In 2021/2022, the third edition of the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge was organised, in which lettuce had to be grown fully automated. On July 1, the results will be presented at the International Autonomous Greenhouse Event at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University & Research in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.
Since years Wageningen University & Research is working on autonomous greenhouses, climate control, crop modelling, use of sensors, data, intelligence, computer vision and robotics. We develop new technology and new algorithms for and together with industry. You will find our solutions in many products in the sector already, maybe without recognizing it. We conduct research to understand crop physiology and product quality, we develop knowledge on climate control and plant phenotyping and are on the frontline of agrorobotics research to make new technologies useful.
In 2021/22 we have organised the third International Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge, in which different international teams had to grow vegetables in greenhouses sustainably via fully automated control with the use of AI. This year’s crop was lettuce, and this time, the control had to be fully autonomous. A first and second edition of the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge have been carried out at Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands, in 2018-2020, sponsored by Tencent and David Wallerstein (CXO Tencent). During these editions we have shown that artificial intelligence can potentially be superior to human intelligence, hence can potentially control indoor farming in the future. The goal of the third challenge will be fully automated control.
The results of the 3rd International Challenge will be presented at the International Autonomous Greenhouse Event which will be held on July 1. The event features a cast of international researchers from different institutes and companies and will be held at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. For further information and the program, you may consult https://www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/plant-research/greenhouse-horticulture/show-greenhouse/International-Autonomous-Greenhouse-Event.htm. Here you can also find the link to follow the event live.
The challenge is supported by Tencent, Fluence, Gebr. Geers B.V., Sigrow, LetsGrow.com, Ridder, Hortiplan, Glastuinbouw Nederland, Kas als Energiebron and Gemeente Lansingerland.