Catalogue of Services

Provision of general-purpose datasets via multisensory ground robot

National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology  (INRIA)

Location

At user's premises

France

Arable farming

Food processing

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Tree Crops

Viticulture

General-purpose datasets serve two primary objectives: (i) evaluating mobility algorithms and (ii) developing and assessing general-purpose AI applications. In the context of mobility algorithms, this pertains to classical robotics tasks such as mapping, localisation, SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping), and navigation. Meanwhile, general-purpose AI applications focus on advancing algorithms and feeding decision support systems (DSS) for tasks such as, but not limited to, weed detection, health monitoring, growth and maturity assessment, and yield estimation in areas like arable farming, horticulture, food processing, forestry, and tree management. A significant challenge in developing AI solutions for agricultural robotics lies in the dynamic nature of agricultural environments, which fluctuate with different seasons and weather conditions. To address this, acquiring consistent and periodic data is essential for monitoring these changes effectively. This real-time data collection, often facilitated by ground robots, is crucial for developing efficient algorithms and AI solutions. Such datasets can support the development of sensor-specific techniques or be leveraged to create multisensory algorithms, enabling more accurate and adaptable systems for agricultural applications.

Provision of real-time data streams

Lukasiewicz Poznanski Instytut Technologiczny (L-PIT)

Location

At user's premises

Poland

Arable farming

Food processing

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Livestock farming

Tree Crops

Viticulture

The service provides access to data streams collected from equipment tested by other services or using specially installed sensor or camera arrays in specific test environments. It includes the provision of data streams from sensors and cameras installed to meet specific customer needs in agreed areas and tailored to work in these specific locations. Such areas are, for example, fields, orchards, vineyards, forests, or specific locations such as farms, barns, or warehouses. Furthermore, the service includes access to corrections from local RTK stations and meteorological station data. In this way, it provides comprehensive and reliable data access support for a variety of customer requirements.

Provision of support and expertise for robotic developments and testings in vineyards

Institut Francais de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV)

Location

France

Viticulture

You will have access to feedback on your prototype or about your project, technical and economical references, and a global approach on the use-case level. You can also access vineyards and other facilities to try different options and get more feedback. Finally, you will have access to focus groups with viticulturists to validate your choices.

Qualification of Intelligent Weeding Technologies

INRAE

Location

France

Arable farming

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Tree Crops

Viticulture

The AgroTechnoPôle, under the leadership of INRAE-TSCF, has pioneered a groundbreaking testing facility designed to assess alternative weeding technologies. This innovative test bench accurately simulates various crop and weed scenarios—including maize, wheat, beans, mustard, and chamomile—allowing for realistic evaluations. By replicating real-world conditions, we can effectively analyse the performance of weeding systems in a controlled and reproducible environment, ensuring the development of more efficient agricultural practices. With this innovative test bench, we can critically assess the spatial precision of perception and decision-making systems. It comprehensively analyses the effectiveness of diverse solutions that integrate perception, decision-making, and action, whether through mechanical, laser, electrical, or targeted spraying weeding methods. The tests occur at AgroTechnoPôle (INRAE—Montoldre, France) and last 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the technology to be tested.

Qualification of trajectory execution accuracy of crop production robots (outdoor mobility)

INRAE

Location

France

Arable farming

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Tree Crops

Viticulture

The test assesses the accuracy of crop production robots in following precise paths across different terrains, simulating typical agricultural tasks. The test uses advanced laser tracking to measure how well the robot follows a set trajectory, including straight and curved paths, on slopes and amidst obstacles. This enables manufacturers to ensure that their robots meet performance standards for real-world field operations. A detailed report is provided, helping optimise robot performance for outdoor mobility in agricultural settings. A manufacturer’s representative must oversee the process. This test is part of a series known as ARPA: Agricultural Robot Performance Assessment. It is identified as ARPA n (where n is 1, 2, 3, etc.) for tests that focus on safety functions and as ARPA XXn for other performance evaluations.

