Event report: IEEE RAS Distributed Online Technical Activities
AgRA TC Connects Seven Local Hubs in a Global Relay on Field Robotics and Smart Agriculture.
Students follow the Nigeria Local Hub session, held 08:15–09:15 West Africa Time. Photo: Nigeria Local Hub.
SYDNEY, 6 October 2026 — The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Technical Committee on Agricultural Robotics and Automation (AgRA TC) held Sensing, Mobility, Autonomy, and Inclusive Innovation for Field Robotics and Smart Agriculture, a full-day event under the IEEE RAS Distributed Online Technical Activities initiative.
Seven Local Hubs, each hosted by a university or IEEE chapter, presented in sequence on a shared Zoom stage while gathering their own in-room audiences. Because the relay moved westward with the clock, most hubs presented in their local morning; the U.S. hub joined on the evening of 5 October.
Yongliang Qiao and Hugo Rodrigue, IEEE RAS Vice President for Technical Activities, opened the program, and Yongliang Qiao gave the closing remarks.
Event at a glance
- Date and time
- 6 October 2026, 08:10–19:20 AEDT (UTC+11)
- Format
- Online relay on Zoom with in-person Local Hubs
- Organizer
- IEEE RAS AgRA Technical Committee
- Supported by
- IEEE RAS Technical Activities Board
Program and hub sessions
Sydney time (AEDT). Select a hub to jump to its summary.
Australia
University of Sydney, Australian Centre for Robotics, with the IEEE NSW Vehicular Technology Society Chapter. Coordinator: Daobilige Su
Kavisha Vidanapathirana and Thien Hoang Nguyen presented robotic soil sampling, a mobile soil analysis laboratory, pH–NPK and RF-based water sensing, and digital twins for soil monitoring. The VTS chapter’s participation opened a cross-Society link to autonomous vehicles and intelligent mobility.
United States
Indiana University Bloomington. Coordinator: Guoyu Lu
Towards Scalable Multimodal Robot Sensing for Sustainable Agriculture Guoyu Lu
The talk linked crop sensing, computer vision and robotic data collection. Jiakai Lin also presented, and discussion turned to perception, hazard prioritization and human-centered decision support.
Japan
Hokkaido University. Coordinator: Liangliang Yang
Harvesting Robotics for Fruits and Vegetables Using Multi-AI Sensors Liangliang Yang
With Kanya Usu, the hub covered perception and manipulation for high-value crops, along with vehicle robotics and autonomous field navigation.
China
Jilin University. Coordinator: Bingkun Yuan
Advanced Mobility and Chassis Technologies for Field Robotics Bingkun Yuan
With Fan Zhang, the hub addressed autonomous navigation for agricultural machinery and off-road mobility across desert, rock, mud and snow.
Malaysia
Universiti Putra Malaysia. Coordinator: Mahirah Jahari
Nur Azuan Husin and Nur Atirah Muhadi presented the assessment of Ganoderma basal stem rot in oil palm, from ground sensing to aerial and LiDAR observation. Postgraduate students joined through the hub.
India
Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, Symbiosis International University. Coordinator: Rajanikanth Aluvalu
Cloud Robotics: Enabling Intelligent, Connected, and Scalable Robotic Systems Rakesh Kumar Sidharthan, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore
Industrial Automation Using Internet of Things Mohamed Saleem, Bangalore Technological Institute
The 90-minute local program (09:30–11:00 IST) closed with an interactive Q&A with both speakers.
AgRA TC sessions
An information session on committee activities, followed by an open Q&A for participants from all hubs.
Nigeria
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), and University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). Coordinator: Gloria Ashiegbu
Frugal Autonomy and Inclusive Sensing: Adapting Agricultural Robotics for African Smallholder Farming Systems Gloria Ashiegbu, MOUAU
Adapting Agricultural Robotics for African Smallholder Farming Olufemi M. Adesope, UNIPORT
Five students from each university also gave short presentations. Active discussion of local engineering, training needs and adoption pathways made the session both a technical forum and a regional capacity-building activity.
Key takeaways
- Sensing. Vision, RF, pH–NPK probes, and UAV and ground observation.
- Mobility. Chassis design, navigation and robust operation in unstructured fields.
- Autonomy. Perception–planning–control loops and robot decision-making.
- Societal value. Smallholder relevance, youth and gender engagement, local innovation hubs.
The relay format gave communities that are less often represented at international robotics forums a full hour on the main stage, alongside established research groups.
Next steps
- 1–3 monthsShare and connect. Publish this report and invite speakers and hub coordinators to the AgRA TC mailing list.
- 3–6 monthsLearn and collaborate. Cross-region webinars on phenotyping, soil sensing, field mobility and smallholder robotics, with student lightning talks.
- 6–12 monthsScale and sustain. Repeat Local Hub activities, joint workshops, and co-sponsored events with IEEE VTS and regional RAS chapters.
Success will be measured by sustained participation and new partnerships, not by event size alone.
Acknowledgments
AgRA TC thanks the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and its Technical Activities Board for supporting the Distributed Online Technical Activities initiative.
Hugo RodrigueVice President, Technical Activities
Patrick HannaSociety Administrator
Jasmine ParkTAB AssistantThanks also go to hub coordinators Daobilige Su, Guoyu Lu, Liangliang Yang, Bingkun Yuan, Mahirah Jahari, Rajanikanth Aluvalu and Gloria Ashiegbu, and to all speakers, student presenters and IEEE chapters.
About AgRA TC
The IEEE RAS Technical Committee on Agricultural Robotics and Automation brings together researchers, educators and practitioners working on robotics and automation for agriculture, and organizes technical activities, workshops and special sessions within the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.
Learn about upcoming activities at ieeeagra.com.