At RomeCup 2026, Russell High School in Cles wins first prize in the AgroBot category
From the valleys of Trentino to RomeCup, innovation also comes in the form of a feeding trough. The prototype developed by students at the Bertrand Russell High School in Cles (Trento) is called DietBot, and it won first prize in the AgroBot category at RomeCup 2026 [see the news item Robotics that meets real needs]. It is a project that demonstrates in a practical way how artificial intelligence can be integrated into local production contexts, interact with scientific expertise, and contribute to animal welfare and the sustainability of farms.
DietBot was created to meet a very specific need: to automate cattle feeding and adapt the diet to the individual animal’s condition. As the students explain in their project presentation, the system integrates Arduino, Raspberry Pi, electric motors, a screw conveyor, a tank and a feeding trough, with software developed in Python, Arduino and C++, and modelling tools such as TinkerCAD and AutoCAD. The aim is to contribute to cattle health, increase milk productivity and quality, and reduce certain costs for farmers.
The operation is simple to describe but complex to design. Using an RFID sensor, the feeding trough recognises the individual animal. An artificial intelligence model, trained by the students, analyses the available data and activates the motors to dispense a personalised ration in real time. The project benefited from the expertise gained the previous year through a collaboration with the University of Trento, the partnership established with the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, and consultation with a veterinary surgeon, which was essential for correctly establishing the scientific basis of cattle diets.
The award confirms the quality of the work carried out by Russell’s Steam lab, which had already been recognised in 2024 in the same category for a prototype dedicated to apple harvesting. Here too, the technology stems from an observation of the local area: Cles and the Val di Non are communities where agriculture, livestock farming, education and innovation can come together naturally. Headteacher Roberta Gambaro and Deputy Head Antonella Sonna highlighted precisely this aspect: the recognition received in Rome demonstrates how a mountain school can integrate cutting-edge technologies with the roots and needs of its rural context.
Behind the prototype is a group of around fifteen students, ten of whom were present at the RomeCup, aged between 14 and 19 and from diverse backgrounds, ranging from the Science stream to the Humanities. Every Friday afternoon they worked together, outside school hours, following the entire design cycle: conception, software development, modelling, 3D printing of components, assembly and testing. The project was supervised by teachers Santini, Andaloro, Conde, De Paris and Poli, with the support of laboratory technicians.
The educational value of the project also lies in its methodology. The Russell School’s STEAM laboratory is described as a space for horizontal learning, without grades, built around shared objectives and creative freedom. It is the same environment that has enabled the school to develop Erasmus exchanges on air and water quality, professional development activities on digital teaching and, at RomeCup 2026, a second prototype in the MareBot category: a small autonomous vessel for monitoring environmental parameters in local waterways.
With DietBot, the AgroBot category at RomeCup showcases one of the most interesting directions in educational innovation: bringing robotics and artificial intelligence closer to real-world problems, where students can grapple with technical constraints, data, scientific knowledge, economic sustainability and social impact. A smart feeding trough thus becomes an open laboratory on the future of agriculture, animal husbandry and education.
