A new competition, the AgRobotics Ontario Challenge, has been launched to engage high school students in exploring innovative ways to utilize robots in agriculture. The focus of the challenge is to enhance farm worker safety, efficiency, and competitiveness through robotics.
Participating schools will receive a robotics kit from Studica to develop their ideas. Six schools will be selected to create prototypes of their concepts, which will be showcased at the London Farm Show in March 2026. Each selected school will also receive $500 to support the design development.
Haggerty Robotics, led by Chuck Baresich, is a company specializing in creating robotics for agricultural purposes. One of their notable products is a solar-powered vehicle capable of seeding and weeding fields autonomously. Haggerty Robotics, in collaboration with Innovation Farms Ontario, is a partner in the competition.
Baresich emphasized the growing importance of technology in agriculture, especially in tasks like crop harvesting and pest management. He highlighted the benefits of robotic solutions, noting that they can operate around the clock without constant human supervision, allowing farmers to redirect their workforce to other essential activities.
While robotics are commonly used in controlled environments like greenhouses, Baresich pointed out the potential for more field-oriented farm robots, particularly in crops such as apples and strawberries. The competition encourages students to propose practical farm applications for their ideas, aiming to inspire fresh approaches to agricultural challenges.
Bridget Mahon, the agribusiness manager at Western Fair Association, highlighted the opportunity for students to contribute their problem-solving skills to the agricultural sector through the contest. Submissions for the competition are due in late November, with the six finalist schools to be announced in early December.
For more details about the contest and submission guidelines, interested parties can visit the competition portal.
