AI-powered "RoboCrops" can spot diseased plants before humans can

A robot gardener capable of spotting signs of plant disease and stress invisible to the human eye has won a prestigious medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in what researchers believe is a landmark moment for the future of robotics and horticulture. 

 The AI-powered RoboCrops: Plant Selection, Beyond the Visible exhibit, created by the University of Lincoln and the Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT), has been awarded a Silver Gilt medal after becoming one of the standout attractions in Chelsea's GreenSTEM zone. 

 At the centre of the exhibit is PhenAIx, an advanced robotic phenotyping system that uses artificial intelligence, imaging technology and robotics to analyse plants for hidden signs of disease risk, environmental stress and growth performance long before symptoms become visible to growers. Researchers say the system functions almost like a medical diagnostic scanner for plants and could help accelerate the development of stronger, healthier and more climate-resilient crops. 

 While robotics is traditionally associated with factories and warehouses, researchers behind the exhibit say agriculture may represent one of the industry's most important frontiers because of the sheer unpredictability of biological environments. 

 The exhibit has already attracted significant attention from visitors and policymakers, including Sadiq Khan, who discussed how technologies like PhenAIx could one day help tackle wider food production and climate challenges. 

 Researchers believe systems like PhenAIx could eventually support earlier crop disease detection, improved food production efficiency, climate adaptation, environmental monitoring, and more sustainable agricultural systems. 

 The Chelsea exhibit has also become particularly popular with school groups, many fascinated by the intersection of robotics, AI, biology and environmental science. Researchers hope the exhibit will inspire more young people, particularly those from rural and agricultural communities, to consider careers in robotics, data science and agri-tech innovation.

 Experts say the exhibit also represents a significant cultural shift for robotics itself, introducing AI and autonomous systems not through industrial settings, but through gardens, plants and sustainability. 

 Visitors attending the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 can view RoboCrops: Plant Selection, Beyond the Visible in the GreenSTEM zone until 23 May 2026.