Key note speakers

Prof. Richard Godwin Prof. Richard Godwin – Harper Adams University, UK

The effect of alternative traffic systems and tillage on soil condition, crop growth and production economics
Richard (Dick) GODWIN holds Emeritus, Honorary and Visiting Professorship from Cranfield University, Czech University of Life Sciences and Harper Adams University respectively. In this capacity he supervises research programmes and provides academic leadership. This follows a career as a researcher/teacher/trainer/administrator in the field of agricultural engineering, soil management and precision agriculture at the former Silsoe College of Cranfield University. His contributions have resulted in an improved fundamental understanding of soil - machine systems; the development of improved soil engaging tools and methods, soil and water management, and precision farming techniques. In addition to supervising in excess of 70 PhD theses, he has spent considerable time transferring the principles to advisors and farmers to improve agricultural production systems, the sustainability of soils, and the improvement of the environment.
Prof. Vigen Arakelyan Prof. Vigen Arakelyan – Insa Rennes, France

Gravity compensation in robotics
Vigen ARAKELIAN is a full professor in robotics and mechatronics at the INSA (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées) of Rennes and the head of the research team «Mecaproce», as well as researcher in the LS2N Lab (Nantes Laboratory of Digital Sciences). Since joining Department Mechanical and Control Systems Engineering in 2002, Professor Vigen ARAKELIAN has fruitful research activity. His research interests span mechanics and control of robots, design of assistive rehabilitative devices, balancing and synthesis of mechanisms, numerical simulation and optimization of mechanical systems by using ADAMS software. He is the author of two books: «Structure et cinématique des mécanismes», Hermes, Paris (1997) and «Balancing of linkages and robot manipulators.
Prof. Udin Hassanudin Prof. Udin Hassanudin – University of Lampung, Indonesia

Biomass waste utilization to promote sustainable palm oil industries development in Indonesia
Udin HASANUDIN is a full professor in agro-industrial waste management at the University of Lampung. In this capacity he promoting agroindustry toward zero waste programs to support sustainable agroindustry development in Indonesia. Supported by Ministry of Environment and Forestry Republic of Indonesia, he made some collaboration with several university, research center, and private company from many countries. He also initiated the establishment of Agro-industrial Waste Management Laboratory at Department of Agro-industrial Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Research and Development Center for Tropical Biomass at Institute of Research and Community Services, the University of Lampung. Currently, he is also member of research and development committee at the Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund ((BPDP KS). Through his activities he has been supervising some Bachelor, Master, and PhD students from many Universities.
Prof. František Kumhála Prof. František Kumhála – Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic

Development of Capacitive Throughput Sensor for Plant Materials
František KUMHÁLA is a Professor of Agricultural Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering (FE) at Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS), and currently serves as the Head of the Department of Agricultural Machines, FE, CULS. His professional career is oriented to harvesting machinery, mainly sensors for Precision Agriculture. Another field of the research is soil tillage machinery and controlled traffic farming. He also worked on the optimization of hop harvesting process. František received M.S. degree from Czech University of Agriculture in Prague and Ph.D. degree from the same University, both in Agricultural Engineering. He is also coordinator of Centre for Precision Farming at CULS Prague. In past, he also served as a Vice-Dean for International Relations of the Faculty of Engineering CULS. He also works closely with the company BEDNAR FMT, Czech producer of soil tillage and seeding machinery. František currently serves as a member of the Editorial Board for Research in Agricultural Engineering, issued by Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences.