- Author: Hanif Houston, The VINE
A series of VINE Build workshops aimed at equipping academic innovators with essential pathways to bring new inventions to market is being sponsored by The VINE, an initiative of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), in collaboration with Farmhand Ventures. These workshops are designed to empower participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complex landscape of technology commercialization.
"These workshops represent a unique opportunity for academic innovators to gain invaluable insights into the commercialization process," said Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer and founder of the VINE. "By bridging the gap between academia and industry, we aim to catalyze innovation and propel advancements in technology and agriculture so we can enjoy the benefits sooner."
The half-day sessions will explore various aspects of commercialization as a mechanism for technology transfer. Led by industry experts, the workshops will cover user-centered design principles, inclusive innovation basics, the role of commercialization in technology translation, commercialization strategies, intellectual property licensing, transitioning from academia to business, and the differences between non-dilutive and dilutive funding.
"For academics looking to make a real impact, these workshops provide an invaluable platform," said Connie Bowen, co-founder and managing partner of Farmhand Ventures. "By participating in these sessions, innovators have the opportunity to turn their great ideas into tangible products that address the big challenges facing our industry today."
People involved in applied food and agriculture research – including professors, graduate students, undergraduate students and others – are encouraged to participate.
The workshops will be held across various locations in California on the following dates:
- Fresno: May 9, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Smittcamp Alumni Center, Fresno State
- San Diego: May 23, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Salk Institute Foyer, San Diego
- Davis: May 29, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m Physical Sciences and Engineering Library, Conference Room, UC Davis
- Santa Cruz: Date and location to be determined.
For more information and to register for the workshops, please visit: https://bit.ly/vine-build-workshop
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Ag tech companies that would like to participate in AgroBaja may apply for sponsorship. FIRA USA attendees observe a field demonstration in 2022.
The VINE at UC ANR partners with GO-Biz and CDFA to subsidize agtech companies
Agricultural technology companies in California are eligible for sponsorships to participate in the upcoming AgroBaja 2024, the leading agricultural technology event taking place in Mexicali, Mexico, on March 7-9. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 16 by The VINE, an initiative at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
This effort is part of a broader initiative to encourage the growth and development of the agtech sector, providing a stage for California businesses to share their innovative technologies and services with the international community. The collaboration highlights a shared commitment to advancing California's position in the global agtech landscape.
To encourage participation, The VINE and UC ANR are extending a robust support package to attendees, which includes:
- Reduced participation fees: Offering subsidized registration costs ranging from $250 to $500, enabling a wider array of companies to engage.
- Hotel accommodations: Providing complimentary hotel stays to alleviate logistical challenges for participants.
- Exhibition space: Allocating a dedicated pavilion area for companies to showcase their technologies and services.
- Logistical support: Offering assistance with local transportation and equipment logistics.
"This initiative represents a significant step towards enhancing the global competitiveness of California's agtech industry," said Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC ANR and co-founder of The VINE. "By reducing financial barriers, we are opening doors for innovative companies to showcase their solutions, connect with international stakeholders and pave the way for future collaborations. We believe that our support will ignite new opportunities for growth and innovation in the agricultural sector."
Feb. 16 is the deadline to apply. For application details and more information about AgroBaja 2024, please visit https://bit.ly/CA-Agrobaja-Delegation.
About The VINE:
The VINE, an initiative of University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, is California's agriculture, food and biotech innovation network. Our mission is to harness the power of open innovation to help industries and entrepreneurs grow and scale globally while catalyzing technology innovation and commercialization for productive, sustainable and equitable food systems. We connect entrepreneurs to a vast network of public and private sector resources, build collaborations that accelerate technology solutions to solve industry challenges, and grow regional capacity to support global innovation as an economic opportunity.
- Author: Hanif Houston, The VINE
Students must form teams by Oct. 31; proposals due Nov. 15
Registration is now open for college teams competing in the 2024 Farm Robotics Challenge and proposals are due Nov. 15. The collegiate competition is organized by The VINE, an initiative of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in collaboration with farm-ng, F3 Innovate and AI Institute for Next Gen Food Systems.
The Farm Robotics Challenge is an annual event where teams of students from universities and colleges across the United States tackle real-world farming challenges. The competition focuses on small-farm applications and leverages the state-of-the-art Amiga robot to integrate robotics into agricultural research. This year, the challenge is expanding by introducing a new division for two-year colleges, to allow more students to participate.
“The Farm Robotics Challenge is not just another competition; it's a transformative experience designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in agricultural technology,” said Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer and founder of The VINE. “By participating in this challenge, students are not only showcasing their technical skills, but also contributing to a larger mission — advancing sustainable and efficient farming practices for the future. We're incredibly excited to see the solutions that these young entrepreneurs will bring to the table.”
