Inaugural RoboCrops event attracts global attention

DELFT, Netherlands: Despite growing coronavirus concerns, organisers of the inaugural RoboCrops event, scheduled for April 23-24, 2020,  say that registrations are coming thick and fast and from around the world.

Set to become the leading event in greenhouse robotics, the two-day event will bring together the Netherlands’ core academic capabilities in robotics innovation and will encourages academic and horticultural industry collaboration to accelerate the development and adoption of robotics in greenhouse horticulture. Professionals and students will be challenged during an jam-packed programme with hackathons, informative sessions and matchmaking which are taking place simultaneously at World Horti Center in Naaldwijk and RoboHouse/TU in Delft.

RoboCrops focuses on both the hardware – sensors, robot arms, grippers, autonomous vehicles – and the decision-supporting software required to control the robots. Robots or robot components will be classified into three areas during RoboCrops: “Sense” (sensors with which the robot observes the environment), “Think” (processing the data from sensors, often using Artificial Intelligence/Augmented Reality) and “Act” (performing an action, such as cutting leaves or picking vegetables or cut flowers).

Growers will be treated to a programme at World Horti Center on 23 April which will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in robotics for greenhouse horticulture.   Among the keynote speakers are Peter Jens, Director Strategic Alliances at Koppert, André van Troost, CEO at Lely, an expert in robotic milking and data systems and Josse de Baerdemaeker, Professor of Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors at KU Leuven, recognised worldwide as the founder of the basic principles in precision agriculture.

On both days students will be working in RoboHouse in Delft during a major hackathon organised by TU Delft and WUR. During that hackathon they will apply their expertise to various challenges, and thereby help accelerate developments in the field of robotics. On 24 April they will be pitching their hacks to a professional jury at World Horti Center. The programme also provides opportunities for matchmaking between various parties.

On April 24, technology companies, universities and other interested parties can explore the technical possibilities and challenges for robotics in horticulture in World Horti Center together. Invited on stage will be Jim Stolze from Aigency, a company that provides solutions in the field of artificial intelligence and Jaimy Siebel, Managing Director of RoboValley and RoboHouse.

Expect a series of vlogs about robotics in greenhouse horticulture on this YouTube channel  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_faKabIiNnRMQhoZdX4FLg/featured

Register at: https://www.aanmelder.nl/robocrops2020preliminaryregistration