July 2024 - 18

TECHNOLOGY
Photos from 2023 FIRA courtesy of FIRA and FGN.
FIRA preview
Tree fruit tech options abound at FIRA-USA ag robotics
northern California conference
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ASSISTANT EDITOR
T
he third iteration of the
International Forum of
Agricultural Robotics, known as
FIRA-USA, plans to offer growers of
tree fruit, grapes, berries, vegetables
and nuts a view of the state of specialty
crop robotics and automation.
Scheduled for Oct. 22-24 in
Woodland, California, 11 miles
from the Sacramento International
Airport, FIRA USA is set to provide
growers and other industry
personnel the opportunity to view
new agricultural technology in action
in the global ag robotics sector.
The core focus of the conference is
to afford growers the opportunity to
network, exchange feedback and to
learn more about existing solutions
through grower roundtables
on specific crops sponsored by
commodity boards, said Gwendoline
Legrand, co-director for show
sponsor FIRA and GOFAR (Global
Organization for Agricultural Robotics).
" The end-users are the key. You
can not develop disruptive solutions
18 | JULY 2024
without having them in the loop, "
Legrand said. " They need to share
their vision, they need to touch, to
test, to say 'No, I want this that way'
and finally, get the exact systems
that work for them. The growers'
needs is where everything started
for FIRA. We are not showcasing and
presenting robots and autonomous
solutions as an end by themselves.
Those machines need to represent
a proper solution to specific needs,
as diverse as the farmers are. The
manufacturers understand that, and
are very often building the solutions
together with the growers, directly
operating in the fields. "
Free grower admission
This year growers will receive free
admission, a longtime World FIRA
Europe policy that allows even more
industry stakeholders and small
to large-scale growers to leave the
event with more autonomous and
robotics technology information and
vision, Legrand said.
To address the tree fruit industry's
automation needs, the Washington
Tree Fruit Research Commission
and the California Almond Board are
signed up as new sponsors.
Both organizations have long been
part of FIRA USA support, promoting
the event to their communities
and visiting the show. This year,
however, will be the first year the
grower organizations decided to
sponsor the event, to highlight the
problems faced by tree fruit and nut
growers, and to help them discover
stand-alone solutions already on the
market, Legrand said.
The sponsorships also prompt
interest from other commodity
boards and research institutes and
motivate them to organize specific
programs for their growers, she said.
As previous FIRAs explored
many topics relating to ag robotics,
organizers want this year's
education component to be as
relevant as possible for growers,
and include sessions designed to
discuss issues growers are facing
and existing autonomous solutions
for individual crops.
Commodity group and research
involvement are critical. Panelists
July 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2024
