**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ROBOTICS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES ARE TRANSFORMING FARMS AND THE NATURE OF FARMWORKERS' TASKS. AS WE EMBRACE INNOVATION, WE MUST ENSURE THAT OUR PROGRESS DOES NOT INADVERTENTLY JEOPARDIZE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF FARMWORKERS. CURRENTLY, OVER 500 AUTONOMOUS MACHINES ARE IN USE, COVERING MORE THAN 1 MILLION ACRES OF FARMLAND ACROSS 40 COUNTRIES. GIVEN THE RAPID PACE OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT AND THE ONGOING NEED FOR SUCH INITIATIVES, EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE FARMWORKER SAFETY AND HEALTH IN THE ERA OF AUTONOMOUS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-BASED TECHNOLOGY. THERE IS A REGULATORY, SOCIAL WORK, AND RESEARCH GAP IN ADOPTING AI AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURE AND ENSURING FARMWORKERS' SAFETY AND HEALTH. THE FIRST STEP IN ADDRESSING THIS GAP IS TO GATHER AGRICULTURAL SAFETY AND HEALTH EXPERTS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, FARM WORKERS, AND INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS THEIR CONCERNS, NEEDS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. IN 2022, A NATIONAL EFFORT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE SAFETY FOR EMERGING ROBOTICS AND AUTONOMOUS AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN. THIS WORKSHOP WILL BUILD ON THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST WORKSHOP AND FOCUS ON FOUR KEY GAPS IDENTIFIED: HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION RESEARCH, RISK MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES & LIABILITY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING, AND STANDARD DESIGN GUIDELINES & IMPLEMENTATION. THIS WORKSHOP WILL COVER MULTIPLE PRIORITIES FOR THE ENGINEERING FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING PRIORITY (A1521) WITHIN THE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AREA, INCLUDING RISK ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION, AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO ADOPTION. EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE DEVELOPING A NATIONAL RESEARCH & OUTREACH AGENDA TO ADDRESS AGRICULTURAL SAFETY IN THE AGE OF AUTONOMY.

University Of Illinois

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