ACADEMY PRIZES & AWARDS
Academy teams compete in the Farm Robotics Challenge’s middle and high school division (grades 7–12). Their projects are evaluated by judges, and top-performing teams are celebrated and recognized at the Farm Robotics Challenge Awards Ceremony.
AMIGA INNOVATION AWARD
$1,000
Sponsored by:
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The Amiga Innovation Award honors the teams who demonstrate exceptional innovation using the Amiga platform to solve significant challenges in agricultural operations.
Winning entries should showcase unique applications, technical excellence, and measurable impact using Amiga’s features (like automation, attachments, or software). Solutions should demonstrate clear practical benefits and potential for wider adoption.
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$1,000 cash prize for the Academy team
Cash prizes are funded through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Sponsor contributions have been transferred to UC ANR, which will distribute awards directly.
Prizes will be issued as checks made payable to the winning institution (or its representative foundation) and sent to the team’s teacher or staff advisor. Awards are provided in the form of a gift, giving teacher/staff advisors flexibility in how the funds are used to support their teams.
Payment Process:
The winning team must submit required information to UC ANR (including a W-9 form for U.S. participants or W-8BEN for international participants, along with contact details).
The Farm Robotics Challenge (FRC) Director will guide each winning team through this process to ensure timely distribution.
Once paperwork is submitted, please allow up to two months for the check to be received by the designated team contact.
EXCELLENCE IN SPECIALTY CROPS
$1,000
Sponsored by:
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The Excellence in Specialty Crops award honors teams whose projects show outstanding potential to advance specialty crop production through cutting-edge automation, precision agriculture, AI, and innovative on-farm technology. This category highlights solutions that address the unique challenges of high-value fruit, vegetable, and nut crops—with a focus on real-world impact, food safety, sustainability, and industry adoption.
Projects will be evaluated on their effectiveness in addressing specialty crop issues, their relevance and value to growers, and the likelihood that the technology will be adopted in the industry. Successful teams will demonstrate a measurable impact and provide clear evidence of grower outreach or validation.
-
$1,000 cash prize for the Academy team
Cash prizes are funded through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Sponsor contributions have been transferred to UC ANR, which will distribute awards directly.
Prizes will be issued as checks made payable to the winning institution (or its representative foundation) and sent to the team’s teacher or staff advisor. Awards are provided in the form of a gift, giving teacher/staff advisors flexibility in how the funds are used to support their teams.
Payment Process:
The winning team must submit required information to UC ANR (including a W-9 form for U.S. participants or W-8BEN for international participants, along with contact details).
The Farm Robotics Challenge (FRC) Director will guide each winning team through this process to ensure timely distribution.
Once paperwork is submitted, please allow up to two months for the check to be received by the designated team contact.
GATHER INNOVATION AWARD
$1,000
Sponsored by:
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The Gather Innovation Award recognizes teams that demonstrate outstanding creativity and problem-solving using the Gather robotics platform. This award is given to projects that go beyond basic functionality to apply the technology in novel and impactful ways, addressing real-world agricultural challenges with practical, scalable, and farmer-focused solutions. Judges will look for strong technical integration, originality, and clear communication of the team’s vision for advancing innovation in agriculture.
-
$1,000 cash prize for the Academy team
Cash prizes are funded through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Sponsor contributions have been transferred to UC ANR, which will distribute awards directly.
Prizes will be issued as checks made payable to the winning institution (or its representative foundation) and sent to the team’s teacher or staff advisor. Awards are provided in the form of a gift, giving teacher/staff advisors flexibility in how the funds are used to support their teams.
Payment Process:
The winning team must submit required information to UC ANR (including a W-9 form for U.S. participants or W-8BEN for international participants, along with contact details).
The Farm Robotics Challenge (FRC) Director will guide each winning team through this process to ensure timely distribution.
Once paperwork is submitted, please allow up to two months for the check to be received by the designated team contact.
EXCELLENCE IN DRONE APPLICATIONS
$1,000
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The Excellence in Drone Applications award honors teams that pioneer novel uses of drone technology to solve pressing challenges in agricultural environments. Eligible projects can showcase drones used in roles such as autonomous field mapping, crop health assessment, targeted application systems, livestock monitoring, or innovative aerial robotics for production enhancement.
