Annex 1: Robotic equipment definitions and requirements
A list of the type of equipment you can buy and what it needs to be able do.
This annex lists the definitions and requirements of the eligible robotic equipment which can qualify for the fund.
An autonomous harvesting machine must use computer vision or sensors to detect, select and harvest individual fruit or plants in the crops, leaving the remainder of the crop to be harvested later to optimise productivity.
The equipment can be on its own autonomous platform or propelled as an attachment to existing farm tractors.
Requirements are as follows.
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Cameras, tactile sensors, ability to undertake harvest of the crop without human intervention
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Where necessary it must be able to select, pick and place individual harvested items.
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Autonomous in field trimming and grading can be included if it involves no human intervention to control the process.
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Autonomous equipment that requires human intervention to operate are not eligible.
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Monthly or annual subscriptions and licences for software needed to operate the equipment are not eligible.
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The purchase of conventional tractors to propel the autonomous equipment is not eligible under this scheme.
Has the ability to identify and treat individual weeds while leaving the crop untreated or identify individual crop plants and remove the unwanted plants (weeds).
The equipment can be on its own autonomous platform or propelled as an attachment to existing farm tractors.
The requirements are as follows.
- The equipment must have camera guided systems that are able to weed between the plants in a crop row.
- They need the ability to photograph and analyse the plants, recognise the growing crop from the weeds and activate and control the weeding tools to remove the weeds between the plants in a crop row leaving just the growing plant for example, rotating hoe or electric weeding.
- The purchase of conventional tractors to propel the autonomous weeders is not eligible under this scheme.
Has the ability to identify and treat individual plants. They accurately place chemicals on individual plants while leaving the remainder of the crop untreated. This could be to apply herbicides or pesticides to individual weeds or diseased plants or apply fertilisers and trace elements to individual plants in the growing crop.
The equipment can be on its own autonomous platform or propelled as an attachment to existing farm tractors.
The requirements are as follows.
- The equipment can be on its own autonomous platform or propelled as an attachment to existing farm tractors.
- The equipment must have camera guided systems that are able to identify and analyse the plants in the crop rows with the ability to photograph and analyse the plants, recognise the growing crop from the weeds, and activate and control the sprayer to treat individual weeds or diseased plants.
- Self-contained or platform mounted systems would be eligible.
- A platform would only be eligible if it was used with an autonomous driverless agricultural vehicle.
- Tractors or self-propelled sprayers requiring presence of an operator to drive would not be eligible.
- Boom and band sprayers using variable rate control to effectively switch spray nozzles on and off are not eligible under this scheme.
- The purchase of conventional tractors to propel the autonomous sprayers is not eligible under this scheme.
Autonomous driverless tractors or platforms navigate fields and undertake farming operations using conventional farming equipment.
The requirements are as follows.
- Any vehicle requiring presence of an operator to be permanently present would not be eligible.
- Conventional implements for attaching to the autonomous driverless tractor or platform would not be eligible.
A voluntary robotic milking system which allows the cows free access 24/7. The system undertakes, without human intervention, all aspects of the milking process from cleaning the udder, pre-milking, milking and analysis, through to teat dipping after milking. Systems which require the cows to be herded (or driven) into the parlour as part of the milking routine are not considered voluntary.
The requirements are as follows.
- The focus of this grant is to support the adoption of robotics and will therefore only support the purchase of the robot.
- Equipment which would be found in a conventional parlour is not eligible.
- Ineligible items include milk storage tanks, milk and vacuum lines, vacuum pumps, air compressors, milk cooling equipment, equipment for the storage of reject milk, feeding systems including feed storage to supply the robot, automated access gates, water heaters and plant washing equipment.
- Only the following elements of a complete system will be eligible for funding - milking stall in which the cow stands, robotic arm which cleans the udder, places the cluster on the udder, sensors to help place the cluster on the cow, milking cluster itself including cluster flush and teat dipping functions. Real time milk analysis equipment which aids management decisions concerning the health of the cow can be included as part of the robot.
- New buildings or conversion of existing buildings including gates and pens, and floor alterations are not eligible under this scheme.
Autonomous system which mixes, transports, and delivers feed to the animals, without the need of a rail system to guide delivery of food.
The requirements are as follows.
- An autonomous system which mixes and transports feed and navigates around the farmyard without a guided rail system is eligible. Funding is aimed at support for the autonomous element and therefore feed storage for, and delivery systems of feed to the robot are not eligible, for example hoppers, bins, conveyors and augers.
- Robots which do not have the ability to mix and transport feed and only able to push feed in front of the livestock are not eligible under this scheme.
- Automatic feeding systems and feed stations are not eligible (for example, out of parlour feeders).
- New buildings and yard areas for the storage of feed are not eligible.
These are autonomous systems used for transplanting cuttings / seedlings / plugs into pots or beds.
The requirements are as follows.
- The equipment must have camera guided systems that are able to identify and analyse individual plant cuttings / seedlings / plugs and inform the robot how to pick up the young plants and transplant into trays, pots or beds. To allow for future expansion the robotic transplanter needs to be capable of being used with a conveyor belt system to allow incorporation into a fully automated seeding line or transplanting line.
- Automated Tray filling and pot filling equipment are not eligible under this item.
- Conveyors linking to other processes are not eligible.
Autonomous robotic systems which operate without human intervention capable of sensing its environment, carrying out computations to make decisions, and performing actions in the production of agricultural and horticultural produce to the point of harvest.
For equipment to be considered autonomous and therefore eligible under this scheme the equipment has to perform all four of the following functions in a continuous loop by sensing, understanding, planning, and controlling.
The requirements are as follows.
- Any robot or vehicle requiring the presence of an operator would not be eligible.
- Installation of an electric charging point is eligible for electric powered mobile robotic equipment.
The advanced ventilation control system will control and monitor ventilation of existing horticultural and livestock buildings. It needs to monitor and control the ventilation system, reacting to internal humidity, temperature, and ammonia and/or CO2 levels in relation to external weather conditions to optimise the environment for the growing and rearing of plants and animals.
The system needs to incorporate a heat recovery system on all ventilation outlets to minimise heat loss and air scrubbing systems on all ventilation outlets to reduce greenhouse gas and particulate emissions. The air scrubbing system needs to remove dust and either CO2 or ammonia emissions from ventilation outlets.
The requirements are as follows.
- The system needs to include control units, heat exchangers, and air scrubbers. While the proposed system may include heating units these will not be eligible for funding.
- Replacement ventilation fans will also not be eligible for funding.
- The system needs to be able to react to external weather conditions, for example detect the direction of driving rain and close ventilation inlets on that side of the building to prevent rain entering the building while other vents remain open.
- The funding is to support the installation of or updating of ventilation systems in existing buildings.
- Systems for new build horticultural or new build livestock buildings are not eligible for funding.
Wavelength specific LED lighting to aid plant growth.
The requirements are as follows.
- The LED lights need to be designed to stimulate plant growth by emitting specific wavelengths of light that drives photosynthesis and plant growth. The system of lighting required will be determined by the crop being produced.
- Eligible costs include LED lights, controllers, and transformers and rectifiers to step the voltage down if the lights work on a low voltage DC system. Lighting gantries and cabling to control units are eligible.
- The funding is to support the installation of wavelength specific LED lighting in existing horticultural buildings.
- Installation in new build horticultural buildings is not eligible for funding.
- Non wavelength specific LED lighting for general lighting of buildings is not eligible.