Qualification of trajectory execution accuracy of livestock robots

INRAE

Location

France

Livestock farming

ARPA PC2 thoroughly evaluates how well agricultural robots can follow established paths in indoor and outdoor environments. This service helps ensure that robots can successfully navigate various settings typical of a farm, including any obstacles and transitions between spaces they might face. ARPA PC2 provides essential information about the robot's accuracy and behaviour while moving by testing in real-life conditions. This assessment enhances operational reliability and safety and supports manufacturers in optimising their robots for improved performance in diverse agricultural scenarios.

Real-Time Data Integration for Smart Irrigation Systems

HISPATEC

Location

Spain

Arable farming

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Tree Crops

Viticulture

This experimental service focuses on establishing a real-time data connection for irrigation systems, enabling precise adjustments in water management based on soil moisture levels, weather forecast, and plant needs. The service offers real-time analysis and decision-making tools, enhancing irrigation system efficiency and ensuring optimal resource utilization. It includes comprehensive testing and evaluations to ensure smooth integration and optimal performance under various conditions.

Real-World AI Model Testing for Agricultural Applications

Danish Technological Institute (DTI)

Location

Denmark

Arable farming

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Tree Crops

Viticulture

This service involves deploying AI models in authentic agricultural environments to validate their predictions against real-world data. The process includes field deployment where AI models are integrated with drones or other data collection systems. Ground truth data is collected using manual measurements or industry-standard equipment, serving as a benchmark for accuracy evaluation. Models are compared against this data to assess performance and robustness across various conditions. If required, a feedback loop can be established to refine models based on discrepancies found, ensuring continuous improvement and reliable predictions for agricultural decision-making.

Safety and Regulatory Testing for Agricultural Robotics

Danish Technological Institute (DTI)

Location

At user's premises

Denmark

Arable farming

Food processing

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Livestock farming

Tree Crops

Viticulture

This service offers a thorough examination of agricultural robots, focusing on safety validation under diverse operational conditions. It tests stopping distances and response times for mobile robots across various speeds and payloads. Regulatory compliance is assessed to ensure adherence to industry standards. The service utilizes a controlled testing environment that simulates agricultural field conditions, equipped with measurement tools to analyze stopping distances and robot dynamics. Parameters can be adjusted to test different speeds, payloads, and environmental factors, minimizing risks and enhancing reliability in dynamic farm environments.

Satellite: Evaluation of results of physical testing

University of Cordoba (UCO)

Location

Remote

Spain

Arable farming

Horticulture

Livestock farming

This service offers an evaluation of satellite-derived data quality by applying performance metrics that assess model reliability and effectiveness. The service includes a comprehensive analysis of test data and previously collected ground truth data to validate the performance of models used in precision agriculture. With a detailed performance report, clients receive valuable insights that support model improvement and informed decision-making in agricultural management.

Setup for AI solution testing

Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK)

Location

Remote

Arable farming

Food processing

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Livestock farming

Tree Crops

Viticulture

Digital testing of an AI solution often requires action to obtain the proper configuration. This service contains all the required actions necessary to configure, integrate and execute the client AI solution with FBK test environment. Carrying out these preliminary activities, FBK will be able to have a working setup that will be the entry point for subsequent testing and validation services.

Support in interconnecting systems to AgrifoodTEF’s computational test infrastructure

Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI)

Università degli Studi di Milano (UMIL)

Location

Italy

Remote

Arable farming

Food processing

Greenhouse

Horticulture

Livestock farming

Tree Crops

Viticulture

Digital testing requires interaction among several different components which have to reliably cooperate to enable the testing activities and to ensure that their outcomes reliably reflect the system’s capabilities. When digital testing of customer systems leverages agrifoodTEF’s computational infrastructure, integration between the infrastructure and the systems to be tested is needed before the tests/experiments can be executed. If the customer does not possess the technical expertise – or does not want to devote resources – to perform the integration, this service can support them in the process. Help is provided by a team of expert engineers.

This service concerns the integration of the customers’ system and/or data used for testing with the agrifoodTEF digital testing infrastructure. In particular, integration is crucial to ensure smooth and uninterrupted communication between the system and the infrastructure that produces, collects and/or processes test data.

This service also includes the development of any custom components needed to ensure a two-way integration between the system and the reference infrastructure (e.g., software components to format data or to perform transcoding).