Published: 1 May 2025
The University of Essex’s robotics and agri-tech research was featured during a visit by Michael Portillo and a BBC film crew as part of the documentary series Great British Railway Journeys. The visit highlighted the translation of advanced research into real-world applications in agriculture and automation.
During filming on the Colchester Campus, a range of research facilities were showcased, with a focus on how emerging technologies in robotics and artificial intelligence are being applied to practical challenges in agriculture.
The visit included a demonstration within the AgriFood robotics laboratory in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, where Dr Vishwanathan Mohan presented the latest generation of robotic harvesting systems.
The system, developed in collaboration with Wilkin & Sons, integrates artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic manipulation to autonomously identify, pick, and handle strawberries in real-world farming environments.
Designed for deployment in commercial settings, the robotic platform combines perception, decision-making, and actuation capabilities to address labour-intensive harvesting tasks. The system has been engineered with a strong focus on cost-effective implementation, enabling scalability across different farm types and crop production systems.
The demonstration provided a clear example of how robotics and AI can address key challenges in agriculture, including labour shortages, productivity constraints, and the need for more sustainable production methods.
By featuring these technologies within a nationally broadcast programme, the visit provided broader public visibility for research-led innovation and its transition into deployable, real-world systems.
The technologies showcased during the visit underpin the development of Versatile RobotX, which is focused on scaling these robotic systems into commercially deployable agricultural solutions.
