The world population is expected to hit 9 billion by 2050. What is expected to follow is a dramatic increase in agricultural production, doubling to meet future demand. This need made farmers turn to robotics as a solution for the future.
Many in the agricultural sector agree that the industry is heading towards more technology on the farm, which could include agricultural robots. Indeed, several companies have already made significant progress in creating robotic systems for use in agriculture that are either in field testing stages or already entering the market.
In this post, we will look at a list of top 14 agricultural robots for nursery and harvesting.
1.Harvest Automation HV-100
Harvest Automation HV-100 is a farmer’s assistant designed to work alongside people, planting. Although designed to work in a variety of manual positions, moving potted plants around works well in nurseries. It can do an enormous task of moving potted plants from point A to point B. With experience using simple mapping software to allow robots to perform tasks autonomously in a known environment, Harvest robots can work around the clock without vacation or time off.
2. Energid Citrus Picking System
Energid Citrus Picking System is ideal for the citrus fruit business. It can select fruit every 2 – 3 seconds. The robot is not only cheap, but also very efficient.
3. Agrobot E-Series
Designed for strawberry fields, Agrobot E – Series has twenty – four robotic wireless arms that can not only quickly pick strawberries, but can also identify a strawberry’s maturity in the field.
4. Robotic vacuum apple picker – Abundant Robotics
Thanks to Abundant Robotics, apple orchard farmers can now use robots instead of seasonal pickers. AR startup uses vacuum to select apples from trees. The robot uses algorithms to identify and locate apples in the tree. Technology not specifically designed for agriculture. In a wide range of industries, the same technology can be applied, but for now they use it in agriculture. The robot is designed to accurately harvest and store apples. The collection is made through a flexible hose and storage is made in the same big boxes that human workers use.
5. Harvey – Capsicum Harvester
The Technology University of Queensland developed a prototype robotic capsicum (sweet pepper) harvester nicknamed’ Harvey,’ combining robotic vision and automation expertise to benefit farmers. The camera system and harvesting tool are mounted at a standard robotic (arm) manipulator end. Combining robotic-vision techniques and crop manipulation tools are key factors in harvesting these crops.
6. Sweeper
Sweeper, backed by the EU as part of its Horizon 2020 innovation program, is built to pick ripe peppers in a greenhouse. To do his job, Sweeper uses a camera that recognizes a pepper’s color. Computer vision then helps the robot decide whether to pick the fruit. If so, Sweeper uses a small razor to cut the stem before catching the fruit in its “claws” and dropping it in a basket below.
7. Green Robot Machinery
This is a cotton-picking robot, developed by Green Robot Machinery. The robot is programmed for typical cotton topography. For maximum motion range, the robot uses six degrees of freedom to reach the cotton plant from the side. Using path-planning algorithms, the arm is guided to the cotton. The robot creates the plant’s 3D model and, using a vacuum tube, the machine sucks the cotton in a more time-efficient manner.
8. FFRobotics
FFRobotics is a robot that collects 10,000 apples an hour. FFRobotics machine has a three-fingered grip that can grab and twist fruit from a branch and has at least twelve robotic arms. Like many other robots, FFrobot uses advanced algorithms and algorithms to pick tree fruits. Image processing algorithms can detect fruits damaged, diseased, or unripe. The grasping hand can be easily modified to pick different fruit types. This makes the robot available for various harvest seasons.
9. GRoW
MetoMotion’s GRoW is described as ‘a multipurpose robotic intensive system for labor-intensive tasks in greenhouses with the ability to harvest tomatoes.
10. Dogtooth – Harvesting soft fruits
Strawberries are delicate fruits requiring careful picking. Start-up Dogtooth Technologies designed a robotic arm capable of harvesting sensitive fruits like strawberries. Using machine vision and motion planning algorithms, the robot recognizes and locates the ripe fruit to be picked. The next robot development step is to improve learning algorithms.
To make better fruit harvesting decisions, the robot needs learning algorithms to harvest with fewer errors. Several cameras capture the fruit images for a detailed view of the crops. The GPS system mounted on the robot platform helps precise plant and fruit production. Thus, the farmer can identify the most productive area and low-yield area.
11. Energid Citrus Picking System
This large but low – cost orange – picking gadget can clear an orange tree as little or less as human labor would cost. That means picking an orange every two to three seconds, sounding slow, but this robot never gets tired.
12. MIT Robot Gardener
Massachusetts Institute of Technology students designed a mobile robot to maintain soil moisture and pick ripe fruit. A network of sensors attached to each plant monitor soil humidity and call the water robot. The robot communicates wirelessly with the sensor.
13. Agrobot SW6010
Agrobot SW6010 is a tractor-like robot. This machine uses sensors and robotic arms to detect and pick ripe berries with alarming speed and efficiency. Sensors on the robotic arms can actually tell which berries are ripe and not based on the unpicked berry’s shape and size. It packs them in boxes!
14. Cucumber Harvester
Cucumber Harvester is a smart robot that can spot and pick ripe cucumbers on the vine. In 1996, research began on the development of an autonomous cucumber harvesting robot supported by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. The robot detects individual cucumbers, assesses maturity and harvests ripe cucumbers. The project was completed in 2002.
