Research England, Expanding Excellence in England Fund, 2019-2022 initial core project stage, long-term initiative still running.
Lincoln Agri-Robotics (LAR) is recognised as the world’s first global centre of excellence in agricultural robotics, as acknowledged in the UK Innovation Strategy (July 2021). Our excellence was recently celebrated with the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for ‘Innovation in agri-food technology to improve productivity, efficiency and sustainability’ in February 2024.
Overview
Situated in one of the UK’s most productive agricultural regions, LAR represents a pioneering collaboration between the Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT) and the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (LCAS). Our project integrates expertise across multiple disciplines, including Engineering, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Geography, Ecology, Social Sciences, Rural Studies, and Economics.
Research Focus
LAR’s research agenda focuses on three grand challenge areas:
- Selective Harvesting: Developing advanced systems for identifying and harvesting crops at optimal readiness, ensuring reliable and consistent picking.
- Crop Care: Creating innovative solutions for protecting crops from pests, disease, weather, and nutrient deficiencies through automated monitoring and intervention.
- Phenotyping Robotics: Advancing techniques for measuring and analysing plant traits to understand environmental impacts on crop varieties and inform breeding programmes.
Impact and Achievements
Our commitment to innovation and practical application is demonstrated through significant achievements:
- Creation of FruitCast Ltd, the university’s first spin-out company, which has secured over £2M in Innovate UK funding
- Leadership of 149 Agri-Tech projects worth over £100M, involving more than 250 industry partners
- Production of 87 peer-reviewed publications by core research staff
- Launch of the £10.9M SUSTAIN UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training
- Implementation of the £4.9M LINCAM project to accelerate AgTech impact
International Collaboration
LAR has established strong international research partnerships with leading institutions including:
- University of Bonn’s PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence (Germany)
- Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands)
- University of California, Davis (USA)
Research Leads
Professor Simon Pearson
Head of School for Agri-Food Technology and Manufacturing
A leading figure in agri-food technology research, Professor Pearson directs pioneering work in developing technological solutions for agricultural challenges, with particular expertise in automated farming systems and sustainable agriculture practices, with positive impact on technology, policy, economy, the environment and the wider society.
Professor Elizabeth Sklar
Director of the Lincoln Institute of Agri-food Technology (LIAT)
Specialising in human-robot interaction and robot team coordination, Professor Sklar leads research in developing collaborative robotic systems for agricultural applications, bridging the gap between advanced robotics technology and practical farming implementation.
Professor Marc Hanheide
Director of the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (L-CAS)
An expert in autonomous systems and robotics, Professor Hanheide leads research in developing robust autonomous systems for agricultural applications, focusing on making robots more adaptable and efficient in real-world farming environments.
Professor Grzegorz Cielniak
Professor in Robotics
Specialising in computer vision and machine learning for agricultural applications, Professor Cielniak develops advanced sensing and perception systems for agricultural robots, with particular expertise in crop monitoring and phenotyping.
Professor Simon Parsons
Global Professor in Machine Learning
A distinguished expert in autonomous systems and multi-agent systems, Professor Parsons contributes to LAR’s research programme through his expertise in artificial intelligence, robotics, and systems integration for agricultural applications.
Dr Paula Eves
Senior Project Manager
With over 16 years of interdisciplinary experience, Dr Eves oversees the strategic development and delivery of LAR’s research programmes, coordinating research activities and building collaborations both nationally and internationally.
Contact Information
Lincoln Agri-Robotics (LAR)
University of Lincoln
Riseholme Campus
Lincoln LN2 2LF
United Kingdom
Email: LAR@lincoln.ac.uk
Website: https://lar.lincoln.ac.uk/
Funded by UKRI’s Research England through the Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund.
Contact: Elizabeth Sklar