Neutral host infrastructure company Freshwave provided a portable private 5G network to enable a university-based robotics centre to assess potential agricultural use cases and tap an agritech market forecast to generate around £15.6 billion in revenue by 2026.

The National Robotarium, based at Heriot-Watt University’s campus in the UK city of Edinburgh, is initially testing the potential of Freshwave’s private 5G network to provide live video content, conduct 3D mapping and assess the environment using infrared.

A Boston Dynamics quadruped named Spot is being used to collect real-time data which the National Robotarium stated would be used to “improve agricultural productivity and sustainability”.

The robotics centre believes portable private 5G networks could revolutionise the agritech sector, pointing to the revenue forecast provided by research organisation The Data City as evidence of the potential value to be reaped.

Alongside this are broader connectivity benefits for remote and rural areas, which it noted could contribute towards precision agricultural tasks including crop monitoring and equipment adjustments.

National Robotarium COO Steve Maclaren said robots could have the same revolutionary impact on agriculture as equipment including tractors had, provided they have the “right networks to power this data-driven approach”.

He predicted a future in which multiple robots would handle jobs including weeding, pesticide distribution and analysing nutrient levels, though added people would remain a key element.