The Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) is coordinating a European project to develop robotics and machine learning for digital agriculture.
Titled "Artificial Intelligence and Sensor-fusion Systems in Sustainable (Green) Robotics for Precision Agriculture (AIGreenBots)," the project will last four years and is funded by the Horizon Europe MSCA-DN programme, which has a total budget of 2.5 million euros.
In collaboration with institutions from Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, the "AIGreenBots" project intends to develop new platforms for agro-bots, robotic perception, and sensor fusion systems, test agricultural robotics systems, and also address safety issues and important aspects of legislation.
"This project is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network that will implement multidisciplinary learning, career development, and research for nine international doctoral students," explains the project coordinator, Cristiano Premebida, a professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (DEEC) and researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR) at FCTUC.
"Through an international and complementary partnership with top universities, research centres, and agriculture-related stakeholders from various countries, this Doctoral Network aims to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to tackle one of the major challenges of our society and environment: agricultural robotics for precision/digital farming," describes the project coordinator.
By involving students in a research paradigm for industrial exploration, "AIGreenBots" brings together academic and non-academic participants from various fields, including robotics, automation, remote sensing for precision agriculture, reliable artificial intelligence (AI) and probabilistic machine learning, systems engineering, probabilistic inference, sensor fusion, safety, and accurate deployment of agricultural robotics.
"Currently, in Europe, there are no doctoral programmes focused on agri-robotics that expose students to such broad concepts and experiences as this, but there is an ever-increasing need for this type of research. After the completion of the project, the researchers will be fully equipped to lead interdisciplinary research at an international level," assures the project coordinator at UC.
Thus, the FCTUC lecturer concludes that "the structure of 'AIGreenBots' will serve as a European platform for excellent doctoral training in intelligent robotics for precision/automated farming and digital agriculture."
