Revolutionising the farming sector with 5G robotics
Following the successful Tay5G ‘5G Future Farming: Robotics’ project testing 5G integrated robotics; a workshop was recently held at The James Hutton Institute’s Invergowrie campus for stakeholders, demonstrating autosurvey and monitoring activity by The National Robotarium’s dog robot, SPOT.
The project was featured on BBC Scotland’s flagship agriculture programme, Landward.
James Hutton Scientific Services (previously, James Hutton Ltd) the commercial arm of the Hutton was awarded funding from the Scottish Government for the project. This was on top of funding the previous year for the preceding project which led on to this one as part of the Tay Cities Region Deal (TCRD).
The TCRD has also funded two innovation centres – the Advanced Plant Growth Centre and the International Barley Hub at the Hutton’s Invergowrie campus as part of investment by the UK and Scottish Governments.
SPOT, the robot dog, at The James Hutton Institute
The project successfully tested three robots on 5G and proved that the new technology can be integrated onto existing platforms, and the same principle can be replicated on different platforms. It has provided 3 new use-cases for robots: 3D image collection for phenotyping of breeding trial plots using LiDAR, On-land ploughing with AgXeed 5.115.T2 machine and connecting first Boston Dynamics SPOT robot to N77 band 5G private network.
These trials demonstrated how 5G can be integrated with existing robotic systems, allowing real-time data collection, seamless control, and increased operational precision.
The project was supported by Soil Essentials and The National Robotarium, located on Heriot Watt University’s Edinburgh campus. They integrated robotic platforms with 5G capabilities at the Hutton’s Mylnefield Farm for complex, repeatable tasks. Such collaborative work is instrumental in fostering innovation, facilitating knowledge exchange and contributing to a vibrant community within the Hutton.
The Scotland 5G Centre played a pivotal role in establishing and engineering the private 5G infrastructure, cellular equipment (CPEs) and enabling low-latency communication for autonomous vehicle control and data streaming. This was instrumental, not just in deploying 5G technology but in unlocking new use cases for agritech innovation. By providing connectivity advisory, technical integration, and infrastructure design, S5GC ensured that the project could meet commercial-scale performance benchmarks and positions James Hutton, and Scotland, as a leader in smart farming.
Project Lead, Andrew Christie of The James Hutton Institute said:
“Agricultural robots are now appearing on the market, but we need successful use cases to provide farmers with the confidence in their ability to perform in challenging field conditions and evidence to justify the cost. This project was also able to evaluate the enhanced capability for robotics offered by 5G.”
Robots, like tractors in the past, have the potential to address some of the challenges currently facing the agriculture sector, such as labour shortages, fluctuating prices and the need for climate adaptation, all while maintaining business viability. As an evolution of precision farming practices and in the correct setting they improve efficiency by reducing labour and inputs while minimising negative environmental impacts through a data-driven approach.
Agricultural robots can be utilised within a system incorporating old and new equipment to assist human effort rather than replace it.
Ruth Plant, Project Manager at The National Robotarium, said:
“We’re pleased to partner with The James Hutton Institute on testing the efficacy of 5G-empowered robots for the agriculture sector. If successful, farmers could utilise these cutting-edge technologies to gather and analyse acres of crop data at once, identifying issues and improving yield in a fraction of the time it currently takes. Working with industry experts allows us to trial robotics systems in real-life test cases, ensuring effective and practical solutions are developed collaboratively for the benefit of UK farming.”
The Hutton is at the cutting-edge of science, offering world-class research, technical expertise and scientific solutions across a broad range of scientific fields, including agriculture, environment and food security. It is committed to fostering innovation in both public and private sectors, advancing knowledge and driving impactful solutions for a sustainable future.
In this real-world use case for robotics in research applications and agricultural settings, the robotic platforms provided a multifunctional base for a host of sensors and cameras for objective measurements to be taken, a valuable resource for crop breeding programmes.
High data transfer rates allowed real time streaming of the data, reducing the need for manually uploading, as well as allowing a much larger volume of information to be collected.
By adding the 5G data capability to SPOT and the other two robots involved, the AgXeed 5.115.T2 and the (former) Small Robot Company’s TomV4, the project was able to study the feasibility for the use of these robots as precision research tools, capable of capturing and visualising field effects and conditions at a greater level of precision and to a higher resolution than could be possible through manual techniques or observation. The value of this data collection is in its potential as a precision tool for researchers and plant breeders. Combining this with high-powered computing clusters, machine learning, image recognition and AI analytical models provides as an opportunity to harness big data for future breakthroughs in both fundamental and applied science.
Collaboration and Innovation
A partnership between Scotland's leading technology and agricultural research institutions is developing 5G-connected robotics applications that enable farmers to implement precision agriculture techniques while addressing rural connectivity challenges.
