Daniel Broderick, an agricultural engineer from Omagh, Co.Tyrone, has been selected today (Thursday, December 15) as a finalist for the Young Engineer Award at LAMMA 2023.
Broderick was selected for his ride-on cubicle cleaner invention, which he was inspired to create after witnessing the challenges faced on his uncle’s dairy farm.
Designed to reduce time and labour requirements, Broderick designed the cleaner to be able to clean and re-bed 200 cubicles in five minutes while also scraping the slats.
This is often done twice a day so there can be a time saving of almost two hours per day on a 200-cow dairy farm, Broderick said.
It also aims to save on bedding materials by cleaning more effectively than manual methods and then spreading materials evenly.
LAMMA 2023
LAMMA, the UK’s leading agricultural machinery, equipment and services show, will take place on January 10 and 11, 2023, at the NEC in Birmingham.
Run in collaboration with the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), the Young Engineer Award showcases the next generation of agricultural engineers and celebrates their passion for innovation and sustainability.
An independent panel of judges selected this year’s three finalists which includes Broderick as well as Christopher Chavasse from London and Connor Wise from Hereford.
Members of the public are now able to vote for their winner on LAMMA’s website. Voting will close on January 4, 2023. The winner will be selected based on a combination of judges’ scores and public votes.
One of the award judges and the CEO of IAgrE, Charlie Nicklin, said: “We recognise agricultural engineering can reduce the environmental footprint of farming through reducing carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency.
“By partnering with LAMMA for this award, IAgrE can recognise and reward practical, environmentally efficient and sustainable agricultural engineering solutions.
“We also have aspirations that this competition will provide inspiration for young people considering careers in agricultural engineering and help raise the profile of the industry confirming that a career in agricultural engineering is one of vibrancy and fulfilment.”
Other finalists
Christopher Chavasse – ‘Sprout’
Chavasse is the founder and chief technology director of the London-based Muddy Machines Ltd.
Over the last two years he has developed ‘Sprout’, a lightweight, batter-powered, multipurpose field robot designed to harvest asparagus.
Designed to be scalable, Chavasse believes that the robot provides a sustainable option to address seasonal labour gaps.
Connor Wise – ‘Air Source Heat Pumps’
Wise is a heating engineer based in Hereford. He has developed a solution to streamline the process of loading a biomass boiler.
The Air Source Heat Pumps system removes the need for manual filling, as well as eliminating the need for raw materials and pre-warming.
Wise believes that the system could provide benefits for anyone who currently uses a biomass boiler system to hear their farm buildings.