MassRobotics recently hosted a Robotics in AgTech event, bringing together innovators and industry leaders to explore challenges and solutions in the agriculture industry.

The event served as a catalyst for discussions and offered a glimpse into the transformative potential of robotics for farming, said the Boston-based organization.

Danfoss discusses AgTech industry challenges

The event kicked off with a presentation by Peter Bleday, senior director and head of the Autonomy Business Unit at Danfoss, who provided strategic insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping agricultural technologies and markets.

From precision agriculture to sustainable farming practices, Bleday delved into the industry’s evolving landscape and highlighted the pivotal role of technology in driving innovation and addressing pressing agricultural challenges.

Bleday led a discussion with the following panelists:

• Katie Stebbins, executive director of the Tufts Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute
• Patrick Varley, the product marketing manager for robotics at Mitsubishi Electric
• Otto Gryschek, global director of strategy and operations for chemicals and agriculture at McKinsey & Co.
• AJ Perez, founder and CEO of Grow Clean Group

The speakers shared experiences, from entrepreneurship to food sustainability, and talked about how robotics can address many of today’s agriculture challenges. They also discussed issues of trust, innovation, and the evolving landscape of agricultural technology, offering insights for stakeholders across the agricultural value chain.

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Building trust and partnerships

One of the central themes of the event was the importance of trust in agricultural partnerships. The panelists highlighted the challenge of gaining the trust of farmers, who are inherently risk-averse due to the unpredictable nature of their profession.

Traditional channels of government outreach and recommendations were deemed insufficient, with community-driven approaches and farmer-to-farmer networks seen as more effective in building trust.

The discussion underscored the value of collaboration between established industry players and startups. While startups bring agility and innovation to the table, established companies offer brand trust and resources to scale effectively.

The panelists emphasized the need for open dialogue and partnerships to drive meaningful change within the agricultural ecosystem.

Integrating AgTech and overcoming barriers to adoption

The panelists acknowledged the critical role of technology in driving innovation within agriculture. They identified startups as more nimble and capable of developing and deploying cutting-edge solutions rapidly than established companies.

However, the panel also emphasized the need for startups to understand the unique needs and challenges of farmers, as well as the importance of case studies and testimonials in showcasing the value of their offerings.

While technological advancements hold immense promise for the agricultural sector, barriers to adoption remain. Farmers often require significant changes to their existing workflows to fully use new technologies.

The panelists also discussed the need for systems that seamlessly integrate into farmers’ operations and highlighted the importance of large-scale test farms for validating innovations at scale.

Panelists discuss challenges at the Signature Series event on Robotics in AgTech. Source: MassRobotics

Startup showcase: Innovations from the ground up

Several AgTech startups showcased their technologies aimed at revolutionizing agriculture. 

