Quick recap

The meeting focused on the development and expansion of robotics education programs in agriculture, including high school challenges, international competitions, and curriculum development. Discussions covered government involvement, funding, and the importance of engaging students at various educational levels to inspire future engineers and innovators in agricultural robotics. The group also addressed technology partnerships, upcoming trials, and the need to create opportunities for students in the growing field of agricultural robotics in Canada.

Next steps

• Derek to ask OCD for metrics on outcomes and impacts of robotics programming during Tuesday's call

• Bridget to create Education Subcommittee for the AgRobotics working group

• Brian to send intake form/sheet details about the Vineland greenhouse tomato shared trial to Dan

• Brian/Pilkington to share email contact information for Vineland trial participation

• Medhat to join Education Subcommittee

• Graham Millen (FCC) to present on venture capital next week

Summary

Canada-Wide Farm Robotics Challenge

Derek presented Studica Robotics' development of a high school farm robotics challenge in partnership with OCTE (Ontario Council for Technological Education), which will expand to Canada-wide in 2025-2026. The challenge aims to inspire students to solve real-world agricultural problems using robotics and automation, with tasks including weed detection, harvesting, and pollination. Derek explained that Studica will provide a base robot called "stack" along with comprehensive hardware and software tools, while OCTE will develop curriculum to support the challenge, with curriculum writing to begin the following week.

RoboCup Smart Farming Challenge

Derek discussed the smart farming challenge for RoboCup, which has been held at the German Open in 2025 and will be running in Brazil at the end of the year. The goal was to introduce smart farming in an agricultural context, with teams developing robots to detect and assess the ripeness of artificial fruits and vegetables. Derek explained that a smart farming robot kit was provided, allowing teams to design and build unique robots using 3D printing capabilities. The competition involved tasks such as grape picking, seed planting, and obstacle avoidance in simulated environments, with advanced vision and OpenCV techniques used for fruit and vegetable recognition.

Global Agricultural Robotics Program Expansion

Derek presented a worldwide robotics program focused on agricultural challenges, including curriculum development with Octe and a six-activity framework for students. He discussed expanding the program to include UAV skills and drone competitions, with a specific focus on a 10-liter agricultural drone competition in China. The discussion addressed entry barriers for schools, with Derek suggesting a four-stage module introduction and focusing on schools with existing robotics experience, while Bridget raised concerns about high entry fees and programming challenges for educators.

Government Funding in Robotics Education

The discussion focused on government involvement in robotics education and funding across different countries. Frank and Derek explained that while some countries like China and UAE receive significant government funding for robotics programs, Canada relies more on private donors. Frank highlighted that Canada is missing opportunities in both agricultural robotics and drone technology, noting that China is particularly aggressive in promoting these fields at technical colleges. The conversation also touched on a new UAV competition that Agrobotics is sponsoring, which has generated significant interest from countries like China and the Middle East, though there has been limited interest in Canada so far.

Robotics Education Levels and Impact

The discussion focused on the different levels of robotics programming, with Derek explaining that high school programs aim to engage general students with accessible robotics projects, while university programs target advanced engineering students. Frank clarified that there are three levels: high school, technical college, and university, with high school programs focusing on introducing students to engineering and robotics pathways, while university programs emphasize advanced engineering skills. Derek agreed to gather metrics on the impact of these programs, including outcomes for students and their post-secondary paths, and would discuss this further with OCD during their Tuesday call.

Technology Partnerships and Demo Updates

The meeting covered updates on technology partnerships, with Derek confirming their collaboration with development partners and schools for computer vision and machine learning. Frank highlighted Studica's development of a complete robotics kit with their own controller and navigation system. Dan announced that tickets for the Working Group Demo Day at the Ontario Crops Research Station in Bradford on July 8th have sold out. Bridget confirmed there is no Education Subcommittee yet, and Ian suggested creating one, with interested participants encouraged to contact the Agronix working group.

Agricultural Robotics Education in Canada

The group discussed the development and acceptance of agricultural robotics in Canada, with Ian expressing concerns about encouraging students into robotics engineering without a strong industry to support them. Frank shared his experience with robotics education and competitions, emphasizing the importance of starting at the high school level to inspire the next generation of engineers. They agreed that while Canada lags behind countries like China and Russia in robotics adoption, the key to success lies in educating and empowering young people to develop innovative solutions for agricultural challenges.

Greenhouse Tomato Trial Announcement

Brian announced a shared trial for greenhouse tomatoes at Vineland, scheduled to start in December 2024 and run for 10-11 months in 2026. The trial will be open to companies wanting to test and validate their technology, with data collection plans in place. Christian suggested creating a free dataset for research purposes, which Brian was open to exploring. The trial will involve a mix of standard and new varieties, with details to be shared with interested participants. Medhat emphasized the educational value of robotics, highlighting its role in teaching problem-solving skills and transferable engineering concepts.