Projects will be evaluated for their technical sophistication, measurable impact on farm management, and creative integration of drones with other automation, sensing, or AI systems. Winning entries should clearly demonstrate practical benefits to growers, improvements in operational efficiency or sustainability, and evidence of pilot testing or field validation.
This award aims to spotlight the transformative role that drone robotics are playing in modern agriculture, supporting teams that push the boundaries with aerial technology and contribute meaningfully to the success and sustainability of farming operations.
-
$1,000 cash prize for the Academy team
Cash prizes are funded through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Sponsor contributions have been transferred to UC ANR, which will distribute awards directly.
Prizes will be issued as checks made payable to the winning institution (or its representative foundation) and sent to the team’s teacher or staff advisor. Awards are provided in the form of a gift, giving teacher/staff advisors flexibility in how the funds are used to support their teams.
Payment Process:
The winning team must submit required information to UC ANR (including a W-9 form for U.S. participants or W-8BEN for international participants, along with contact details).
The Farm Robotics Challenge (FRC) Director will guide each winning team through this process to ensure timely distribution.
Once paperwork is submitted, please allow up to two months for the check to be received by the designated team contact.
EXCELLENCE IN AI
$1,000
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The award for Excellence in AI recognizes the teams that demonstrate the most innovative, effective, and impactful application of artificial intelligence (AI) within the Farm Robotics Challenge. The award highlights the role of AI as a transformative tool for agriculture, whether applied through robotic hardware systems, software-only solutions, or integrated approaches across crops, livestock, or mixed farming environments.
Teams aiming for the Excellence in AI Award should focus on demonstrating novel and advanced uses of artificial intelligence, whether through creative algorithms or innovative integration with robotics and sensing systems. Projects will be evaluated on the depth and rigor of their technical approach, including how well data is collected, models are developed and justified, and how reliably the solution performs in real or simulated field conditions.
-
$1,000 cash prize for the Academy team
Cash prizes are funded through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Sponsor contributions have been transferred to UC ANR, which will distribute awards directly.
Prizes will be issued as checks made payable to the winning institution (or its representative foundation) and sent to the team’s teacher or staff advisor. Awards are provided in the form of a gift, giving teacher/staff advisors flexibility in how the funds are used to support their teams.
Payment Process:
The winning team must submit required information to UC ANR (including a W-9 form for U.S. participants or W-8BEN for international participants, along with contact details).
The Farm Robotics Challenge (FRC) Director will guide each winning team through this process to ensure timely distribution.
Once paperwork is submitted, please allow up to two months for the check to be received by the designated team contact.
EXCELLENCE IN REGENERATIVE AG
$1,000
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The Excellence in Regenerative Ag award recognizes teams whose projects demonstrate outstanding advancement in sustainable and regenerative practices within agriculture, forestry, or natural resource management through the innovative use of robotics and AI.
Projects are evaluated on their measurable regenerative impact, effective deployment of robotics and AI for resource efficiency and resilience, and the novelty of their approach compared to conventional methods. Additional criteria include scalability across diverse environments, strong collaboration with communities and stakeholders, clear societal and commercial benefits, and evidence-based results.
-
$1,000 cash prize for the Academy team
Cash prizes are funded through UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). Sponsor contributions have been transferred to UC ANR, which will distribute awards directly.
Prizes will be issued as checks made payable to the winning institution (or its representative foundation) and sent to the team’s teacher or staff advisor. Awards are provided in the form of a gift, giving teacher/staff advisors flexibility in how the funds are used to support their teams.
Payment Process:
The winning team must submit required information to UC ANR (including a W-9 form for U.S. participants or W-8BEN for international participants, along with contact details).
The Farm Robotics Challenge (FRC) Director will guide each winning team through this process to ensure timely distribution.
Once paperwork is submitted, please allow up to two months for the check to be received by the designated team contact.
Prize Eligibility and Participation Rules
Participation Requirement
To remain eligible for prizes, teams must:Fully participate in the competition by submitting all required deliverables, and
Comply with competition guidelines regarding team composition.
Required Submissions:
Project Proposal – Due November 14
Final Project Video and Written Report – Due May 1
Rule Adjustments: While no changes are expected, the competition rules, criteria, and eligibility requirements may be updated at any time.
Prize Conditions: Some prizes may include specific restrictions, conditions, or eligibility requirements, which will be detailed in their individual descriptions.
Geographic Considerations: In general, prizes are not limited by geographic location. However, participants should review each prize description for any exceptions.