Teams are expected to address a variety of production farming topics, which can range from any crop or size of farm. The challenges for the competition are categorized into three main areas: Autonomy, which includes course navigation; Artificial Intelligence, focusing on vision and sensing as well as dataset collection; and Attachment, which involves the development of devices that can be attached to the robot for farm tasks..
“We're proud to join forces with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources for the second annual Farm Robotics Challenge," said Ethan Rublee, CEO of farm-ng. "With our Amiga robotics platform, our aim is to not only inspire the next wave of agricultural innovation, but also to prepare the workforce that will bring these innovations to life.”
Judging for the competition will be based on a range of criteria including the accuracy and completeness of the project, the elegance and ease of use in the design, safety measures, interdisciplinary inclusion, societal and economic impact, cost considerations, and the commercial and market potential of the solution.
The competition will consist of two main parts: market research, project proposal and fundraising; followed by development, coding and fabrication. Key dates include:
- Team formation deadline: Oct. 31
- Project proposal submission deadline: Nov. 15
- Development start: Jan. 31, 2024
- Judging: Sept. 6, 2024
Interested students, universities and investors are encouraged to visit the official Farm Robotics Challenge website at www.farmroboticschallenge.ai to fill out interest forms and get involved. The website also features detailed information about the challenges and judging criteria.
About The VINE
The VINE, an initiative of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, is California's agriculture, food, and biotech innovation network. Our mission is to harness the power of open innovation to help industries and entrepreneurs grow and scale globally while catalyzing technology innovation and commercialization for productive, sustainable and equitable food systems.
About AIFS
Established on Oct. 1, 2020, the Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, or AIFS, aims to solve the world's biggest challenges to crop and food production facing our planet: ensuring a sustainable, nutritious, efficient and safe food supply while mitigating the impacts of climate change.
About farm-ng
Based in Watsonville, farm-ng is building general purpose off-road robotics hardware and software products. The company's mission is to transform the food system by democratizing access for the smallest farmer to cutting-edge robotics technology.
About F3 Innovate
Headquartered in California's Central Valley, F3 Innovate is the U.S. epicenter for climate-smart agrifood tech. With proximity to over 13,650 farms and 5 million acres of farmland, we collaborate with top research institutions to advance industry research and development. Supported by federal and state funding, F3 Innovate is geared to shape the future of sustainable food production worldwide.
- Author: Hanif Houston
Validation of Innovation Program provides supportive ecosystem for startups
The VINE, an initiative by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, is now accepting applications for its VINE Validation of Innovation Program. The program aims to support innovation in the agri-tech sector, particularly in climate-resilient solutions for California food systems.
Made possible with support from a UC Climate Action grant, the program is inviting startups to apply, with a focus on providing comprehensive support for field trials – a critical stage for any agri-tech venture.
"Field trials are vital for validating new innovations in the agri-tech sector,” said Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer with UC ANR and founder of The VINE. “The VINE VIP aims to provide a supportive environment for carrying out these essential tests, bridging the gap between innovative concepts and real-world application."
Elif Ceylan, co-founder of OpenGate Partners and head of the VINE VIP, also stressed the importance of field trials.
"Field trials serve as a crucial phase where promising ideas either succeed or require adjustment,” Ceylan said. “We are committed to prioritizing this stage to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of emerging agri-tech solutions."
The VINE VIP offers more than field trials. It provides a supportive ecosystem for startups, including industry connections, access to a broad network of farmers and experts, comprehensive validation results and market entry support. The program is a unique accelerator that pairs startups with project partners in the agri-tech industry, facilitating Proof of Concept projects and commercialization trials for industry-defined challenges in California agriculture.
By connecting startups with farmers, academics and industry experts, the program aims to validate, advance, adopt and amplify innovative technologies, reducing technological risks and accelerating sales through its extensive industry network.
Startups interested in joining the VINE VIP can apply until Sept. 16, 2023. Detailed information about the program and the application process is available on The VINE's website at thevine.io/vip.
The VINE is an initiative of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, dedicated to fostering agriculture, food, and biotech innovation in California. Our mission is to support industries and entrepreneurs while promoting technology innovation and commercialization for sustainable and equitable food systems. We connect entrepreneurs with public and private sector resources, encourage collaborations to address industry challenges, and promote regional capacity for global innovation as an economic opportunity.
- Author: Hanif Houston, The VINE
UC Davis, University of Nebraska and UC Santa Cruz teams honored for ag tech innovation
[Updated June 9, 2023, to add Guilherme De Moura Araujo to Amiggie advisors.]
