The sky’s the limit: evoke^AG. Groundbreaker Sam Rogers’ drone tech to change the future of mustering

Tell us a little about your background and your interest in science, mechatronics, and AI? 

I think one of the most valuable things when it comes to innovation is the new perspectives on a problem that come from people from different backgrounds. For me, that’s growing up on a cattle farm and living in an environmentally focused area of north Queensland.  

When I was about 14 years old, I was concerned about the damage caused by harmful chemicals leaching from electronics. I built a robot arm that could be used to detect electronics in conveyor belts of waste, pull them out and move them to where they could be recycled responsibly.  

I placed third in Artificial Intelligence at the International Science and Engineering Fair from 10 million applicants and then I started looking at how we can encourage young people to get into STEMM. 

Mechatronics is an amalgamation of mechanical, electrical and software engineering – looking at how to integrate systems and build technology across those areas. That’s important to make sure that research can be implemented in the real world. 

You’ve also faced a life-threatening health condition, how has that shaped your approach to innovation? 

In grade 12 when I diagnosed with a spinal tumour and collapsed vertebrae in my back.  It was scary and gave me a new urgency to follow my passion. Although it might not always be clear what path to take there’s no point in waiting for the fog to clear – I think if you can take the first step the rest will follow.  

I booked a one-way trip to Nepal, put a timeframe on it to say ‘I’m going to get through this and it’s not negotiable’.  It was significant for me, because my back wasn’t in a good state and I felt that if I could climb Island Peak and be the youngest Aussie to do it, then it would give me some self-confidence, and I could prove to myself that obstacle was in my past. 

It was a humbling experience to know how small you are compared to that range and then having the idea that we can still have impact. I was in a lodge hostel, basically made from plywood, at 3,500 metres after coming down from Everest and the whole time I had been asking myself how I could use what I had been through and my vantage point of the world to make change and shape a better future. I started GrazeMate the day I got back into Wi-Fi after the climb. 

That’s led me to where I am today, with a team of people following this vision and doing something that aligns with my values of making something that helps people. 

Tell us about GrazeMate and your vision for this innovation? 

GrazeMate turns off-the-shelf drones into autonomous mustering robots. I’ve spent time on the motorbike mustering and seen both the mental and physical burden this chore can have in a livestock operation. I also saw a gap between technology and farming – along with the opportunity to integrate autonomous systems that not only work in the lab but also in the paddock.  

Automating the process of mustering with drones means freeing-up time for farmers and saving on labour costs. If it’s possible for system like GrazeMate to allow farmers to be able to get the cattle started over a morning coffee or spend more time with the family, we’re confident we can do good things for the grazing industry across Australia. 

Using artificial intelligence to train the technology using low-stress stock handling principles also adds a lot of value. For example, tracking the animal’s movement and posture to indicate the amount of stress it’s under and then using that information to tell the drone to back away and let the animal reset if needed. When you combine it with other hardware systems on farm you could be checking water troughs, counting cattle and estimating pasture biomass or the weight of animals from the air. 

What are you most looking forward to as an evokeAG. Groundbreaker? 

Above everything else I’m looking forward to being part of a network of highly motivated people who are passionate about making change, understanding the world and challenging what’s possible. It’s also a fantastic platform to ask more questions, gain insight and use that to build solutions that can contribute to the impact we want to see.