Published: 10 October 2024
Researchers at the University of Essex, working in collaboration with Wilkin & Sons, have successfully demonstrated a new generation of low-cost robotic systems capable of autonomously harvesting and packaging strawberries in real-world production environments.
The project addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern agriculture: the availability and cost of seasonal labour for harvesting delicate crops. Strawberries, in particular, require careful manual picking to avoid damage, making them one of the most labour-intensive crops in horticulture.
The developed system integrates computer vision, machine learning, and robotic manipulation into a modular architecture designed for deployment directly within existing farm infrastructure. Using AI-based perception, the robot identifies ripeness in real time and executes precise picking actions using an articulated robotic arm.
“Through this project we want to transform how food is grown efficiently using robotics and AI, and make state-of-the-art agri-robotics technologies accessible to everyone.”
Versatile RobotX builds on this foundation to develop scalable, field-ready robotic systems for autonomous agricultural deployment across diverse crops and environments.
