Kyle-James Keen

Kyle-James Keen is the chief operating officer at Autopickr, an agricultural robotics company revolutionizing automation for small growers. With over a decade of experience in robotics and design, Keen leads operations, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, empowering teams to deliver innovative solutions. He previously served as development manager and systems engineer at Autopickr and ST Robotics, specializing in navigation systems, ethical design practices and operational rollouts. A graduate of the University of Brighton, Keen holds an MA in applied critical and cultural theory of design and a BA in product design. He is passionate about driving accessible innovation in agriculture.

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Presentation

The (necessary) rise of the robot farmers

Automation is vital for agriculture, yet smaller growers struggle to compete as large-scale farms adopt advanced technologies. Autopickr is transforming this landscape with Robotics as a Service (RaaS), offering affordable, flexible access to cutting-edge robotics for hand-picked crops like asparagus. Inspired by historical threshing machine rentals, Autopickr revives this model, enabling small growers to optimize harvesting without the burden of ownership costs. This presentation explores how RaaS empowers growers of all sizes, strengthens the food supply chain and ensures a sustainable future for agriculture by bridging the gap between innovation and accessibility.