• Tyler Niday, the co-founder and CEO of Bonsai Robotics, brought a wealth of experience in robotics and agriculture to the discussion. Having led the development of innovative vision-based and autonomous solutions at Blue River Technology and John Deere, he highlighted the significance of startups in advancing precision agriculture. Niday also discussed Bonsai Robotics’ focus on creating affordable and high-performing autonomy systems tailored for smaller and mid-sized farms. By using monocular cameras and deep learning models, the company aimed to address the challenges of orchard farming and similar environments. Niday emphasized the importance of customer feedback, strong relationships, and iterative testing in navigating the cyclical nature of agriculture and ensuring product-market fit.
• Carl Palme, founder of Boundless Robotics, presented his mission to enable effortless home food cultivation. With AI and automation, the startup’s system addressed urban dwellers’ challenges by offering easy-to-use, sustainable solutions. Initially targeting cannabis cultivation, Palme said it aims to provide pesticide-free, consistent strains inaccessible in urban settings. Priced at $1,500, Boundless Robotics’ system promises a quick return on investment. Palme stated that the company is committed to sustainability and legalization, aiming to disrupt the black market while addressing food scarcity issues.
• Matt Rosen, founder of Haystack Ag, introduced its innovative soil-carbon measurement system tailored for growers and carbon markets. Addressing the challenge of costly and labor-intensive soil-carbon verification, Haystack Ag said it can reduce costs and increasing throughput. The company claimed that its technology can provide highly accurate data crucial for carbon-offset markets. Its business model focuses on selling carbon testing services to carbon market intermediaries, contributing to the scalability of carbon sequestration initiatives globally. 
• Kent Cavender-Bares, founder and CEO of Rowbot, presented its row-crop farming robot tailored for large-scale agriculture. Inefficient use of nitrogen fertilizer poses a challenge, so the company plans deliver nitrogen fertilizer at the right time for the crop. Its patented technology allows for precise application between rows with minimal clearance, optimizing plant treatment. With advanced prototypes tested on hundreds of real fields and a recent agreement with a major cooperative in Iowa, Rowbot said it is poised for commercialization, signaling significant market potential.
• Onder Odemir, founder CEO of Ubiros Inc., introduced soft grippers tailored for the food industry, addressing the challenge of delicate item handling without the need for human labor. With a focus on affordability and versatility, Ubiros offers a solution to the labor shortage in food packaging. The company’s grippers are electric-powered, lightweight, and capable of handling items such as peaches, tomatoes, and cucumbers with care, making them suitable for a range of agricultural and food industry applications. Odemir noted the importance of dexterity and affordability in robotic end effectors, positioning the grippers as a valuable tool for farmers and food processors seeking efficient and gentle handling solutions.
• Ahmad Zameli, CEO of Untill, introduced its indoor vertical farm, which he said can reduce the food supply chain from eight days days to under 24 hours, extending product shelf life and cutting carbon emissions by over 30%. The proprietary technology enables high-density planting, resulting in six times the productivity of traditional vertical farms. Untill plans to scale through partnerships and franchising, aiming to improve access to fresh produce.

Matthew Rosen, CEO of Haystack at AgTech event. Source: MassRobotics

See MassRobotics at the Robotics Summit

The Robotics in AgTech event provided a platform for stakeholders to gain valuable insights into the latest advancements and emerging trends in the agriculture industry. The event fostered collaboration, paving the way for future partnerships and initiatives aimed at driving innovation in AgTech.

MassRobotics said it remains committed to driving innovation in agriculture and leveraging the power of technology to create a more sustainable and resilient food system. 

At the Robotics Summit & Expo, MassRobotics will host a pavilion with the 10 startups in its Accelerator Program. They will exhibit on the show floor and discuss their experiences in a session on May 1 at 4:15 p.m. ET.

For the second year in a row, MassRobotics Form & Function Robotics Challenge participants will show their prototypes on the expo floor. In the Engineering Theater at noon on Thursday, May 2, the organization will name the winners from among the university teams from around the world.

In addition, MassRobotics will also be holding a Robotics Engineering Career Fair from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. on May 2 in Boston. The career fair will draw from the general robotics and artificial intelligence community, as well as from Robotics Summit attendees.

Past co-located career fairs have drawn more than 800 candidates, and event organizers said they expect even more people at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this year. MassRobotics is a strategic partner of WTWH Media, which produces the Robotics Summit and The Robot Report.

The Robotics Engineering Career Fair welcomes recent graduates and seasoned engineers, computer scientists, vision specialists, mechatronics experts, AI professionals, and more, said MassRobotics. Candidates can register here for $15.

The Robotics Summit will be co-located with DeviceTalks, an event focused on medical devices, and the inaugural Digital Transformation Forum. Registration is now open for the event.

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There has been a steady growth of robotics companies and an increase in the adoption of robotics in nearly every industry sector, from farming and construction to medical and e-commerce. The current talent pipeline is not adequate to support these increases: nearly every robotics company is actively hiring and in search of talent.

