Published: 10 October 2024
Low-cost robots capable of harvesting and packaging strawberries in seconds have been successfully trialled in Essex as part of a programme to address labour shortages in agriculture.
The work, led by researchers at the University of Essex and their spin-out Versatile RobotX in collaboration with Wilkin & Sons, focuses on developing affordable, adaptable robotic systems for real-world farming environments.
“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.”
The robotic system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify and pick ripe fruit, before weighing and packaging each item. The modular design enables adaptation to multiple crop types, including onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.
The system has been designed with cost scalability in mind, with the aim of delivering practical robotic solutions that can be deployed across farms of different sizes.
Versatile RobotX is developing intelligent, field-ready robotic systems to automate labour-intensive agricultural tasks across diverse crops and environments.
