• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • AMD Xilinx
    • BlueBotics
    • Elite Robot
    • RGo Robotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
harvest croo strawberry picker

Harvest Croo Robotics field tests autonomous strawberry-picking vehicle

June 13, 2017 by Sam Francis

Harvest Croo Robotics is field testing an autonomous vehicle designed to help plant and pick strawberries, according to a report on ThePacker.com. 

The new vehicle looks rather unlike your typical farm vehicle, and is designed to straddle six strawberry beds as it moves along. It uses GPS navigation, LiDAR vision and carries 16 robots which will do the actual planting and picking of the strawberries.

The robots will use a proprietary vision system which will identify which strawberries are ready to be picked (probably based on colour as robots can’t smell or taste yet as far as we know). Picked strawberries will then be moved to the platform level for further inspection and grading. 

The field tests started last week and are expected to be completed by the end of July. Full operation is scheduled for winter 2018-19 and full commercialisation will start the following winter.

Bob Pitzer, co-founder and chief technology officer of Harvest Croo, says: “Having the machine navigate the fields autonomously is the culmination of years of work and prototyping. It is very gratifying to see our team effort come to fruition.”

Harvest Croo is expected to close an investment round at the end of July to raise approximately $1 million for its project. It is also hoping to receive $750,000 from the National Science Foundation in grant money.

Harvest Croo Gary Wishnatzki says the next stage for the company’s development is utilising the large amounts of data it will be collecting.

Wishnatzki says: “It’s kind of mind-boggling all the things we’re going to be able to do. Things we haven’t even thought of yet.”

harvest croo strawberry picking robot interior view

Strawberry background forever 

The driving motivation behind automated farm machinery such as the one being developed by Harvest Croo is two-fold: labour costs and labour shortages – both are increasing.

Harvest Croo estimates that approximately 30 per cent of a strawberry farm’s annual budget is spent on the harvest labour costs, and the cost of labour is continuing to rise each year.

US strawberry growers are spending close to $1 billion a year on harvest labour, and this may increase in correlation with the concurrent increase in labour shortages.

And that’s if you can find the right people to do the work in the first place. Strawberries need to be picked on a strict harvest schedule, so lack of labour has become a “huge issue” for strawberry farmers, says Harvest Croo.

Harvest Croo says that more than 20 per cent of the US strawberry farming industry is investing in or partnering in its technology, which brings together experts from:

  • agriculture;
  • engineering;
  • robotics;
  • machine vision; and
  • laser sensing.

The plan is to be build a “fully autonomous strawberry picker”, which will save farmers money, improve the quality the strawberries picked, and improve harvest yields by “at least 10 per cent”, says Harvest Croo.

The system is designed to pack the strawberries as well, weighing them and getting them ready for shipment.

The Harvest Croo system is one of a number being developed for strawberry picking by a variety of companies – such as AgroBot, Octinion, and Shibuya Seiki, to name a few – in this newly emerging agricultural robotics market.

Preventing robots from eating the goods 

While robots are unlikely to literally eat the fruits of their labours, there are numerous other challenges in developing such technologies for strawberry picking.

Wishnatzki says: “I charged our engineers with the task of creating a ‘picker’ that does not require a grower to radically change the way they currently grow.

“That is the major reason other robotic harvesters have not yet been commercialized.”

This is despite the fact that Wishnatzki believes the need for such systems is “imminent”.

Wishnatzki and Pitzer took to the fields to study and observe the way human pickers harvest strawberries. With that information, they began outlining and conceptualizing the first prototype, which mimics the ways humans currently pick.

Pitzer says: “With robotic manipulation, our biggest challenge is minimizing time. Based on our observations, our goal was to develop robots to pick as many berries as possible while utilizing conservation of motion.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Industry, News Tagged With: croo, harvest, labour, picked, strawberries, strawberry, system, vehicle

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • Factory Visit: Investment bankers tour client’s robot-filled machine shop
  • Hengbot unveils ‘world’s first robotic dog with musculoskeletal limbs’
  • AutomationWare prepares for future with new robotic joints
  • RoboUP launches ‘the most intelligent and precise robotic lawn mower ever created’
  • Switzerland’s IAR Group establishes new subsidiary in Germany
  • Techman unveils ‘industry’s lightest high-payload AI collaborative robot’
  • The Future of Personal Computers: What to Expect in the Next Decade
  • 5 Ideas for Getting More Clients for Your Business in 2023
  • Improving Building Entry Security with AI
  • How do you heat a car to sleep?

Most Read

  • Hengbot unveils ‘world’s first robotic dog with musculoskeletal limbs’
    Hengbot unveils ‘world’s first robotic dog with musculoskeletal limbs’
  • Stiga launches ‘world’s smartest’ autonomous lawn mower
    Stiga launches ‘world’s smartest’ autonomous lawn mower
  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Factory Visit: Investment bankers tour client’s robot-filled machine shop
    Factory Visit: Investment bankers tour client’s robot-filled machine shop
  • What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
    What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
  • Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
    Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
  • Schneider Electric invests €40 million in new smart factory in Hungary
    Schneider Electric invests €40 million in new smart factory in Hungary
  • How to Know if Your iPhone is Being Tracked? Check This!
    How to Know if Your iPhone is Being Tracked? Check This!

Overused words

ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile operations platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse work

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • Factory Visit: Investment bankers tour client’s robot-filled machine shop
  • Hengbot unveils ‘world’s first robotic dog with musculoskeletal limbs’
  • AutomationWare prepares for future with new robotic joints
  • RoboUP launches ‘the most intelligent and precise robotic lawn mower ever created’
  • Switzerland’s IAR Group establishes new subsidiary in Germany
  • Techman unveils ‘industry’s lightest high-payload AI collaborative robot’
  • The Future of Personal Computers: What to Expect in the Next Decade
  • 5 Ideas for Getting More Clients for Your Business in 2023
  • Improving Building Entry Security with AI
  • How do you heat a car to sleep?

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

June 2017
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« May   Jul »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT