All members of the public are invited to attend this exclusive lecture hosted by The UWA Institute of Agriculture. It will be delivered by Salah Sukkarieh, Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Sydne, and focused on 'Farming in Two Worlds: Integrating Physical and Digital Agriculture' at UWA Bayliss Lecture Theatre G33.
This year marks the 31st Hector and Andrew Stewart Memorial Lecture.
The inaugural event was held in 1966. The lecture is held in honour of the late Hon Hector J Stewart, MLC and his son, the late Mr Andrew M Stewart, both Wagin wool growers. Mr Stewart Jr was President of UWA’s Guild of Under- graduates in 1929 and twice Dean of UWA's Faculty of Agriculture.
This lecture will be held live and in-person. If you cannot attend in-person, then you are invited to watch a recording of this lecture on our YouTube following the event. Check out our channel here.
About the lecturer
Salah Sukkarieh is a Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Sydney, specialising in field robotics and the integration of physical and digital technologies in industry, agriculture, and environmental systems.
His work spans horticulture, grains, meat, and livestock, focusing on automation, data-driven decision-making, and sensor integration. He has contributed to over 500 publications and helped secure more than $70 million in research funding.
He was seconded as CEO of Agerris, an agtech startup developing on-farm robotic solutions, and previously led research at ACFR on large-scale robotics applications. Prof. Sukkarieh has received multiple awards, including the NSW Science and Engineering Award and the CSIRO Eureka Prize. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and IEEE.
About the lecture
This lecture explores how integrating real-world agricultural practice with digital technologies – from sensors and robotics to simulation models and decision-support systems – can create more resilient, productive, and adaptive farming systems.
Drawing on current research and implementation, the talk will highlight how real-time robotics in the field, IoT sensing networks, and AI-driven analytics are transforming everything from soil and water management to crop and animal monitoring and farm labour. It will examine how the digitisation of models – often referred to as Digital Twins – can operate in parallel with real-time sensing systems, providing a framework for forecasting, scenario testing, and timely interventions.
The lecture will present real-world case studies demonstrating how these technologies are already being applied in farming systems across scales and contexts. The lecture sets out a vision in which the integration of physical and digital domains enables agriculture to become more responsive, sustainable, and resilient in the face of complex challenges.