Tech companies explore the role of robots in farming
The technology companies are working with the National Robotarium, a global AI and robotics research institute housed at Heriot-Watt University, to develop systems using 5G to connect autonomous machines so they can perform precision agriculture tasks.
Scientific crop research organisation the James Hutton Institute and testbed the Scotland 5G Centre round out the consortium which hailed a breakthrough in their work to develop robotic systems for functions including crop health monitoring, targeted fertiliser application and soil condition assessment.
The consortium is investigating how 5G-connected robots could address farming challenges around costs, workforce numbers, regulation and crop demand.
Portable private 5G networks are addressing the connectivity gaps typical in rural areas, the National Robotarium stated. The infrastructure is enabling robots to stream HD video and provide detailed maps of fields, with features being developed to identify disease, pest infestations or water stress faster than traditional monitoring.
The National Robotarium project manager is Ruth Plant. She said the inclusion of portable 5G and robotics 'creates opportunities for precision faming that were not previously possible in areas with limited connectivity'.
James Hutton Institute agritech specialist Andrew Christie highlighted the low-latency of 5G as a key factor in a drive towards 'data-driven farming practices', adding the research could ultimately deliver advances 'in swarm robotics, real-time sensors for digital twinning and active data processing through cloud computing'.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Stock Image
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
Oil dips ahead of expected OPEC+ output increase
LONDON - Oil futures fell almost 1% on Friday, pressured by expectations that OPEC+ producers will decide this weekend to raise output and an Iranian reaffirmation of its commitment to nuclear non-proliferation. Brent crude futures were down 62 cents, or 0.9%, at $68.18 a barrel by 1118 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 62 cents, or 0.93%, to $66.38. Trade was thinned by the U.S. Independence Day holiday. Both contracts on track for a small weekly gain, with Brent trading about 0.6% higher than last Friday's close and WTI around 1.3% higher. Eight OPEC+ countries are likely to make another oil output increase for August at a meeting on Saturday in their push to boost market share. The meeting had been moved forward a day to Saturday. "If the group decides to increase its output by another 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August, as expected, for the fourth successive month, oil balance estimates for the second half of the year will be reassessed and will suggest accelerated swelling in global oil reserves," said PVM analyst Tamas Varga. Crude prices also came under pressure from a report on U.S. news website Axios, saying that the United States was planning to resume nuclear talks with Iran next week, while Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would meet representatives of Iran "if necessary" even as the U.S. imposed fresh sanctions targeting Iran's oil trade. Meanwhile, uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy was back in the spotlight as the end of a 90-day pause on higher levies approaches. Washington will start sending letters to countries on Friday, specifying what tariff rates they will face on goods sent to the United States, a clear shift from earlier pledges to strike scores of individual trade deals. "The oil market might take on more of a direction next week once we have had the results of the OPEC+ meeting at the weekend and because Trump's tariff deadlines are due next week," said Investec's head of commodities, Callum Macpherson. Separately, Barclays said it had raised its Brent oil price forecast by $6 to $72 a barrel for 2025 and by $10 to $70 a barrel for 2026 on an improved demand outlook.
Zawya
8 hours ago
- Zawya
Sterling heads for weekly loss as fiscal concerns loom
Sterling was poised for a weekly loss on Friday, marking a lacklustre end to a week that saw fiscal and political uncertainties rattle investor appetite for UK assets. The pound was flat and last fetched $1.36, while against the euro it inched 0.1% lower and was last at 86.26 pence. Gilt yields were broadly steady in late morning trading. However, on a weekly basis, cable was down 0.4% against the greenback, while it had fallen about 1% against the euro, marking its biggest one-week drop against the currency since U.S. tariffs on world economies took effect in early April. UK stocks, bonds and cable witnessed a selloff earlier in the week, after the government's welfare reforms were not well received by ruling Labour Party members and stirred speculation about the future of finance minister Rachel Reeves. Some analysts even drew parallels between this week's market reaction and the rout during former Prime Minister Liz Truss' premiership in 2022. With the Keir Starmer-led government completing one year in power, uncertainties prevail over the options it has to balance public accounts. "There is speculation that given the difficulties the government has faced in finding savings from welfare budgets, tax rises are likely in the Autumn Budget," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown. "Bets are rising that the Bank of England will cut interest rates more quickly with a reduction in August increasingly on the cards. So, that's kept a bit more downwards pressure on sterling." Traders expect the Bank of England to lower borrowing costs by 25 basis points next in September and are anticipating another interest rate cut by the same amount before the year ends, data compiled by LSEG showed. Further, top ratings agency S&P said the inability of Britain's government to make modest cuts to welfare spending this week underscores that it has very limited budgetary room to manoeuvre. Despite the week's developments, the pound is at a near four-year high against the dollar and is up about 9% so far this year, having benefited from broader dollar weakness and as a U.S.-UK trade deal offered some relief on the tariff front. (Reporting by Johann M Cherian, Editing by William Maclean)
Tahawul Tech
13 hours ago
- Tahawul Tech
Tech companies explore the role of robots in farming
A consortium of tech companies including Boston Dynamics and Freshwave have hailed progress in enabling 5G connectivity in rural locations as part of a UK research programme exploring robotics in farming. The technology companies are working with the National Robotarium, a global AI and robotics research institute housed at Heriot-Watt University, to develop systems using 5G to connect autonomous machines so they can perform precision agriculture tasks. Scientific crop research organisation the James Hutton Institute and testbed the Scotland 5G Centre round out the consortium which hailed a breakthrough in their work to develop robotic systems for functions including crop health monitoring, targeted fertiliser application and soil condition assessment. The consortium is investigating how 5G-connected robots could address farming challenges around costs, workforce numbers, regulation and crop demand. Portable private 5G networks are addressing the connectivity gaps typical in rural areas, the National Robotarium stated. The infrastructure is enabling robots to stream HD video and provide detailed maps of fields, with features being developed to identify disease, pest infestations or water stress faster than traditional monitoring. The National Robotarium project manager is Ruth Plant. She said the inclusion of portable 5G and robotics 'creates opportunities for precision faming that were not previously possible in areas with limited connectivity'. James Hutton Institute agritech specialist Andrew Christie highlighted the low-latency of 5G as a key factor in a drive towards 'data-driven farming practices', adding the research could ultimately deliver advances 'in swarm robotics, real-time sensors for digital twinning and active data processing through cloud computing'. Source: Mobile World Live Image Credit: Stock Image
