This project aims to revolutionize the way high-value horticultural crops such as grapes, berries, and other fruits are grown by developing and implementing a precision farming ecosystem. The ecosystem consists of three main components: image spectral analysis for monitoring crop health, precision manipulation and perception system with virtual reality interface, and cloud-connected AI. The initial research and trials will address the viticulture industry. The project involves a collaboration between Extend Robotics (ER), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and a UK vineyard, Saffron Grange (SG). QMUL is a world-leading research university that is committed to making a positive impact on the world through research and innovation. QMUL's expertise in remote sensing and image spectral analysis is critical to the project's success. ER is a UK-based start-up that specializes in developing virtual reality-based teleoperation systems for remote manipulation of robots. ER's expertise in precision manipulation and perception systems is essential to the development of the modular robotic hardware system with human equivalent manipulation robotic arms and cameras. The collaboration between QMUL and ER brings together the necessary expertise to develop the cloud-connected AI components that will enable the robotic automation of general tasks such as pruning and harvesting in viticulture. This will provide immediate benefits to SG as the test bed provider as well providing benefits to the wider UK viticulture industry through published research and business case development of precision agriculture practices. Our technology will allow growers to remotely monitor crop health, identify potential issues early on, and take appropriate action, resulting in better overall crop quality and higher yields. The precision manipulation and perception system with a VR interface will enable growers to perform tasks such as pruning and harvesting more efficiently and accurately, reducing labour costs and reliance on foreign labour. The cloud-connected AI components will help to automate general tasks and improve the efficiency of their operations over time. Through the use of these cutting-edge technologies, we will be able to: * Reduce reliance on seasonal labour * Reduce input and labour costs * Increase yields. * Reduce emissions and environmental impact. * Improve overall crop quality. This will bring significant benefits to the viticulture industry in the UK, making it more competitive and sustainable, while also contributing to the growth of the UK economy. This project has the potential to significantly improve the productivity and sustainability of the UK horticultural industry while also providing a competitive edge in the global market.

It is well accepted that due to Brexit, COVID, Ukraine and population demographics, the UK horticulture sector is heavily constrained by a lack of seasonal harvest labour. This year as crops have gone unpicked, NFU President Minette Batters stated that the sector was in an "absolute" food waste "crisis". DEFRA is working with industry to mitigate impacts. Evidenced through a multi stakeholder automation review cochaired by SoS Eustice, the recent Food Strategy White Paper (June 2022) called for a permanent solution to the labour constraint; transformation of labour productivity through the development and adoption of advanced robotics systems. Whilst globally no robotic system has yet reached human picking cost parity, the best systems in strawberry pick 2kg/h v target of 30kg/h, there is progress, not least by UK based SME's. The remaining key challenges for scaled adoption are; 1\. Higher speed picking to achieve human cost parity 2\. Evidence of trusted, assured and safe operation 3\. Integration of robotics with farm infrastructure and human resources However, as horticulture has high production diversity, the cost of developing robotics for commercial use across many different crops and systems is significant. Furthermore robot integration requires highly diverse skills, not-always available in start-up companies. AGRI-OPENCORE is a bold initiative to resolve these issues and focussed to \[1\] cut the time and cost to develop a robotic harvesting system for any farm/crop with human-cost-picking-parity performance \[2\] leave a legacy to accelerate development of any agri-robotic system for all crops AGRI-OPENCORE delivers these objectives through \[1\] unprecedented cross sector collaboration (APSSalads, BerryGardens, ClockHouseFarm, HughLoweFarm, UniversityofLincoln, Saga, Dogtooth, Xihelm, Wootzano), \[2\] creation of an open ecosystem for innovation, \[3\] scaled cocreation and demonstration of technologies on English farms. To deliver these objectives, AGRI-OPENCORE will create the world's first open development platform (software and hardware) for agri-robotic crop harvesting. AGRI-OPENCORE provides open access to core software and interfaces that are hitherto unavailable to SME's, but when adopted can be privately exploited by robotics companies (aka smartphone apps). We will demonstrate the principle by developing commercial robotic systems for tomato and strawberry harvesting that achieve human-picking-cost-parity in 2 years. AGRI-OPENCORE's open ecosystem creates an enduring legacy available for any robotic company / farming system. It accelerates robotic picking adoption (by \> 2 years), step changes labour productivity, secures an economic and environmentally efficient farming system (reduced waste/import substitution) that is resilient to shocks (labour availability).

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique challenge for society and industry; how to protect lives, open up the economy and ensure a functioning healthcare sector whilst social distancing and restrictions on travel remain. These challenges come in the form of a potential significant drop in GDP, threats to UK infrastructure due to lack of in-situ professionals for critical inspection and maintenance tasks, difficulties maintaining social distance in physical work environments and staff shortage due to self-isolating healthcare professionals. Extend Robotics' (ER) aim is to develop, scale and commercialize a cloud-based, teleoperated, highly dexterous robotic system which will extend remote working into the physical domain. The system will offer a highly effective universal solution at an affordable price point allowing massive adoption across a wide range of sectors during the crisis. This will result in improved safety and operating efficiencies that will be carried forward into normal operations. ER's remotely operated robotic system offers: * USER HARDWEAR - Low-cost scalable solution, using consumer Virtual Reality (VR) equipment. * USER INTERFACE - Intuitive and immersive user interface for non-expert users to operate offering "real world" experience. * ROBOTIC MANIPULATOR - Dexterous (6 degrees of movement) and robust teleoperation by augmenting human intelligence. * REMOTE WORKING - Users can operate from home over internet cloud servers. The aim of the system is to aid the user and augment human capability, not replace human interaction. This is critical in maintaining efficient working practices. The current concept prototype garnered interest in the telecom infrastructure maintenance sector with an ongoing development plan which lead to seed funding in April 2020\. The management team has strong connections with the utility and telecommunications sector, but many other use cases exist such as: * Allowing immunosuppressed healthcare professionals to remotely perform tasks from home preventing contamination. * Self-isolating inspection and maintenance professionals providing "hands-on expertise" to critical infrastructure sites. This grant will be used to improve the core technology, seek trials and business cases in the healthcare sector; a case study that will drive a larger scale implementation a for mass production system in multiple applications.