A new competition, the AgRobotics Ontario Challenge, aims to engage high school students in innovative ways of leveraging robotics in agriculture to enhance safety, efficiency, and competitiveness on farms. The contest, initiated this month, encourages students to develop ideas using robotics technology to benefit farm operations.
Participating schools will receive a robotics kit provided by Studica, and the top six schools selected will have the opportunity to create prototypes of their concepts. These prototypes will be showcased at the Western Fair Association’s London Farm Show in March 20226. Each of the chosen schools will also receive $500 to support the development of their project.
Haggerty Robotics, led by Chuck Baresich, a company specializing in developing robotics solutions for agricultural use, is involved in the competition. One of their notable creations is a solar-powered vehicle capable of autonomously seeding and weeding fields, eliminating the need for constant human supervision.
Innovation Farms Ontario, an organization that tests and researches new agricultural technologies, is another partner in the contest alongside Haggerty Robotics. Baresich emphasized the growing importance of technology in farming, specifically in tasks like crop harvesting and pest management, where robotics can operate efficiently day and night without continuous human oversight.
While acknowledging the potential for technological advancements to streamline farming processes, Baresich highlighted that these innovations could complement rather than replace human labor on farms. He pointed out that while robotics in controlled environments like greenhouses are common, there is still ample room for expansion in field-based farm robotics, especially in crops like apples and strawberries.
The competition’s guidelines encourage students to propose practical solutions applicable to real-world farm scenarios. Baresich expressed optimism that young participants would introduce fresh perspectives and novel approaches to address agricultural challenges.
Bridget Mahon, the agribusiness manager at Western Fair Association, emphasized the contest as an opportunity for students to leverage their skills to tackle agricultural issues, potentially for the first time. Submissions for the competition are due by late November, with the finalists announced in early December. More details and the submission portal can be accessed [here](https://www.innovationfarmson.ca/student-competition).