Extracurricular Activities Targeted towards Increasing the Number of Engineers Working in the Field of Precision Agriculture

Abstract

SERVICE ROBOTS in precision agriculture have the potential to ensure a more competitive and sustainable production, but the lack of skilled engineers within this area is limiting the industry’s ability to develop new and innovative agricultural technology products. Part of the reason is that engineers and scientists have little knowledge about agricultural technology, and they therefore choose to work in other domains. It is hypothesised that introducing engineering students to precision agriculture through practical work with small-scale service robots will increase their interest in agriculture and agricultural technology.<br/>This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary extracurricular activity for first year engineering students carried out in the Fall 2012 at the University of Southern Denmark. The case was based on practical group-work centered around an agricultural mobile robot. The activity was called Practical experience from day one and its primary objective was to improve the participants’ practical experience and give them a broader view of technology applied in agriculture.<br/>Based on evaluation of the activities it is concluded that working with a small-scale service robot has increased the participants’ practical experience and given them a broader view of technology applied in agriculture. Subsequently, the students have shown an increased interest in and awareness of the possibilities in agricultural technology in relation to their own area of expertise, and some of them have on their own initiative engaged in subsequent educational activities within precision agriculture.