The collaboration between The National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University, James Hutton Institute, The Scotland 5G Centre, Boston Dynamics, and Freshwave is advancing robotic systems that can perform precision farming tasks - including crop health monitoring, targeted fertiliser application, and soil condition assessment - through portable 5G private networks.
Critical Challenges for modern agriculture
The technology addresses critical challenges facing modern agriculture, such as rising input costs, labour shortages, environmental regulations, and the need to increase food production while reducing environmental impact. Traditional farming approaches often involve uniform treatment across entire fields, but 5G-connected robotics enable plant-by-plant precision, applying resources only where needed.
The robotic systems use high-speed 5G connections to communicate with other robotic devices securely in real time as well as transmit detailed information about crops, soil conditions, and growing environments, enabling farmers to make informed decisions based on current field conditions.
We've successfully shown that portable 5G networks can provide the connectivity needed for real-time robotic operations in agricultural settings. The integration of these technologies creates opportunities for precision farming that weren't previously possible in areas with limited connectivity.
Key breakthrough - rural connectivity
A key breakthrough has been addressing connectivity limitations in rural areas. Agricultural operations requiring data-intensive robotic applications often face inadequate mobile network coverage and bandwidth constraints. The partnership has worked with portable 5G private networks that can be rapidly deployed on farms, providing the high-speed, low-latency connectivity essential for real-time robotic operations.
The robotic systems can stream high-definition video, generate detailed field mapping and, with under-development visual recognition systems, identify issues such as disease, pest infestations, or water stress significantly earlier than traditional monitoring methods. Applications that previously required expensive specialised equipment, technical expertise, and optimal weather conditions can now be implemented more efficiently and cost-effectively.
With global food production required to increase by more than 50% by 2050 while reducing environmental impact, advanced agricultural technologies are becoming essential. The agricultural sector, which contributes £2.2 billion to Scotland’s economy, is positioned to lead development of practical precision farming solutions that address real-world operational challenges.
The National Robotarium
Following a demonstration of the 5G-connected robotics technologies at The National Robotarium, Ruth Plant, Project Manager, said:
“What's exciting about this project is seeing the technology develop from initial concept to working demonstration. We've successfully shown that portable 5G networks can provide the connectivity needed for real-time robotic operations in agricultural settings. The integration of these technologies creates opportunities for precision farming that weren't previously possible in areas with limited connectivity.
“This partnership demonstrates exactly what the National Robotarium was designed to achieve - bringing together leading academic research, innovative companies, and industry expertise to develop practical solutions to real-world challenges. Our facility provides the collaborative environment where these breakthrough technologies can be developed, tested, and demonstrated to the partners and stakeholders who can help bring them to market.”
The James Hutton Institute
Andrew Christie, agritech specialist at The James Hutton Institute, said:
“As an evolution of precision farming technology being used in modern agriculture, robotics are a next step in the progression towards data driven farming practices, but a barrier to uptake has been the speed and reliability for real time communication and a need for manual intervention for data processing.
“With the integration of 5G private networks in robotics we can address these issues enabling high volumes of data to be transmitted at low latency and allowing us to use our current equipment more effectively, whilst also enabling future progress in swarm robotics, real-time sensors for digital twinning and active data processing through cloud computing.
“The use of remotely deployable 5G private networks as showcased at The National Robotarium and The James Hutton Institute provides relevance to all rural settings, and agricultural businesses regardless of farm type.”
Scotland 5G Centre
Ian Sharp, Head of Delivery at the Scotland 5G Centre, said:
“The Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) is focussed on enabling Scotland to unlock the benefits of advanced wireless connectivity, so we are very pleased to play an active role in this partnership.
“The collaboration highlights clearly how advanced wireless communications (5G) can enable new and exciting applications of robotics in an agricultural setting. It’s easy to see from the project how the 5G connected robotics can provide new opportunities to increase productivity and reduce costs.
“It’s also important to note that the partnership itself highlights the collaborative nature and strength of Scotland’s innovation ecosystem, particularly in working closely with industry partners.
“We were able to seed this project through use of funding from our Innovate UK Technology Mission Fund Programme. The IUK Programme ended in March 2025 and enabled a number of other 5G related projects, some of which continued the theme of addressing rural connectivity through the use of mobile 5G test networks deployed in harsh outdoor conditions.”
Freshwave
Tom Bennett, Chief Technology Officer at Freshwave, said:
“We’re proud to be enabling next-generation connectivity at the cutting edge of agritech research. Reliable, portable private 5G is unlocking new possibilities for robotics and automation, and we’re excited to support the National Robotarium as they help shape the future of sustainable agriculture alongside their partners and customers.”