By Jamie Martin
A fully automated spraying drone platform claimed the top prize at the third annual Farm Robotics Challenge, held on May 8, 2025, in Davis.
The grand prize, a $20,000 Innovation Award sponsored by Farm-ng and Western Growers, was awarded to the Precision Horticulture Lab team from the University of Georgia. They developed a robotic platform designed to serve as a mobile launchpad for spraying drones, equipped with a water tank, chemical reservoirs, a mixer, and a generator all controlled via a cell phone.
The 2025 competition, hosted by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS), tackled critical agricultural challenges, including labor shortages, sustainability, and precision farming.
Over 20 collegiate teams from across the U.S. and internationally participated, using Farm-ng’s Amiga modular robotic platform and custom-built systems to solve real-world problems in collaboration with growers.
Gabriel Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer, praised the students' efforts, saying, “The creativity and technical excellence displayed this year underscore agriculture’s bright future. These students aren’t just solving problems; they’re redefining what’s possible.”
In addition to the Innovation Award, other categories recognized outstanding achievements. The Productivity Award, sponsored by F3 Innovate, went to Team ʻĀINA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for developing a robot and drone system to optimize pineapple harvesting.
Appleseed Labs from Carnegie Mellon University received the Excellence in Regenerative Agriculture award for their autonomous Johnny B. Root robot, designed to reforest land.
Other winners included the University of Minnesota’s FarmGuard, a deer deterrence system, and Purdue University’s PURT UAS Team for their corn tassel detection system.
The Salty Blue Hens from the University of Delaware won a Judges Choice Impact Award for their soil salinity and moisture analysis system.
In total, over $50,000 in prizes were awarded, with select teams earning travel stipends to attend the FIRA USA 2025 conference. Brendan Dowdle, CEO of Farm-ng, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “At Farm-ng, we believe the future of agriculture depends on collaboration between innovators, farmers and educators.”
For further information, please visit https://ucanr.edu/blog/anr-news-releases/article/university-georgia-wins-top-honors-2025-farm-robotics-challenge
Photo Credit: pexels-flo-dnd
Categories: National