The hot stink of fox? I doubt it.
'Do robots smell, boss?'
I don't know, Voice. But they might get hot.
Anyway ...
WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS ALL ABOUT?!
Anyway ...
Fox Robotics Ltd, in collaboration with the University of Surrey and the Agri-EPI Centre, along with three prominent farms - MA & MP Stockwell Barnsmuir Farm in Scotland, Lutton Farm in Peterborough, and Secretts Farm in Surrey - has been awarded a grant of £998,639 for their ground-breaking FLEXBOT project, from DEFRA and Innovate UK.
£998,639 ... ??? That's a strange number, ain't it?
'What's strange about it?'
Well ... what's wrong with £999,000? Or the cool million?
Never mind.
Revolutionising Agriculture with FLEXBOT.
Yeah, yeah.
Listen! I like real foxes, man. I got real ones in my garden, and I trust them. They come out at night. I don't want fucking robots in my garden, you dig? Not while I'm sleeping.
The FLEXBOT project is funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs ('Defra') through the Farming Futures Automation and Robotics Competition. The Farming Innovation Programme work in partnership with Innovate UK, who are delivering the programme, and aims to benefit from the significant experience of Agri-EPI Centre in coordinating and enhancing agricultural technology practices and helping farmers, integrating the significant robot vision & AI capabilities of the University of Surrey, to enhance Fox Robotics Ltd.'s cutting-edge technology, with a particular focus on refining the navigation capabilities of their autonomous all-terrain robot, Hugo RTTM.
Hugo the fox?
Whatever!
Hugo RT™ was designed with horticulture farms in mind, with all-terrain capabilities and autonomous navigation, providing invaluable support to farmers in their day-to-day operations, but has applications in husbandry, fruit, flowers and other agricultural contexts. Hugo RTTM's versatility spans various tasks, from off-season work like mowing grass, transporting soil, and handling delicate seedlings to the demanding in-season tasks of transporting harvested produce. The unique feature of Hugo RTTM lies in its ability to perform these tasks without the need for human intervention, thus optimising efficiency and productivity in agriculture.
What?! I mean -
'Oh, this is crazy! Go to the voices, boss.'
Well, we've got five of them, Voice.
'Five?! Yippee!'
Yeah, yeah.
Fox's Chairman, Christian Gordon-Pullar says:
Ha! He reckons he's the chairman of the fox. The boss of the fox! Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?
"We are delighted to be able to participate in the FLEXBOT project and to help steer and lead such an illustrious group of collaborators on this exciting journey and very grateful to be selected for this Grant in light of the excellent competition. The aim of this collaboration is to enhance technology that aims to simplify the adoption of robotics in agriculture by mitigating the complexities associated with advanced technology manipulation and will empower farmers to harness the benefits of robotics without the need for extensive technical expertise."
Foxes don't have bosses. Just saying.
Anyway ...
Gary Livingstone, CEO of the fox, says:
Unbelievable!
"We are delighted to be have received the Grant from DEFRA and INNOVATE UK. It is envisioned that this initiative will not only encourage an ecosystem of add-on suppliers but also lay the groundwork for collaborative efforts that employ mobile COBOT platforms, thus propelling the traditionally fragmented Agri-Tech industry towards standardisation."
Yeah, yeah.
Henry Acevedo, Founder and CTO of the fox, says:
"The FLEXBOT project represents a -'
NO - !!!
I've had enough of these guys. Seriously.
'Go to Ted, boss.'
No, Voice. No more voices.
'Ted is all right.'
Is he?
Okay.
Ted? Come on, son!
Ted, big fan of real foxes, says:
"With a sudden sharp hot stink of fox, it enters the dark hole of the head."
Er ...
Well, okay.
Er ...
Is there anything you want to add, Ted?
Ted?
'He's gone.'
Well, fine.
'At least we got a hot, smelly fox to finish with, boss. That's something.'
Yeah, I suppose.
ENDS
ENDS
ENDS
