In his inaugural professorial lecture next week, Waikato University engineering school professor Mike Duke will explain how humans can embrace the arrival of robots in primary industries.
More than 70% of New Zealand’s merchandise exports come from the primary industries, with the Ministry for Primary Industries aiming to double primary exports from $32 billion in 2012 to $64 billion by 2025.
Duke says increasing labour costs, mainly due to the need to import labour, and concerns over labour reliability, coupled with environmental and health and safety legislation are threatening the profitability of many primary sector companies.
He says to address these issues, the widespread introduction of robotics and smart machinery into New Zealand’s primary industries could save companies money, improve safety, quality and efficiency.
“Robots have been used for decades in automotive factories and, more recently, they’ve been introduced in horticultural pack houses,” says Duke.
“However, ‘in field’ robotics is a much more difficult nut to crack, as the variability of the environment and products makes it far more challenging,” he says.
“Recent developments in computing power, algorithms and sensing, combined with advances in computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies are resolving many of the problems,” says Duke.
This will quickly lead to an army of ‘in field’ robots and smart machinery, replacing imported labour for many repetitive tasks,” he says.
“There are several examples of New Zealand-built ‘in field’ prototypes that are meeting, or are close to meeting, the commercial viability threshold,” says Duke.
“Once that tipping point is reached, there will be a revolution in the primary sector as ‘in field’ robots perform tasks including harvesting, pollination, weed spraying, thinning, transportation, quality control and pasture repair,” he says.
“As the revolution progresses, we’ll have to get used to the sight of robots roaming the fields and orchards of New Zealand,” says Duke.
“There are exciting developments and opportunities linked to the introduction of robotics. One is the redesign of agricultural spaces to utilise robots better. A second is that New Zealand has a fantastic opportunity to not only improve its primary industry performance but also export hi-tech, high-value machinery and services,” he says
Duke will explain the work of the University’s AgriEngineering Research Group at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts on Tuesday 11 April starting at 5.15pm.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Parking is free after 4.30pm in the University’s Gate 1 carpark.
