The University of Essex, in collaboration with renowned jam producers Wilkin and Sons, has tested a new robot prototype, which is significantly cheaper than current solutions. The project, supported by a Pounds 1.02 million grant from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Farming Innovation Programme, aims to streamline harvesting on one of Wilkin and Sons' vertical farms in Tiptree.
This robotic system, which can pick a strawberry in just 2.5 seconds, builds on previous prototypes trialled over the past two seasons. With a modular design, it can be adapted for other crops, and upcoming trials will extend to onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Dr. Vishwanathan Mohan and Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier, from Essex's School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, led the design and construction of the robot. Dr. Mohan emphasized, "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. Even if smaller farms and businesses can afford a robot, you need a whole fleet of them to make a difference, so it is vital we find cost-effective alternatives to help the agricultural industry. At the same time robotics is a game changer to tackle some of the critical challenges facing us - food security, labour security, climate and energy."
The robot utilizes a robotic arm to pick strawberries, weigh them, and place them into packaging, with hopes that it will not only reduce labour-intensive tasks but also extend produce shelf-life through faster packaging.
While current robots used for crop picking average around Pounds 150,000, the new prototype could reduce costs significantly, with a target price of around Pounds 10,000.
Chris Newenham, Joint Managing Director of Wilkin and Sons, added: "Wilkin and Sons are once again delighted to partner with the University of Essex in tackling what is currently the most significant challenge for our industry. Our experience from our initial work with the institution is that these challenges are inordinately complex and take time, it is work which is definitely not for the faint hearted but we are confident that we are working with the very best partners and very much looking forward to seeing the fruits of our collective labours over the coming years."
The Farming Innovation Programme, a key government initiative, is designed to support ambitious projects that enhance productivity and environmental sustainability in agriculture, while driving towards net-zero goals.
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