Developing a Herd of Electric Robots for Horticulture

English Growers' ability to obtain the large seasonal (75,000 strong)(5) workforce to harvest field vegetables has been severely impacted by Covid-19, Brexit and declining migrant worker availability across Europe(10).

Domestic labour ('Pick for Britain') cannot replace the need(11). As price-takers with low margins, growers cannot profitably offer higher wages(12).

This has become a national crisis that threatens the UK food system's resilience more than any other single challenge(60).

**"Unprecedented labour shortages have left hundreds of tonnes of produce rotting in the fields"** Financial Times(57,22)

**"Labour availability is very tight \[...\] we could have done extra volume \[with more workers\]" (G. Read, Staples Vegetables UK)**

**"If we can't get enough people, ...we don't have a business! \[...\] Imports carry a higher carbon footprint and we cannot fully control provenance and growing practices."** (John Chinn, Cobrey Farms)

"Labour shortage for harvesting is our greatest current concern, forcing us to significantly reduce our future cultivation of crops like courgettes. Harvest automation is the only viable solution for our profitability, keep operating in England, and **2025 Net Zero aims(14)**''. Barfoots of Botley, major UK Courgette and Asparagus grower.

A 30% **shortfall of harvest workers in 2020(13) resulting in wasted crops has been attributed to Covid-19**; Brexit and **the** narrowing wage-gap between Eastern Europe and the UK (BBC Farming today 26.10.2021: Monthly labour costs in Romania have tripled from £300 to £1000);

The Association of Labour Providers: **"staff shortages in the food supply chain are unprecedented, bleak, and ongoing. 99% of labour providers couldn't meet needs for workers in the last 3 months, and 75% will not be able to meet demand in the run-up to Christmas".(**61**)**

MM's agri-robot, Sprout, is a lightweight (doesn't compact soil), battery-operated (sustainable) robot that selectively harvests vegetables in-field. It has already been demonstrated to selectively-harvest asparagus in-field with a greater yield than several labourers.

Despite these successes, a single Sprout cannot selectively harvest a typical crop alone! A **herd of semi-autonomous Sprouts is needed**. This represents MM's next significant innovation challenge, realising a herd (swarm) of robots.

This £1.7m, 19-month collaborative project between MM and its Grower Collaborators will develop and demonstrate a working herd of harvesting Agri-robots able to harvest vegetables in-field sustainably and reliably. It will overcome challenges in safety, harvest-planning, communication and display, on-farm infrastructure; transporting the herd between locations and designing for further reduction in mass and further-improved yield.