Harnessing robotics, XR/AR technologies and 5G, a new EU project has been launched to elevate European agriculture.

With a €4.97 million grant from the European Commission, the AgRibot project is designed to address some of the most pressing challenges in European agriculture, including labour shortages, unsafe working conditions, and the pressing demands for both enhanced productivity and greater sustainability.

Launched on November 1, 2024, and coordinated by AgroApps, in the next four years AgRibot will develop and field-test six state-of-the-art robotic systems throughout Europe, demonstrating their adaptability to a variety of agricultural operations, including weed management, precision spraying, harvesting and pruning. More than just automating tasks, AgRibot integrates AR/XR technologies to improve farmer training, support operations in real-time, and foster better interaction between humans and machines.

AgRibot will conduct pilot tests of six robotics technologies across Europe, including:
• Weed identification and spot spraying in Greece;
• Robotic spaying of weeds in potato and volunteer potatoes in Denmark and Switzerland;
• Robotic fertilization management for leafy vegetables in open field conditions in Italy;
• Robotic technologies for crop monitoring and management in soilless tomato cultivation in Italy;
• Robotic harvesting in orchards in Belgium;
• Robotic pruning and thinning with XR in orchards in Spain and Belgium.

Central to AgRibot’s systems is the Farming Intelligence and Robotics Management Platform (FIRMP), which integrates all robotics using edge computing and a Multicloud Orchestrator for real-time data processing. Combined with a private 5G Farmers Network Community, FIRMP ensures robust connectivity, enabling efficient remote operation and tailored decision-making support even in rural areas. Powered by machine vision using Explainable AI (XAI) techniques, the project maintains that the robots reduce chemical use, improve safety and optimize resources – cutting pesticide use by up to 85 percent in potato crops and enhancing crop yield with precision fertilization in leafy vegetables.

For on-ground training and assistance, AgRibot employs AR/XR technologies that overlay critical information about crop health onto their physical environment. These immersive applications also offer realistic training simulations to help farmers effectively collaborate with robots and integrate them into daily practices.

The project is also developing an Impact Assessment Tool (IAT) to help farmers measure the economic, environmental, social costs and benefits of these innovations, promote beneficial adoption of smart farming technologies and showcase potential positive impacts on resource efficiency, pesticide reduction and labour savings.

“AgRibot is a transformative project for European agriculture, combining robotics, artificial intelligence, and augmented/extended reality to revolutionize farming practices. By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, we are tackling today’s challenges while shaping a future of smarter, safer and more sustainable agriculture,” says Gregory Mygdakos, AgRibot’s project coordinator. “Our mission is to deliver robotic solutions that will empower farmers, improve efficiency, adaptability and environmental responsibility.”

Led by AgroApps, the consortium brings together 18 organizations in robotics, AI, AR/XR, social science and agricultural sciences. These include Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Politecnico di Bari, Fundacio Eurecat, Geoponiko Panepistimion Athinon, AgriRobot APS, CYENS Centre of Excellence, University of Macedonia, Digyone GmbH, Erevnitiko Panepistimiako Institouto Systimaton Epikoinonion kai Ypologiston, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Nova Telecommunications, Teknologisk Institut, Københavns Universitet, bSpoke Solutions, InoSens and EcoRobotix SA.