Robotics
Robots are making their way into agricultural practice. Autonomous applications from sowing and crop protection to harvesting and soil cultivation help with field work, thereby supporting the careful use of natural resources. In many areas there are bottlenecks in finding staff and the new technology can be part of the solution. Autonomous field work is no longer a vision of the future, but instead already supports farms in their daily work. At this year's DLG Feldtage, more than a dozen manufacturers will present their field robots in practical use.
International Field Robot Event
14 – 16 June 2022
The Field Robot Event (FRE) is an annual competition in which international student teams compete with field robots to find the best solutions for agricultural practices. Long before digitalisation became the top topic of agricultural discussion, the competition was initiated by Wageningen University (NL) back in 2003 and has since established itself as a permanent fixture in agricultural robotics.
The aim of the competition is to test forward-looking technologies in the field of robotics and precision farming, and to give young scientists the opportunity to exchange ideas in an international circle of participants, to form networks and to develop their ideas further.
The FRE is organised by the University of Hohenheim, which, in cooperation with the DLG and other European universities and colleges, including Wageningen University, is hosting the event for the fifth time as part of the DLG-Feldtage.
The programme will take place live on the fairground of DLG-Feldtage at the International Field Robot Event stand (G, Stand C02) and will also be broadcast at the same time on the digital platform at www.DLG-Connect.com:
Tuesday, 14.06.2022
Task Navigation Basic and advanced navigation in a maize field (max travelled distance per time will win) | |
| 09:40 - 09:50 | Welcome note |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | Simulation Contest |
| 14:00 – 16:00 | Field Contest |
| 16:30 - 17:00 | Awarding |
Wednesday, 15.06.2022
Task Sensing and Mapping Weed and object detection, georeferencing in a maize field (the most correct map wins) | |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | Simulation Contest |
| 14:00 – 16:00 | Field Contest |
| 16:30 - 17:00 | Awarding |
Thursday, 16.06.2022
Free Style: Free choice for the teams (Complexity, performance and usefulness will win) | |
| 10:00 – 13:00 | Field Contest |
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Awarding |
Competitions 2022 - Robotics in simulation and on the field
This year's 19th Field Robot Event will be held for the first time in a hybrid format as a simulation and on a trial field at the DLG Field Days.
After a purely virtual event last year due to the pandemic, this year's event will again offer the international teams competitions in the areas of navigation and application on a real trial field. In the field, the autonomous robots developed by the teams themselves will face the challenges of the natural field environment in a maize field.
In addition, the students can also demonstrate their skills on the virtual field in the simulation.
The simulation will be conducted in an open-source 3D robotics simulator called ROS/Gazebo. Gazebo supports codes for simulating sensors and controlling actuators. It provides realistic rendering of environments including high-quality lighting, shadows and textures.
Visitors are always welcome at the individual competitions during the event. Both in front of transmission monitors and on the edge of the trial field, visitors to the DLG Feldtage can be there directly and live.
All competitions (simulation & trial field) will be transmitted to the internet via the digital platform 'DLG-Connect' and can thus also be followed by visitors outside the DLG Feldtage.
Robotics virtually or on the field, at the DLG Field Days or on the screen of the end device - the Field Robot Event promises professionally interesting insights and exciting entertainment in all formats.
