offers. Listed below is a series of some of the larger financial gains from the project's impact, for both Robotriks and the University of Plymouth:
Aerospace Cornwall, Cornish Essential Oils, Solar Docking Station – Robotriks - £18,000.00
AgriEPICentre Agri Dev Platform – Robotics framework – Robotriks - £110,000.00
HotSW SatApp Catapult Robot & Mobile demonstrator project- UoP - £300,000.00
Recon Soil Work package 4 – Autonomous Robotic Sampling – UoP – just over £500,000.00
DATA, Devon Agri-Tech Accelerator University Involvement – UoP - £100,000.000
Total: £1,028,000.00
BBC spotlight piece on the RTU and the attachments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrZYNB9pWII
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom, George Eustice with the RTU
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GpH-jUBz47o
Associate Professor Paul Davey with the RTU
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0zF0x3fzERI
YouTube Feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5-idjwqY_k
YouTube Feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipCj8wAr5QE
In the media
YouTube Feature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZSSSDzR2Dg