More than 20 in-field demos and dozens of robot manufacturers at World FIRA 2024

Visitors can see the latest developments in agricultural robotic technology at the Agrobiopôle in Auzeville-Tolosane near Toulouse. There will be a 2 hectare demo zone, as well as an exhibition area segmented by sector. The in-field demos can be seen in real-life conditions, and World FIRA will present robots that work in field crops, specialty crops, vegetables, vineyards, orchards and livestock.

The robot manufacturers that will present their latest advances include Yanmar, Agrointelli, Bluewhite, Continental, Crover, Naïo Technologies, EXXACT Robotics, Léger Innovation, SITIA, Odd.Bot, Osiris Agriculture, Pats, Robotic Perception, Slopehelper, Softirob, Ullmanna, Afara, Alpha unmanned systems, K.U.L.T. and Pixelfarming.

Visitors can see many interesting robots during World FIRA. The AROW Box for example, a component of Ullmanna’s DECIMAL platform. AROW Box identifies and targets crops in real-time, providing a chemical-free, and environmentally friendly solution for weed control. Another relatively unknown robot is the Afara Cotton Picker, a semi-autonomous robot designed to efficiently collect leftover cotton from the fields after harvesting.

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Bulk grain-monitoring robot

But other autonomous agricultural technology is also on show, such as CROVER, a robot that swims through bulk solids and powders – for example cereal grains and pulses – stored in sheds and warehouses. It enables mapping the condition of the grain with a higher resolution and data points density than is currently possible with static solutions. Visitors can also have a look at the Alpha A900 of Alpha Unmanned Systems, an advanced UAV.

World FIRA is considered to be a special opportunity for farmers, distributors and dealers to discover robotic technology with multiple functions in the field. It will be the 8th edition of the event. Participants can also attend several conferences and research & education project presentations during the 3 days of World FIRA.

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The World FIRA Awards 2024

During the World FIRA event, on Thursday, February 8 at 12:15 PM, three categories will be announced to recognize the finest robots designed for crop cultivation applications:

• Ag Robot of the Year 2024: This award celebrates the best field robot currently available in the market, as presented by Future Farming magazine. Eligible candidates include newcomers featured in the Future Farming Buying Guide for Agricultural Robots 2024. The Ag Robot of the Year 2024 will be selected by an international jury predominantly composed of farmers.
• Best FIRA Start-up: Recognizing the most promising start-up in the realm of investments, this award is conferred by the jury of World FIRA investors (Capagro, Rabobank, and Fulcrum Capital) following the pitches session on February 6 at 2:00.
• Best World FIRA Robot: This accolade is determined by the participants of World FIRA 2024. The robot showcased at World FIRA, securing the highest number of votes from participants in the online poll, will be honored by World FIRA.

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The CROVER is a robot that swims through bulk solids and powders – for example cereal grains and pulses. – Photo: FIRA

Symposium on Agricultural Autonomy

As an event for the agricultural robotics community on an international level, World FIRA is launching its first International Symposium on Agricultural Autonomy. On 8 February, end users, manufacturers, representatives of unions and associations working for autonomy and safety, will gather for a day of exchange, reflection and work. Three workshops on the challenges ahead in the industry, co-organized by AXEMA and the CEMA PT4 ‘Safety of Autonomous Functions’ working group, will be held with manufacturers and legislators.

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The opportunity to discover

And with a ‘Hackathon of the Grand Défi de la Robotique Agricole’, teams will be created ahead of FIRA, for work on developing solutions for improving safety in robotics, for example new detection approaches. This work will take several weeks. The projects will be presented, and the winners will be announced on 8 February at World FIRA.

With over 600 robots in use in crop production in France alone in 2023 – there were only 100 in 2018 – 25 different models (Observatoire des Usages Numériques en Agriculture 2023), and a global market expected to reach US $ 40.1 billion in 2028 (ResearchAndMarkets.com), World FIRA says it offers participants the opportunity to discover them all in one place over three days.