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Robot-assisted automation for animal husbandry is developing fast with many new applications now available. Farm managers are actively employing these technologies to increase productivity while reducing costs and combating rising shortage of skilled labour. Ultimately this leads to improved working conditions as well as enhanced animal welfare, animal health and benefits to the environment. This ties in with the maxim ‘We innovate animal farming’, the chosen theme for EuroTier 2024 exhibition, which will take place in Hanover, Germany, from 12 to 15 November 2024. Farming professionals will be looking forward to the DLG's (German Agricultural Society) new platform for robotics, digitalisation, automation and AI in agriculture: FarmRobotix.
Robot-assisted technologies leading to automation in agriculture is developing rapidly. Autonomous, adaptive agricultural systems play an increasing role in practical farming, as skilled labour is becoming scarce. With the help of sensor and electronics, many of these new systems can now assist farms with such a scenario.
Robotic solutions are increasingly employed in agriculture, including animal husbandry. However, robots for livestock farming can differ significantly from the technologies applied in arable farming. Often the role of robots in animal housing is to improve animal welfare but also to reduce environmental impact, optimise working conditions and ensure profitability.
Major technological advances
Robot technologies in animal husbandry are increasingly used to support the automation of work processes. Compared with robot-assisted systems of the early days, the progress of these advances is significant.
Andreas Pelzer, Head of the Haus Düsse Agricultural Centre of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture, believes that any process in livestock farming that can be automated will be automated in the medium term. He compares the development with the mechanisation of agriculture 100 years ago, except that robots are now doing the work. Automation has already existed in animal husbandry for decades, for example in pig feeding. Digitalisation has now brought intelligence to automation. ‘Robots are not just there to automate a process, but also to implement it intelligently,’ emphasises Pelzer.
Advantages for farms
Agricultural businesses can benefit greatly from automating processes with robots. And the benefits increase with each new automotive process that is added.
- One significant factor is improved efficiency and productivity when robots can take on mundane, repetitive tasks that used to take up a significant proportion of farmers' working time, such as milking, feeding and mucking out.
- Robots free up time that the farmer can spend doing other tasks that previously may have been neglected. This includes intensive animal monitoring and observation.
- Autonomous robots can contribute to improving the quality of life of farm managers and their families and employees. Fixed working hours - early mornings and weekends – may no longer be necessary.
- Farms can increase the number of animals if the farm manager and employees are relieved of time-consuming daily tasks.
- Robots can sometimes help combat the shortage of skilled labour.
FarmRobotix, the new DLG platform for robotics, AI and automation
The DLG (German Agricultural Society) has been focussing on the use of agricultural robots for many years. With its FarmRobotix, the DLG has now created a new platform for robotics, digitalisation, automation and AI in agriculture, which aims to provide knowledge transfer and networking. At EuroTier 2024, FarmRobotix will be presented as exhibits, technical programme and live demonstrations. In addition to daily presentations on the DLG Expert Stage, visitors can experience robots in action on special demo areas and gain practical insights into the operation of autonomous agricultural vehicles and equipment.
July 24, 2024 - EuroTier