A robot designed to reduce farmworker injuries and streamline harvest took the top prize in the Farm Robotics Challenge 2023. The challenge spotlighted the exceptional innovation and technical prowess of students from universities across the United States. Teams from UC Davis, the University of Nebraska and UC Santa Cruz were presented awards in a virtual ceremony June 3. Organized by the AI Institute for Next Gen Food Systems (AIFS), The VINE, Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) Innovation and farm-ng, the inaugural annual event celebrated student innovators' contributions to the advancement of agricultural technology.
The Farm Robotics Challenge, sponsored by Beck's Hybrids, provided a platform for students to demonstrate engineering, computer science, critical thinking and business skills. They engaged in real-world farming scenarios, creating and programming farm robots using the farm-ng platform. The contest demonstrated how students can apply technology and innovation against challenges in agriculture.
The awards ceremony recognized the following teams for their exceptional contributions:
Grand Prize Winner: Amiggie from UC Davis, a robot designed to assist human pickers and streamline harvest operations. The robot monitors risky postures, carries harvested crops, and streamlines the unloading process for increased efficiency.
Team advisors: Juan Fernando Villacres, Guilherme De Moura Araujo, Lance Halsted
Students:
- Kaiming Fu
- Yuankai Zhu
- Xuchang Tang
- Qikai Gao
- Shuchen Ye
- Hualong Yu
- Yihan Wu
- Jinduo Guo
- Hang Ji
- Xiaotan “Molly” Mo
Complexity in Design Prize: Huskerbot from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an innovative robot that combines machine learning and precise herbicide application for more sustainable farming.
Team advisor: Santosh K. Pitla
Students:
- Amlan Balabantaray
- Shaswati Behera
- Nipuna Chamara Abeysinghe Herath Mudiyanselag
- Krishna Muvva
- Kaden Monk
- Kashish Syed
- Zane Rikli
- Ryleigh Grove
Elegance in Design Prize:Robo-ag from UC Davis, an autonomous robot designed to target pesticide application to minimize chemical waste and environmental impact.
Team advisors: Mason Earles, Alex Olenskyj, Vivian Vuong
Students:
- Heesup Yun
- Earl Ranario
- Nishi Bhagat
- Riya Desai
- Connor Davainis
- Summer Reeves
- Amir Mazraawi
Small Farms Robot Design Prize: Electrified Slugs from UC Santa Cruz, autonomous navigation software that efficiently weeds plant lines on small organic farms.
Team advisors: Dejan Milutinovic, Darryl Wong
Students:
- Oliver Fuchs
- Joshua Gamlen
- Katherine Rogacheva
Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and founder of the VINE, commended the competition's success.
"The Farm Robotics Challenge is about shaping the future of agriculture by inspiring the next generation of ag tech pioneers," said Youtsey. "The ideas that emerged from this competition are solutions for today's farming challenges, highlighting how technology can contribute to a more sustainable, productive and resilient food system."
Ethan Rublee, CEO/Founder of farm-ng, was highly impressed by the dedication, creativity and vision demonstrated by the student teams.
"The innovative solutions these students have engineered is a testament to their determination and ingenuity," Rublee noted. "They're not just addressing the challenges facing agriculture today — they're proactively anticipating the problems of tomorrow. It's truly exciting to imagine where their ideas will take us in the future."
Steve Brown, AIFS associate director, commended the students for being a part of a meaningful moment in the history of agriculture.
“With 2 billion more people to feed in the next 25 years, there are grand challenges that this generation realizes are directly in front of them, and they are meeting those challenges,” Brown said. “It was encouraging to see the imagination of this generation of makers of all talents leveraging technology, which is now able to bring their ideas to life.”
In addition to recognition and prize money — $10,000 for the Grand Prize Winner and $5,000 for each category winner — the Farm Robotics Challenge winners will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative projects at FIRA USA 2023 in September. This premier event in Salinas California serves as a global stage for agricultural technology innovation, presenting an opportunity for these young innovators to make their mark on an international level. Learn more about FIRA USA 2023 and register at https://fira-usa.com
“All participating teams deserve recognition for their dedication, hard work and innovative solutions,” said Youtsey.
Other competitors included Autonomous Pasture Weeding Robot and Autonomous Lettuce Weeding Robot from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo; Team Klaatu from UC Santa Barbara; The Maize Runners from Brigham Young University; Team 307, Team 306, and Bobcats from UC Merced; TartanPest from Carnegie Mellon University; Children of the Corn, Dig Doug, and PruneScape from Purdue University; and SARDOG from Fresno State.
For more information about the Farm Robotics Challenge and future events, please visit https://farmbot.ai.
[Updated June 9, 2023, to add Guilherme De Moura Araujo to Amiggie advisors.]
