British argi-tech start-up Small Robot Company (SRC) has partnered with 5G solutions firm Telint, Wessex Internet and Dorest Council on a rural connectivity project.
The 5G RuralDorset project aims to develop and prove a blueprint for rural-optimised 5G connectivity and trial the world’s first 5G-ready argi-robot for arable farms.
Custom-designed for farmers and the particular challenges of rural connectivity, the project will develop an affordable, reliable and interoperable 5G network.
It will also explore how the 5G roll-out might be able to provide a step-change in agriculture.
According to the project partners, the resulting 5G blueprint could enable rapid deployment of 5G to rural areas, closing the rural-urban digital divide for farming and rural communities.
Ben Scott-Robinson, CEO of SRC, said the initiative could be game-changing by boosting rural investment, creating skilled jobs and improving prosperity: “This 5G blueprint could be a catalyst for rural economies, with our robots demonstrating the potential for 5G to transform agricultural productivity.
“Connectivity is not a luxury,” he continued. “It’s a utility. And vital to economic performance.”
The 5G robotics element looks to demonstrate a system that could increase productivity, yields and biodiversity while simultaneously reducing environmental impact.
It also looks to reduce emissions by helping farmers meet the UK government’s agriculture target of net zero by 2040.
It is anticipated that 5G robotics will enable real-time capabilities such as the ability to quickly identify pests, such as slugs, and immediately take action.
Reducing the use of pesticides by improved precision mapping and weeding without the use of herbicides can improve biodiversity and soil health, said SRC.
It will also provide farmers with live operational information such as soil moisture and crop emergence. Real-time data and systems integration will also break down vertical silos, eliminating manual data transfer, reducing costs and improving decision making, according to the start-up.
The trials, which will be held at Ranston Farms, will be the first to demonstrate wide-scale autonomy of robotic farming operation. Mike Donnachie, farm manager at Ranston Farms, said: “Having precise and accurate data to hand so I can make instant decisions will bring great benefit into the future.”
Likewise, Dorset Council deputy leader Peter Wharf said: “Farming in rural areas such as Dorset is a way of life for communities.
“It is our hope that in making farming operations more sustainable through partnership with the Small Robot Company we can revolutionise not only the productivity of agricultural operations but also reduce its impact on the environment through novel uses of monitoring and weed control.”
The £7m project is being part-funded (£4.5m) by the UK Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport as part of its 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme.