Women, especially Black and Latinx women, are not represented well in the robotics tech sector and we believe that with encouragement, access to custom tech prep sessions and the right combination of mentors, we can change this.

Currently, the STEM workforce in Massachusetts suffers from a lack of diversity. In the Massachusetts technology sector, which includes STEM and the robotics industry, only 5% of workers are Black, 7% are Latinx, and 33% are women, according to the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council.

We challenge the belief that we have a shortage of talent in Massachusetts. Rather, the MassRobotics team asserts that providing technical training, mentoring, and access to professional networks will cultivate the talent and perspective that is currently lacking in the sector. We assert that by setting women of color up for success in the tech/engineering field, they will more likely pursue these disciplines for their professional careers.

Inside the MassRobotics Jumpstart Fellowship Program

We created the new Jumpstart Fellowship Program, currently in its pilot year, to provide opportunities for diverse Massachusetts high school girls to learn about careers in robotics and develop their professional networks through direct engagement with industry professionals. The curriculum exposes young women to the many technical skills in areas that are included in the robotics industry, from programming to design and simulation, to hands-on building, prototyping and testing. The program also includes mentorship to help develop a more inclusive technical workforce by preparing diverse talent in high school to pursue careers in STEM and robotics.

The goal of the Jumpstart Fellowship Program is to encourage and empower diverse high school girls to pursue a career in robotics and promote the diversity of the robotics workforce in Massachusetts. The Jumpstart Fellowship Program will provide opportunities for diverse Massachusetts high school girls to:

• Learn about careers in robotics by meeting and touring robotics companies and speaking with professionals in the field.
• Develop a professional network via mentors and developing resumes, LinkedIn profiles and practicing social skills.
• Gain exposure to the many technical skills and areas that are included in the robotics industry – from programming to design and simulation, to hands-on building, prototyping and testing.
• Receive $1000 stipend on completion of the program
• Program Design and Curriculum Map

The cohort will begin during the week of April 19-23, 2021 and will meet daily at the MassRobotics offices in Boston. They will then have weekly in-person meetings on Saturdays (May-June 2021), as well as weekly Zoom check-ins with program staff and mentors (approximately 1.5 hours/week). From June-August 2021, the cohort will be placed at their paid internships with partner companies. The MassRobotics team and mentors will also be checking in with the girls on a weekly basis throughout their internship time. Every two weeks during the summer internship, the cohort will meet to share experiences, meet with mentors and participate in group/team activities.

The main components to the Jumpstart Fellowship Program include:

• Training & Curriculum: Professional (networking exercises, resume development) and technical training with hands-on experiences in design (using engineering models and tools), fabrication (including soldering, use of hand tools and 3D printing) and coding basics.
• Mentorship: Students and their mentors (professionals in the robotics and tech industry) will be matched together in a one-on-one, ongoing dialogue on careers in robotics. Students will learn directly from their mentor about the different types of robotics jobs and how to leverage their studies into a career in robotics through personal meetings, video chats and phone calls.
• Internships: All students will be given the opportunity to receive paid internships at technology companies participating in the program. All students will visit each company to learn about their business and be assigned mentors at the companies as well.

All female high school juniors/seniors, especially those who are Black and Latinx, with a passion for robotics and technology are encouraged to apply.

Applications for students are open thru March 31. Apply here.

Acceptance criteria and requirements:

• • • Must be enrolled in a Massachusetts high school during the 2020-2021 academic year.
    • Teacher recommendation letter.
    • Must be able to meet during the designated training times.
    • Must be able to meet with mentor for a minimum of one hour every two weeks.

MassRobotics is hosting student information sessions on March 13 at 11:00 AM or March 18 at 4:30 PM. You can register here. To learn more about the MassRobotics Jumpstart Fellowship Program, including how you can become a mentor, contact MassRobotics co-founder and VP of programs and community Joyce Sidopoulos.

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