PHOTO: LEX SALVERDA
ROBOT HARVESTING ▶▶▶
Robots set out to secure harvests
The Tumoba broccoli harvesting unit consists of a sort of tube with a camera at the top end. The camera and the software recognise the shape and size of the broccoli flower, even if it is partly covered with leaves.
Ageing populations and labour shortages are accelerating the (re) development of harvesting robots for fruits and vegetables. Various startups and established companies all over the world are working on it. Here we highlight a few.
BY RENÉ KOERHUIS Broccoli
As early as 2002, Dutch company Tumoba, spe- cialised in solutions for harvesting vegetables starting with the development of its selective broccoli harvesting robot. That concept has been put aside to start all over again with a new and more promising harvesting method- ology that, as a prototype, perfectly recognises and harvests the broccoli without the leaves hindering the robot arm. The company is cur- rently looking for a grower that is keen and willing to test the prototype next year. The current prototype is hydraulically driven and harvests one row at a time. Next year it will be electrically driven to prevent any oil from coming into contact with the broccoli
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flowers. The harvesting unit consists of a sort of tube with a camera at the top end. The cam- era and the software recognise the shape and size of the broccoli flower, even if it is partly
This chicory harvesting robot uses drills to grasp a row of chicory roots, takes them from the tray and lays them on a conveyor belt to be cut.
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 1 November 2018
covered with leaves. If the size and shape meet predetermined measurements, harvesting starts. Machine learning enables the detection software to improve itself continuously. A ro- bot arm with a knife cuts the leaves and then moves further down to cut the broccoli flower at any desired height. This is done by two knives. The robot arm then moves up with the harvested broccoli and puts it on a small con- veyor belt on the harvester. The robot arm then positions itself for the next detection and cut, a sequence that currently takes eight seconds. The aim is to lower this to six seconds. Tumoba envisions a wide harvester that can harvest multiple rows in one pass for the fu- ture with 90 degrees turning wheels to ensure optimal manoeuvrability. It is estimated that a 10-row robotic harvester is able to harvest 3,000 to 6,000 broccoli flowers per hour which is comparable to manual harvesting by 5 to 10 people. Depending on the uniformity of the broccoli flowers and the variety, the com- pany expects to be able to harvest up to 80% in one pass. The commercial launch is
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