What began as a chance conversation in Central Queensland has grown into a high-profile undergraduate research project, with University of the Sunshine Coast robodogs herding sheep at this year’s Ekka.
The project traces back to when Rohan Ballon from the Roma Show Society saw UniSC staff demonstrating robotic dogs to school students. He immediately saw potential for agriculture, noting that sheep herding can be expensive, labour-intensive and risky for working dogs.
That idea eventually became the honours research project of Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronic) student Phillip Halloran, supervised by senior lecturer Dr David Alonso-Caneiro. The aim was to code and train robodogs to assist with livestock herding using sensors and artificial intelligence.
“The focus has been on building autonomous herding capability,” Dr Alonso-Caneiro said. “We’re testing computer vision to identify livestock in real time and give the robot a level of autonomy.”
The team is using the YOLO (You Only Look Once) computer vision system, which can detect sheep at around ten frames per second. Students are developing herding behaviours based on field work with sheep, cattle and bulls.
Manual trials on farms and in arena conditions have already shown the technique to be viable. Researchers are now working with farmers and dog trainers to refine system design, including whether aerial views or a dog’s-eye perspective are most effective.
The project caught the attention of Ekka organisers, who invited UniSC to demonstrate the technology alongside professional sheepdog handlers. Over four nights, staff operated the robodogs in front of crowds of about 30,000 people per show, collecting data in a demanding public environment.
While the demonstrations drew strong interest, the project has also attracted scepticism, including from well-known farmer and dog trainer Farmer Dave. After discussions at the Ekka, he acknowledged the potential for robodogs to take on dull, dirty or dangerous tasks, reducing injury and exhaustion for working dogs.
With working dogs often costing $20,000 to $30,000 to train, compared with around $7,000 for a robodog, interest from industry continues to grow.
Since the Ekka, the research has been presented at Parliament House, integrated into UniSC teaching and sparked ideas for future applications, including pest control and search-and-rescue. The team has already been invited back for the 2026 Ekka.
