Agri-OpenCore: Open Development Platform for Agricultural Robotics

Agri-OpenCore is funded by Innovate UK (Project number: 10041179) as part of the DEFRA “Farming Innovation Programme – large R&D partnership projects”

The Agri-OpenCore project aims to revolutionise agricultural automation through the development of the world’s first open development platform for robotic crop harvesting. This ambitious initiative addresses critical challenges in the UK’s £3 billion horticulture sector, particularly focusing on labour shortages that have been exacerbated by Brexit, COVID-19, and changing demographics.

The project’s primary objectives include reducing the time and cost of developing robotic harvesting systems while achieving human-picking-cost-parity performance within two years. Through unprecedented cross-sector collaboration between farms, academia, and robotics companies, Agri-OpenCore is creating an open ecosystem based on ROS2 that will provide core software and interfaces for agricultural robotics development.

Key technical innovations include the development of standardized interfaces and software components that can be privately exploited by robotics companies while maintaining an open core. The project involves extensive on-farm testing and collaboration with BSI (UK’s National Standards Body) to establish standards for the trusted application of agricultural robots.

Initial trials are being conducted on English farms, with a specific focus on strawberry and tomato harvesting as proof-of-concept applications. The project’s ultimate goal is to create an enduring legacy that will accelerate the development of agricultural robotic systems for all crops, contributing to a more resilient and efficient farming system in the UK.

The project brings together expertise in robotics, agricultural technology, and standards development to create sustainable solutions for the future of farming. Through L-CAS’s involvement, we are contributing to this transformative initiative that aims to secure the UK’s food security and agricultural productivity. We work with industry partners:

Partner	Focus
APS	The APS Group is the UK’s leading supplier of British tomatoes to the high street, growers and suppliers of tomatoes and other produce
University of Lincoln – Lincoln Agri-Robotics	Lincoln Agri-Robotics (LAR) is ‘the world’s first global centre of excellence in agricultural robotics’ (UK Innovation Strategy, July 2021), funded by UKRI’s Research England as part of their Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund. This centre bridges and expands the strong collaborations that exist between two leading research groups at the University of Lincoln: the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT) and the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (L-CAS).
DOGTOOTH TECHNOLOGIES	Dogtooth have developed and manufactured fruit harvesting robots since 2015, and is leading the development in commercially viable crop harvesting.
WOOTZANO	Wootzano is a leading UK robotics that developed cutting edge electronic skin technology for soft handling of fresh produce.
MUDDY MACHINES	Muddy Machines is focused on agricultural technology. They develop field robots designed to assist growers in managing labor-intensive crops. The company’s primary focus is on solving the challenge of selective harvesting, which is a significant issue in agriculture. Muddy Machines’ technology aims to enable growers to increase their production and promote local farming practices. By facilitating local production, the company contributes to ensuring that food is fresher and more sustainable. Their innovative approach to agricultural automation seeks to address labor challenges while improving overall crop management efficiency.