The firm behind a new agri-robot which rolls out next year for trials promises it can harvest fruit and vegetables at the same speed and quality as human pickers.
Fieldwork Robotics, Cambridge-based developers of modular harvesting robots, has announced that it has developed a new robotic model, the 'Fieldworker 1'.
The robot allows more accurate detection of berry ripeness and a heightened picking speed, allowing the robots to harvest at the same speed and quality as human pickers, according to the firm.
Building on recent advancements facilitated through the Innovate UK-backed Berry Bot and Berry AI projects, the new robot provides growers with a predictable cost per berry.
This enables farmers to augment human labour while better managing their operating costs and overall profit margins.
The company is also working with Costa Group, a major producer of fresh fruit and vegetables in Australia, which will see the robots deployed for trials in 2025.
The Fieldworker 1 is powered by AI-enhanced technology that allows it to detect berry ripeness more accurately than previous models.
Spectral frequency is being utilised to remove any human bias from the analysis of berry ripeness, and the expectation is to harvest without compromising on quality.
David Fulton, Fieldwork CEO, said the progress made over the last 18 months had been 'extraordinary'.
"Partnerships with industry-leading companies like Costa Group are a testament to the hard work of our team, the quality of our product, and the effectiveness of our solution which solves a real world problem for growers.
"We have secured a healthy pipeline of contracts with some of the world’s largest berry growers operating in our target markets, Australia and the US."
The Fieldworker 1 will have the capacity to work in a fleet, with one operator running multiple robots across the field.
According to Fieldwork, this significantly reduces the labour intensity of the harvesting process and improves harvesting efficiency.
Fieldwork founder and chief science officer, Martin Stoelen said the newest model was the "height of next generation autonomous harvesting".
"From our first ever model developed back in 2016, we have made huge progress in the development of our technology," he added.
"Our expertise in autonomous agricultural robots has allowed us to craft a sophisticated, cutting-edge robotic system that is of significant benefit to growers operating in the fresh raspberry industry.”
