Catalogue of Services

Provision of general-purpose datasets via a multisensory aerial 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

We provide general-purpose datasets that can be used by customers to evaluate mobility algorithms and to develop and assess general-purpose AI applications. In the context of mobility algorithms, this pertains to classical robotics tasks such as mapping, localisation, and SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping). Meanwhile, general-purpose AI applications focus on advancing algorithms and feeding decision support systems (DSS) for tasks including, but not limited to, weed detection, health monitoring, growth and maturity assessment, and yield estimation in areas such as 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 effectively monitoring these changes. This real-time data collection, often facilitated by aerial robots, is crucial for developing efficient algorithms and AI solutions. Such datasets can support customers in the development of sensor-specific techniques or be leveraged to create multisensory algorithms, enabling more accurate and adaptable systems for agricultural applications.

Provision of raw image datasets in field crops

Wageningen University WUR

Location

Netherlands

Arable farming

Horticulture

Tree Crops

In order to develop AI applications or vision functionalities in robots, one of the first steps is to have high-quality images of crops, weeds, nutrient deficiencies, diseases, or pests available. As the phenotype of plants can really differ between regions and seasons, providing balanced datasets with high-quality images and different illumination could save valuable (development and acquisition) time. The data can be used for annotation purposes or to have a first visual check if an existing trained algorithm works sufficiently. 

Test and demonstration of (robotic sensor, implement, algorithm) solutions with end-users

Wageningen University WUR

Location

Netherlands

Arable farming

Horticulture

Tree Crops

Accessing the end-user in a country takes a lot of time and effort. Wageningen Research - Field Crops has, through its regional experimental farms, access to farmer networks and dealers and can bring you in contact with them. The researchers in our department have a practical approach and know what is needed to implement new technologies in farms, therefore fulfilling a bridge between agronomy, technology, and ecology. By testing and demonstrating your product or service to our farm managers and farmers in the region (for example, farmers in https://www.proeftuinprecisielandbouw.nl), we gather valuable feedback to speed up the development of your prototype.

Test and experimentation of robotic and AI solutions in field crops

Wageningen University WUR

Location

Netherlands

Arable farming

Horticulture

Tree Crops

The core business of Wageningen Research - Field Crops is to design and create experimental plots (e.g. at the Farm of the Future) and to collect objective data on crops, weeds, diseases, pests and quality and effectiveness of robotic and AI solutions, in which we provide statistical reliable datasets. Examples of experiments are e.g. testing the accuracy and quality of handsfree harvesting solutions, weeding robots and path following of autonomous implement carriers in field crops. We offer for example the following measurements : -Provide measurements on effectiveness of solutions on control of weeds, pests and diseases (e.g. effectiveness of a weed robot) -Provide timeseries of vegetation indices (drone) -Provide yield measurements (quantity and quality) -Provide plant measurements (emergence, flowering, senescence) -Provide weed countings (including species determination) -Provide sensor data (soil moisture, insect monitoring, etc.) Furthermore we have common agricultural machines and implements available. We can cover different field crops, but we also are specialized in new crop farming systems that are based on agro-ecological principles. Think of strip and mosaic farming. Get in touch to discuss the possibilities for your experiment or test question.

Test, validation, and data collection of robotic and AI systems and components for livestock solutions

Wageningen University WUR

Location

Netherlands

Livestock farming

In the setting of the Farms of the Future (De Marke), we can (physically) test and validate robotic and AI solutions that are dedicated to dairy solutions. In this context we are also able to collect appropriate data sets of these tests and validation experiments. Test and validation data will be compared to ground truth data sets.

Testing and evaluating sensor devices

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

The SOPHIA infrastructure will offer the possibility to test and evaluate the performance of a sensor device in a locally controlled environment. While our indoor facility provides a fully controlled environment (light, volume), all facilities in SOPHIA can be customised to test and evaluate the sensor device. The service consists of three main steps. First, the sensor device will be integrated into the facility. After that, the facility will be customised according to the final application of the sensor device. Then, the performance of the sensor device will be evaluated using quantitative and qualitative metrics. Comparison could be proposed as a complementary option to position the performance of the sensor device in relation to the current state of the technology available in SOPHIA.

Testing and evaluating the robot’s functionalities

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

The SOPHIA infrastructure will offer the possibility to test and evaluate the performance of the robot’s functionalities in a locally controlled environment. While our indoor facility will offer a fully controlled environment (light, volume), all facilities at SOPHIA can be customised to test and evaluate the robot’s functionalities. The service consists of three main steps. The robot will be integrated into the facility. After that, the facility will be customised according to the functionality of the robot. Then, the performance of the robot’s functionalities will be tested and evaluated with quantitative and qualitative metrics.

Testing and evaluation of mobility algorithms with ground robots

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

The SOPHIA infrastructure provides the ability to test and evaluate mobility algorithms embedded on a ground robot. Mobility algorithms concern the classical robotics functionalities of mapping, localisation, SLAM, and navigation. The ground robot is equipped with an array of sensors, including a camera, LiDAR, IMU, and RTK-GPS for ground truth evaluation. The service proceeds in three stages. Firstly, we evaluate the algorithm using representative datasets. After that, the algorithm is integrated into a ROS2 architecture and evaluated with the local agrifoodTEF test infrastructure (various areas are possible). The performance of different attributes of the algorithm is assessed using quantitative and qualitative metrics. Benchmarking could be proposed as a complementary option to position the performance of the proposed algorithm in relation to the current state of the art. The final step involves field testing under real conditions at a specific end-user or customer site using the mobile living lab, which consists of a mobile laboratory deployed in the field and connected to the real robot for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Testing and evaluation of mobility algorithms with aerial robots

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

The SOPHIA infrastructure will offer the possibility to test and evaluate the mobility algorithms embedded on an aerial robot. Mobility algorithms concern the classical robotics functionalities of mapping, localisation, SLAM, and navigation. The aerial robot is equipped with an array of sensors, including a camera, LiDAR, IMU, and RTK-GPS (for ground truth evaluation). The service consists of three main steps. To begin with, the algorithm is evaluated using representative datasets. After that, the algorithm is integrated into a ROS2 architecture and evaluated with the local agrifoodTEF test infrastructure (various areas are possible). The performance of different attributes of the algorithm is evaluated using quantitative and qualitative metrics. Benchmarking could be proposed as a complementary option to position the performance of the proposed algorithm in relation to the current state of the art. The final step involves field testing under real conditions at a specific end-user or customer site using the mobile living lab (which consists of a mobile laboratory deployed in the field and connected to the real robot for monitoring and evaluation purposes).

Validation of robotic systems and algorithms 

Wageningen University WUR

Location

Netherlands

Arable farming

Horticulture

Tree Crops

End-users like to see an objective validation of a technology in terms of added value (costs vs. benefits), technical specifications (accuracy, capacity, power requirements, etc.), and user acceptance (ease of use, gain, and joy of working with the technology). At Wageningen Research - Field Crops, we can validate your solution according to the agrifoodTEF protocols and deliver you a WUR white report on your technology.