Group 6 – Flockonomics

Goal:

Study the use of robotic shepherd dogs in managing sheep flocks, focusing on their practical applications, limitations, and ethical implications.

Preparation in Advance:

• Some materials on ethics: Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations
• Some materials on economics: BBC Sheepdog Sells for £27k
• Some materials on enterprise: ProjectBlue 2024 Industry Benchmarking Report

Activities:

Primary Activity:

Ethics - Perform an ethical and regulatory assessment on: (i) animal welfare in relation to robotic shepherds, (ii) compliance with farming and animal treatment laws, and (iii) potential new regulatory needs for robotic interventions

Secondary Activity:

Economics - Conduct a market study to understand current applications of robotic animals in agriculture, with a particular focus around shepherding.

Stretch Activity:

Enterprise - Conduct interviews and collect information with key stakeholders such as farmers (potential users and traditional shepherds), veterinary professionals (for animal stress and welfare insights), animal rights groups (for ethical considerations on robot-animal interactions).

Outcomes:

This group will aim to deliver three explicit reports, a Market Study Report on robotic shepherd usage, a Stakeholder Interview Report with farmers, vets, and animal rights experts, and an Ethical and Regulatory Impact Report identifying risks and recommendations. These outcomes will be targeted towards relevant publication in agri-tech journals and animal welfare conferences.

Future Engagement:

Further to the week, opportunity will be available for engaging with animal welfare bodies in discussion on direction of this research domain and the necessary regulatory and ethical considerations. Members will also have opportunity to develop educational materials for farmers on potential and responsible use of robotic shepherds.