Episode Nineteen: Roopika Ravikanna

Robot Talk · 30 Sept 2022 · 19m · Episode 19

What this episode covers

Roopika Ravikanna, a PhD student at the University of Lincoln, discusses her research on autonomous agricultural robots, specifically the modular 'Thorvald' system developed with Saga Robotics. She explains how the robot assists farm workers in horticulture environments by navigating complex obstacles and avoiding soil compaction, while addressing human-robot interaction challenges like proximity and intuitive control. Ravikanna highlights that these cobots are designed to alleviate labor shortages rather than replace workers, with current deployments already underway at commercial sites like Clockhouse Farm.

Mentioned

Companies
Saga Robotics, University of Lincoln, Clockhouse Farm, UK Robotics
Products
Thorvald

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