A new Defra-funded robotics project is set to help UK 'wine growers' with automated pruning and harvesting of grape vines.
The viticulture sector is set to become the latest industry to benefit from the introduction of cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) robotics technology, thanks to a new Defra-funded innovation programme.
Despite the relatively small number of vineyards (there are just over 900 vineyards in the UK covering a total area of around 10,000 acres), 'wine farming' is the fastest growing agricultural sector in the UK. Changes in weather and seasonal temperatures have driven production, with exports expected to reach £350 million by 2040.
Exploring new ways to modernize different agricultural practices is the Agricultural Innovation Programme, funded by DEFRA and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the UK innovation agency. As part of the Future Agricultural Automation and Robotics competition, funding was awarded to nineteen successful projects, announced by ministers during presentations at the recent Global AgriTech Innovation Summit in London.
One of the successful projects will be delivered by Extend Robotics, a technology startup that combines consumer VR technology, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to make it easier for people and machines to work together.
The project, titled “Human Augmented Integrated Robotics and Intelligent Sensor Platform for Precision Viticulture,” is a collaboration between Extend Robotics, Queen Mary University of London and Saffron Grange, a leading producer of fine sparkling wine in East Anglia. Their combined expertise aims to develop AI-based solutions to enable robotic automation of tasks such as pruning and harvesting.
With a well-publicized shortage of seasonal workers affecting the horticulture sector containing viticulture, the fastest growing sector in the UK, the project aims to reduce reliance on this form of manual labour. This will reduce labor costs, while lowering the emissions and environmental impact of the current approach.
Ultimately, they intend the research project to significantly improve the productivity and sustainability of the UK viticulture industry. This will contribute to the growth of the UK economy and give the UK a competitive advantage in the global market.
Founder and CEO of Extend Robotics, Dr Zhang Liu, explains: “The UK viticulture industry may be over 1,000 years old, but it is constantly moving with the times. This is just an exciting continuation of that progress.”
“Our technology will allow farmers to remotely monitor crop health, identify potential problems early, and take appropriate action. Using AI, they will then be able to automate common tasks and improve the efficiency of their operations over time, leading to improved overall crop quality and increased yields. We will Changing the face – and future – of UK viticulture.
