In this digging deep episode Kit unearths the history and ethos behind the hands free hectare. Ray explains how the research work of Professor Simon Blackmore inspired the founders of Small Robot Company to get started. The co-hosts discuss some of the huge opportunities that autonomy can offer soil heath, input precision, energy consumption, economics and time and how self driving farm machinery could be the silver bullet for some of farming's biggest challenges.

Link to HFHa autonomous farming paper https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351914854_Economics_of_autonomous_equipment_for_arable_farms

Link to IAgrE Robotics SIG - A tribute to Professor Simon Blackmore - His Lasting Legacy

https://youtu.be/ZKVwaIzlOQg?si=kP3lyrEKYcNUYPZa

Link to BS 8646:2023 Use of autonomous mobile machinery in agriculture and horticulture. Code of practice https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2022-00272#/section

Link to Hands Free Farm website https://www.handsfree.farm/

Link to Sabanto Ag autonomous farming company https://sabantoag.com/

Link to FarmDroid https://farmdroid.com/