THE role of robotics in agriculture and its potential to shape sustainable farming futures were showcased to 18 Grade 12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics students from Reedley International School (Reedley), accompanied by their teachers, during a tour at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on Jan. 28. The field trip, which added a play-to-learn dimension, intended to expose young learners to cutting-edge agricultural technologies, sparking their curiosity and engagement.
One highlight was the visit to the SEARCA Hub for Agricultural and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation AgriMuseum. According to program specialist Darlyn Angeles at SEARCA's Emerging Innovation for Growth Department, the museum aims to "ignite young people's passion for agriculture and rural development, showing that farming is not just about tradition but also about innovation and entrepreneurship."
Three innovations showed how robotics and automation can address pressing agricultural challenges, from labor shortages to environmental monitoring. Agrotis, developed by professors and alumni from the University of Santo Tomas, is a GPS-based navigation system that automates agricultural tractors.
Roamer (Robot for Optimized and Autonomous Mission-Enhancement Responses), a prototype autonomous unmanned ground vehicle from the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute tracks, surveys and maps banana farms. The device Project Blue (Breaking Limits for Underwater Exploration), created by students of Dr. Yanga's Colleges in Bulacan, detects harmful algal blooms in rivers, helping prevent red tides.
Reedley is a private, nonsectarian, nontraditional and co-educational school in Pasig City that combines progressive and traditional learning approaches. Engaging in hands-on learning, its students used VEX robotics kits to experiment with building and programming robots for agricultural tasks. They regarded the trip as a window into how they might one day contribute to feeding the region while protecting its natural resources.
As SEARCA continues to open its doors to young learners, Director Mercedita Sombilla said that the center reinforces the message that agriculture is not a dying industry but a dynamic, technology-driven field ripe with opportunities for innovation and impact.