After a break in 2020, the Agro Innovation Lab was back on site this year at WORLD FIRA, the global forum for robotics in agriculture. Our teammate Florian was able to gain insight into the latest developments in ag tech during his visit to Toulouse. The show provided an ideal opportunity to network and exchange ideas about innovative autonomous technologies for agriculture with industry leaders.
“WHEN FARMERS TAKE OVER ROBOTS!” was the theme of the sixth WORLD FIRA – the global expert event for agricultural robotics –, which took place in Toulouse from 7th – 9th December 2021. Over 3,000 robotics enthusiasts participated, on-site and online, in the hybrid event that aims to revolutionise agricultural technology. The forum provided an opportunity for participants to share knowledge, explore new collaborations and work together to create a robotics development strategy that will transform agricultural processes. More than 40 exhibitors from the agricultural robotics industry presented their products and services to not only industry players but also interested farmers who, as “first movers”, are already intensely involved in this promising area.
Florian was particularly interested in the opportunity to take a close look at a wide variety of robots at the individual stands and to discuss the latest advances in fully autonomous systems with manufacturers. Unlike classic agricultural technology trade fairs, WORLD FIRA offers an opportunity to talk shop directly with the development managers and CEOs of the various exhibitors. In general, the aim of the industry is to use intensive customer contact and almost real-world development as a means of developing solutions that simplify the daily lives of farmers and make them fit for a changing agricultural environment.
In addition to the presentation of the latest robots on the exhibition site in Toulouse, the event also offered a broad-based supporting program with round-table discussions, workshops, demonstrations, pitches and panel discussions. These formats not only highlighted technical aspects of developments but also addressed legal frameworks for autonomous machines in agricultural use and practical obstacles to the adaptation of new technologies. One hotly debated topic was the best way to supply energy to autonomous machines. Here, the opinions of manufacturers varied widely. While some believe that diesel remains ideal for agricultural applications, the majority are convinced by electric solutions. To this end, various concepts for the contactless, inductive charging of machinery were presented. Such solutions facilitate self-contained charging, which could even take place in the field. A major challenge to these new, autonomous technologies that was identified during the workshops is logistics and, more specifically, the transport of a device to the place of use and, in small-scale farm structures in particular, between fields.
The visit to the headquarters of our partner NAIO Technologies, which is located just a few minutes’ drive from the exhibition centre on the edge of Toulouse, was also particularly interesting. Here, Florian was able to enjoy not only insights into the development and production of the robots Oz, Dino and Ted, but also the presentation of the new robot concept “Jo”. And he was even able to test the device, which will be principally used in wine-growing.
All in all, Agro Innovation Lab’s participation in WORLD FIRA was a complete success. Our constant contact with our partner NAIO Technologies and other industry experts ensures that we don’t miss any trend and can bring the most promising products to Austria.
Foto: (c) AIL