The Agri-Food Robotics Online Conference “Global food challenges and real-life Robotics applications”
Led by both, Professor Fumiya Iida, "Agriforwards CDT" Deputy Director and Professor Marc Hanheide, "Agriforwards CDT" Director, the Agri-Food Robotics Conference happened online, on 15-16 May 2025.
The conference brought together engineering researchers and students to discuss how developments in Robotics and other modern technologies can help address pressing problems in food supply. Through presentations and panel discussions focused on real-world applications in the Agri-Food Robotics sector, the event tried to tackle issues such as climate change, soil degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices.
Watch the talks to discover innovative research that provide solutions for a sustainable and secure future.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME (PDF version)
CONFERENCE TALKS SESSION 1: 15 MAY 2025, 09:00 - 13:00
| Fumiya Iida, University of Cambridge, UK | Welcome and Introduction to Agri-Food Robotics | |
| Josie Hughes EPFL, Switzerland | Soft Robotics and Agriculture | |
| Matthew Howard, King’s College London, UK | Training Human Teachers to Teach Robot learners | |
| Marc Hanheide, University of Lincoln, UK | Driving around is easy: challenges and solutions for long-term autonomy and agriculture | |
| Hiroki Mori, Co-founder of Tokuiten, Japan | Organic farming and technology: sustainable agriculture by organic farming and robots | |
| Elizabeth Sklar University of Lincoln, UK | Human-Robot collaboration: strategies for improving farm labour efficiency |
CONFERENCE TALKS SESSION 2: 15 MAY 2025, 14:00 - 17:00
| Garry Clawson, University of Cambridge | Day 1 Morning Session Summary | |
| Juan Bravo, Founder and CEO of Agrobot, Spain/USA | Strawberry Harvesting Problem | |
| Henry Medeiros, University of Florida, USA | Robotic Perception for Agricultural Applications | |
| Stavros Vougioukas, UC Davis, California USA | Increasing Workers' and Robots; Harvesting Speeds | |
| Tyson Lee Swetnam, University of Arizona, USA | Building an Agricultural AI workbench and toolbox in the cloud |
CONFERENCE TALKS SESSION 3: 16 MAY 2025, 09:00 - 13:00
| Marc Hanheide, University of Lincoln, UK | Day 1 Summary | |
| Mario Caccamo, NIAB, UK | From Genetics to Automation: Mind the gap | |
| Martin Fodstad Stølen, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway | Robots for Growers of fresh Raspberries | |
| Letizia Mortara, Institute of Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, UK | Enhancing Decision-Making for Emerging Technologies: the integration of Digital tools | |
| Dominic Keen, Managing Partner at Brritbots & National Productivity Campaigner | Opinion of Agri-Food Robotics technologies and their future | |
| Louise Sutherland, LINCAM/CERES, Cambridge Enterprise/University of Lincoln, UK | What is CERES Agri-tech and how it helps emerging agri-food technologies | |
| Marc Hanheide, University of Lincoln, UK | Conference Wrap-up and Farewell |
PANEL DISCUSSIONS: BOTH DAYS
| DAY 1, 15 May Morning Session | Panel Discussion 1: Fumiya Iida, Josie Hughes, Matthew Howard and Bethan Moncur |
| Panel Discussion 2: Marc Hanheide, Hiroki Mori and Elizabeth Sklar and Bethan Moncur | |
| Day 1, 15 May Afternoon Session | Panel Discussion 1: Juan Bravo, Henry Medeiros, Stavros Vougioukas, Tyson Lee Swetnam and Garry Clawson |
| Day 1 Final Discussion: Greg Sochacki, Amie Owen, Elijah Almanzor, Hai Hui Yan, Hari Matsantonis, Roopika Ravikanna and Grzegorz Cielniak | |
| Day 2, 16 May, Morning Session | Panel Discussion 1: Mario Caccamo, Martin Fodstad Stølen, Marc Hanheide and James Bennett |
| Panel Discussion 2: Letizia Mortara, Dominic Keen, Louise Sutherland and James Bennett |
CONFERENCE GALLERY
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME (PDF version)
