Suche
Mein Konto
Robot revolution in agriculture: Braunschweig is leading the way!
The student initiative FREDT at the TU Braunschweig develops innovative autonomous robots for agriculture and has won several competitions.
Robot revolution in agriculture: Braunschweig is leading the way!
The importance of autonomous technologies in agriculture is constantly increasing. The student initiative FREDT at the Technical University of Braunschweig has adapted to this trend by developing autonomous robots. Their robot Helios Evo is a prime example of advances in digital agriculture. FREDT won the prestigious Field Robotics World Championship for the fifth time in 2024 and can look back on a successful history since its founding in 2004.
Helios Evo is an autonomous field robot that navigates without GPS and is able to detect obstacles and precisely dose crop protection products. Annual participation in the international field robotics world championship places high demands on the technology and skills of the participating teams. Around 15 student groups from all over the world compete against each other in this event, with new challenges to be mastered every year, such as recognizing animals or specifically spraying plants. FREDT uses technologies such as cameras, laser scanners and sensor fusion to ensure that their robots perform optimally. magazin.tu-braunschweig.de reports that the challenges of the championship force participants to develop innovative solutions.
Successful engineering
The team's success at the 2024 World Cup is particularly noteworthy, where Helios Evo was able to operate comprehensively despite a failure of the central orientation sensor system. This ability shows how flexible and adaptable the technology behind the robot is. In addition, FREDT provides its members with practical experience in various engineering disciplines, including soldering, circuit board design and budget management. The training opportunities have led to many former members finding jobs in leading technology companies.
The team is already preparing for the upcoming championship in Italy in early summer 2025. We are once again trying to convince the international competition with innovative solutions and to expand our own track record.
Digital transformation in agriculture
The developments in autonomous robotics do not stand alone, but are part of a broader trend in agriculture. According to Florian Schiller, digitalization expert at the DLG International Crop Production Center, the FarmRobotix initiative aims to focus on farmers and their requirements for digital technologies. Increasing efficiency and simplifying operational work are the central goals here.
Despite the multitude of digital solutions in the crop production sector, there is a lot of training required for farmers. FarmRobotix promotes a dialogue between farmers, manufacturers and science to improve the compatibility of software systems. The integration of robotics and autonomous solutions into existing agricultural systems is particularly important. Different degrees of automation range from semi-autonomous to fully autonomous systems, which are used, for example, in sowing or crop protection. dlg.org highlights that autonomous systems are often still in the pilot and research stages.
Advances in robotics, combined with digital solutions, show that agriculture is facing a transformation that presents both challenges and opportunities. FREDT and the technologies they develop are proof that the future of agriculture can already be experienced in the present.