Promoting technological innovation in support of farming is the goal of a new project developed by the ROSETEA laboratory at the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano (DEIB), with the support of Fondazione LGH E.T.S.

Thanks to the Foundation’s financial contribution and the expertise developed within the Master’s Degree Program in Agricultural Engineering, the project aims to create an autonomous robot for barn feeding, specifically designed to meet the needs of small and medium-sized livestock farms in the region.

Current market solutions present a number of limitations. These machines typically move only on flat, obstacle-free surfaces and follow fixed, pre-programmed paths. Their autonomy is limited—generally around one hour—and they are often only capable of operating in one or two barns.

More advanced robots, which can serve multiple barns, usually require costly infrastructure such as dedicated pathways or underground tracks, and they are often unable to detect and avoid obstacles along the route. As a result, these systems are often unsuited to the real-world conditions of smaller agricultural operations.
The new robot designed by DEIB aims to overcome these challenges. It will be capable of operating for more than an hour on a single charge, making it possible to serve multiple barns without interruption. The robot will be able to navigate autonomously between buildings without the need for flat surfaces or physical guide lines, and it will be equipped with smart obstacle detection and avoidance capabilities.

Its structure will be based on a commercially available tracked platform, enhanced with advanced sensors and a mechanical shovel specifically designed to perform automated forage distribution efficiently.

In the initial phase of the project, efforts have focused on developing the control software for robot movement, designing the autonomous navigation system, and engineering the mechanical shovel.

The ultimate goal is to deliver a practical, accessible technological solution that can be easily adopted by local farmers, helping to make agriculture more sustainable, efficient, and tailored to the needs of the territory.