The Farm Robotics Challenge, a student competition in which teams work with growers to design, build and field-test robotic and artificial intelligence solutions to farm problems, has launched its 2027 season with three divisions and a new pathway for teams that want to start a company.

The challenge is organised by UC ANR Innovate, part of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, which is funded by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The 2026 edition drew nearly 100 teams from 13 countries.

Division I is for university students, Division II for two-year colleges and trade schools, and Division III opens nationwide to middle and high school teams after a California-only start in 2026. The California AgTech Alliance is providing more than $50,000 in championship awards, including $25,000 for the top Division I team. More than $200,000 in prizes and startup support is on offer in total.

Under the new Startup pathway, investor Reservoir will run company-building webinars from January to April, and selected finalists will pitch at Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, where Reservoir will pick a grand prize winner for a $100,000 SAFE investment, subject to due diligence. "Students in this competition are already engineers; what they may not realize yet is that they can be founders," said Nicola Kerslake of Reservoir VC.

Bonsai Robotics will sponsor Amiga Innovation Awards of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 across the divisions for inventive use of its Amiga robotic platform, offer the robots at educational pricing, and donate a $25,000 Amiga Flex if the startup winner builds on it.

"The Farm Robotics Challenge gives students an opportunity to work directly with growers and apply their technical skills to problems that matter," said Helle Petersen, director of UC ANR Innovate. Teams must register with project proposals by 13 November; final reports are due on 2 May 2027. The release came from UC ANR.

Photo: ENERGY.GOV, Simon Edelman / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Source: Morning Ag Clips