Sheffield students aim for national success

A team of University of Sheffield students are aiming for national success with a smart farming invention.

The six-strong TerraSwarm team has developed TerraBot, a robot designed to combat soil compaction, a widespread issue affecting UK farmland. 

Using sensors, TerraBot drives a spike in and out of the soil at 10cm intervals, gently loosening compacted earth to help roots and soil life recover. 

Each unit is built with durable, eco-friendly materials and costs just £500, making it an affordable solution for farmers. 

The team, made up of engineering, computer science and robotics students Ziad Ramadan, Gregor Batley, Toby Scally, Lewie Fleming, Hubo Zhu and Ian Cheng, estimates the technology could save up to four million hectares of farmland.

Gregor said: “Guided by a secure app, TerraBots move precisely and work together as a swarm, delivering even coverage across multiple acres in one day. 

“Compared with traditional tractor aeration, TerraSwarm is gentler, scalable and cost-effective – boosting root growth, improving yields and moving towards an energy-efficient, sustainable farming future.

“TerraSwarm’s small robots aerate precisely between crop rows, protecting plants, improving root development and reducing fuel use. 

“The result is healthier soils, more resilient harvests, and a big step towards an energy-efficient and sustainable future for UK farming.”

TerraSwarm first gained recognition after winning a prize in the University of Sheffield’s Engineering You’re Hired enterprise competition. 

Their success now takes them to the ESBF Champion of Champions Competition, where they will compete against nine other UK teams for a share of the £17,000 prize pot at the Royal Academy of Engineering on November 7.

Winners will also receive mentoring from business leaders in the Sainsbury Management Fellows network, plus CV packages from PurpleCV and entrepreneurial books from sponsors.

The competition, sponsored by the Education and Skills Funding Body (ESBF), highlights innovative student ideas with real-world impact, giving young engineers the chance to develop products that benefit society and the environment.

Gregor added: “Participating in the Champion of Champions Competition is a great opportunity to meet people with different expertise and learn from them. 

“By exchanging ideas across different backgrounds, not only can we improve our individual skills, but also help create ideas that can benefit society.

“Great ideas don’t sell themselves. 

“You can have a brilliant idea, but if it's communicated in an overly technical, monotone way, people won’t use it. 

“Communication, clear story, strong visuals and confident delivery is the bridge from concept to adoption.”

Raja Toqeer, senior university teacher for computing, control and electrical engineering at the University of Sheffield, added: “We are proud to see our Sheffield students showcasing their innovation on a national stage. 

“The TerraSwarm project is a brilliant example of how engineering creativity can tackle real-world challenges and make a lasting impact on society.”

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