Autonomous Tractors in the UK: The Software Behind the Hands‑Free Farm Project
A Proven Partnership in Autonomy
The Roto-Fence Project, supported and funded by Innovate UK, builds on a strong history of collaboration between Farmscan AG and Harper Adams University in advancing autonomous agricultural technology, now expanded to include Kidd Farm Machinery as a new partner. Harper Adams University led the original Hands-Free Hectare project, the world’s first autonomous cropping trial, which gained global recognition for its innovation. Farmscan AG later joined the follow-up Hands-Free Farm project to help scale the concept to full-farm operations, building on the success of the original and paving the way for practical, commercial applications. The Roto-Fence Project leverages this legacy of innovation and cross-industry collaboration to push further the boundaries of fully autonomous farm machinery and practices.
L-R John Harvey, Chris Gordon, Callum Chalmers, Victoria Cooper, Kit Franklin & Mike Gutteridge.
Making Rotational Grazing Practical
As regenerative farming practices gain momentum, rotational grazing has emerged as a critical method for improving soil health and pasture productivity. However, subdividing paddocks and installing fencing is labour-intensive and often cost-prohibitive.
“Rather than leaving livestock on the same land, rotational grazing encourages farmers to move animals across smaller paddocks,” Kit Franklin, Principal Investigator at Harper Adams, explains. “It’s great in principle, but in practice, it means a lot more fencing…and anything we can do to make it easier for farmers to erect fences is going to make the move to regenerative farming practices easier.”
The Roto-Fence project was developed to reduce the burden of fencing by enabling an autonomous system to accurately install posts based on a farmer’s plan. By inputting key parameters, such as fence line layout and post spacing, farmers can let the system carry out the physical work precisely, saving time and labour and reducing physical strain.
A Fully Autonomous Fencing System
Farmscan AG led the development of the technology powering Roto-Fence. “We’re the company behind the intelligence on the tractor and the fence post planter,” said Farmscan AG Director Callum Chalmers. “What we didn’t want to do was take something that was designed to be operated manually and just try to automate it. Instead, we built the system from the ground up to work autonomously.”
The result is a tightly integrated guidance and control system that allows a tractor to drive along a pre-planned route and automatically operate the post-driver with centimetre-level accuracy. “We put a lot of effort into designing the protocols and procedures so everything could work together seamlessly, and make sense from a user’s perspective,” Chalmers added.
With Farmscan AG’s onboard route planner, users can digitally mark fence lines and post intervals. The autonomous tractor follows the plan, stops at each point, and precisely places posts accurately enough to revisit the exact locations later and repeat the process within 2 cm.
Engineering a New Kind of Post Driver
While Farmscan AG developed the software and control systems, Kidd Farm Machinery re-engineered one of its existing post-driver units to make it suitable for autonomous operation.
“We started with our 340 model post driver,” said Kidd engineer and project lead Chris Gordon. “We moved the pivot on the mast lower to allow for more precise placement of posts, added various sensors around the rams as well as angle sensors to allow Farmscan AG to calculate the exact position of the post in real-time.”
Chris explained they faced the challenge of getting the geometry accurate enough and ensuring the hydraulics worked in sync with the guidance system. “It took plenty of fabrication, but the end result is a lighter, more precise machine that fits perfectly with the autonomous setup.”
Repeatability, Efficiency, and Safety
At the live demonstration, the Roto-Fence system performed exactly as intended, autonomously placing post after post with impressive consistency.
“The tractor drove between each point, lowered the post driver, and accurately positioned each post,” said Chalmers. “We could come back a week later and place a post in the exact same spot. That kind of repeatability builds real confidence in the system.”
Kidd Farm Machinery’s Managing Director, John Harvey, was equally impressed with the system’s safety. “You don’t want to be anywhere near a traditional post driver…everyone in the post driver industry knows how dangerous it is,” he said.
With this system, you walk away once the post is loaded, and the post driver works automatically. In testing, the system achieved a pace of up to eight posts in five minutes. This reduces the labour required and transforms fencing into a safer, single-person task.
Scalable, International Potential
The project, delivered in just 12 months with the support of Innovate UK, showcases what’s possible when software, hardware, and engineering expertise align. The system was designed with scalability in mind, meaning it can be retrofitted to other machines and adapted for broader use.
Interest is already growing from outside the UK. “My background is in Australia,” Chalmers said. “There’s huge potential in rural areas like Queensland, where fencing distances are massive and labour is limited. A solution like this could make a big difference.”
With strong collaboration, real-world success, and international appeal, the Roto-Fence project represents agriculture’s next generation of practical autonomy.
