Cindy Vandommelen, Pixelfarming Robotics (Netherlands)
Cindy Vandommelen is used to being among big machines. After growing up between the trucks at her parents’ company and riding horses, she ended up in the agricultural sector by accident. However, the branch she is in is the most up and coming of our industry: agricultural robots! As a Brand Manager, Cindy is the link between the field and the workshop.
Hi Cindy, please introduce yourself!
I am Cindy, an enthusiastic jack-of-all-trades with a great affinity for nature and technology. As a small child, I liked to walk barefoot in the grease of our garage, where our transportation company’s trucks were repaired. Later, the garage gave way to the pasture, where I found a way to fulfill my eternal love for horses.
To afford my horseriding hobby, I entered a commercial job after high school. In addition, I followed all kinds of formations in higher education that either had to do with Sales & Marketing or my passion for horses. I am currently pursuing studies in orthomolecular medicine and coaching with horses. This is how I feel I can make my contribution to the healthy future of those around me.
I have an entrepreneurial spirit, am hungry for knowledge and have a huge drive to help.
About seven years ago, I landed at Pixelfarming, where I found a beautiful combination of nature and technology. Pixelfarming, as a concept, is about a new way of farming through digital techniques, with regeneration of nature as a starting point. The first robot had just been wheeled out, and its technological development grew into the company Pixelfarming Robotics.
What exactly is Pixelfarming Robotics and what is your role within the company?
Pixelfarming Robotics develops and manufactures agricultural robots for “future farmers,” or growers with their own vision of the future. Our robots can replacechemicals and fill the void left behind by the dissapearance of seasonal workers. Robot One, the current model, is multidisciplinary and can be used in various open vegetable and flower crops for weed control with laser, for example.
The introduction of robots in the agricultural sector requires its own market approach.
As Brand Manager, I carefully build the brand by being critical of functionality and quality. I translate our engineers’ work in the workshop to the successful deployment of Robot One on our clients’ farms. Both Robot One and the user must learn how to operate together in the most optimal manner. That’s what the Onboarding program is for. Organizing these programs and (online) events is also part of my responsibilities.
I am also exploring markets in the Netherlands and abroad for careful marketing and scaling up the number of robots.
How many women are active within Pixelfarming Robotics, and in what positions?
There are nine ladies in marketing and communications, customer service and administration out of a total of thirty-eight employees. Our most recent hire is an applied biology student who runs our hands-free farm on Saturdayswith the Young Professional Team .
Do you notice a difference in attitudes toward men or women from people active in the industry?
I don’t really like to stigmatize. In my personal work environments, men have always predominated yet I feel at home there. I see it as healthy curiosity when people test my technical knowledge. And once we’ve moved passed that stage, it doesn’t matter anymore what gender people are.
How do you see the role of women in agriculture? Are there typically male and female tasks? And how might this change with the rise of robots and autonomous systems?
I see many growers who consider theirpartner ‘s or wife’ sopinion critical when making a major purchase such as the Robot One. We also see many complete families who come to see the robot to be able to jointly direct the future of the family business.
Robot One is ungendered and can be operated by both men and women. I have to say it is not advised to use brute force when using the robot. Generally, although Robot One is a robust machine, it is more suited to fine machining. Robot One comes with the online platform Pixelfarming Academy. This course comprises as much knowledge as possible around cultivating with the robot. This will make it possible in the future for other groups of people, i.e. from outside the industry, to start cultivating as well.
How do you feel about the proportion of women in the robotics and agriculture sector?
At fellow robot manufacturers, I see mostly women in the marketing and communications department. Women appear to be quite capable of bringing good stories that sell, probably based on our more developped soft skills. They also have a good sense of what it takes to help growers in transition move forward.
In my opinion, this knack for soft skills is also what drives women with backgrounds in biology. I see more women in crop supervision and at seed suppliers, for example.
Nature and engineering really is an interesting combination.
What is a “woman in agriculture” to you?
To me, a woman in agriculture is a person who makes a significant contribution to today’s agriculture in transition through the use of talent and passion!
You can find Pixelfarming Robotics:
Via the website
On YouTube
On LinkedIn
This article was published in Women in Ag Mag 2023-001. Click here to read the magazine.
