Bridging Adoption Gaps: Assessing Mobile Robots as Autonomous Machines for Agriculture in France
This session, which marks the first in the "Bridging the gap in technology adoption in agriculture"- Webinar series, focuses on bridging adoption gaps in agricultural technology by exploring the role of mobile robots as autonomous machines in French agriculture. It builds upon discussions initiated during previous training webinars held at the beginning of 2025, offering a deeper dive into the practical assessment and deployment of autonomous robotics in real-world farming environments.
This webinar, aimed at EDIHs and technology companies, presents real-world insights and test results issued from services delivered by agrifoodTEF in France. It showcases how mobile autonomous robots are being evaluated for deployment in French agriculture - from laboratory testing to field trials in viticulture and arable farming.
The Training Webinar will be held in English.
Learning outcomes
During the training webinar, the participants will:
- Gain an understanding of the agrifoodTEF initiative and its role in supporting the testing and experimentation of robotics and artificial intelligence technologies in agriculture.
- Learn how robot mobility and perception are assessed in controlled environments and understand the methodologies used.
- Discover the key testing infrastructures available in France, including laboratory and field sites dedicated to evaluating autonomous robots in viticulture and arable farming.
- Understand the safety and performance benchmarks necessary for autonomous machines operating in agricultural contexts.
- Identify opportunities for collaboration and support through AgrifoodTEF in the development and deployment of agri-robotics.
Agenda (all times in CEST):
- 10:00 - 10:05 – Presentation of the agrifoodTEF Project (Marijke Hunnick, ILVO)
- 10:05 - 10:10 – Robot Mobility Assessment (Philippe Martinet, INRIA)
- 10:10 - 10:15 – Robot Perception Testing in Laboratory (Ankur Mahatani, LNE)
- 10:15 - 10:25 – Robot Testing in Viticulture (Christophe Gaviglio, IFV)
- 10:25 - 10:35 – Robot Testing in Arable Culture (Régis Berthelot, ARVALIS)
- 10:35 - 10:45 – Safety and Performance Testing for Autonomous Machines (Adriana Del Pilar Sanchez-Vargas ,INRAE)
- 10:45 - 11:00 – Q&A