The adoption of robotic technology in agriculture will come about faster if the machines look like traditional tractors and machinery rather than ‘sci-fi blobs’ according to Kit Franklin, one of the leaders of the Hands Free Farm project (HFF), based at Harper Adams University.

“Whilst futuristic looking machines will come on stream, they could initially scare off farmers and we stand more chance of progressing full automation if the technology is designed around familiar machinery or is available as a retro-fit,” he told the Inside Agri-Turf podcast.

In its first two seasons, originally called Hands Free Hectare, drilled and harvested barley and wheat crops using a compact tractor, drill, sprayer and combine, all adapted to operate remotely and without any human intervention in the field. A feat that has been claimed as a world’s first, and which won the team the BBC Food and Farming Award.

This year the project has been expanded to Hands Free Farm, comprising five fields covering 35 hectares (almost 90 acres) in a programme lasting 3 years, the start of which has been disrupted by extreme wet weather in February and by the impact of the pandemic.

“There was comment following our initial seasons that we were only using a single rectangular one-hectare field, and that farms are just not like that. Our new ‘farming canvas’ contains all the normal features encountered by farmers, odd-shaped fields, trees, gates, ditches and so on."

In the podcast, Kit Franklin also talks about the challenges of adopting 5G connectivity which is so essential for the success of the project.

He also says that the robotic technology will only gain a toe-hold when the economic case for its adoption can be proved. “We have had our project fully cost-analysed by Professor James Lowenberg-DeBoer, the Chair of Agri-Tech Economics at Harper Adams and his conclusion is that our system can provide a clear economic benefits.”

The Inside Agri-Turf podcast is an independent and non-commercial production hosted by Chris Biddle, founder of Service Dealer and TurfPro and recent editor of Landwards, the professional journal of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE).

In the next episode (published 16 August) he considers the impact of robotic mowers in the garden with Ken Brewster of Husqvarna and dealer Gavin Bird of Green Stripe.

Listen at https://inside-agriturf.captivate.fm/