2022 - Volume #46, Issue #3, Page #26
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Robot Harvests Broccoli Fast
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Developed over the past 10 years, RoboVeg seems to be catching on quickly as the cost of manual labor in the United Kingdom increased 35 percent over the past five years.
“We founded the company and field-tested prototypes in 2019 but held off on introduction in 2020 to make some improvements,” says Remy Clarke, RoboVeg. “We sold a few for the 2021 season but are now seeing a lot of interest and orders for this year.”
In addition to eliminating manual labor and fair weather/daylight only picking, the RoboVeg offers several distinctive features. The LED illuminated vision system, with its 2D cameras and 3D sensors, scans the field as the machine moves forward. As it locates broccoli heads, it sends coordinates to the harvesting robots.
A cutting hand designed specifically for the RV cuts the stems to a precise length. The heads are then dropped in boxes at the end of the harvester.
The recognition system can be adjusted within a few millimeters for maximum and minimum size crowns for harvest. It also maps the size of crowns harvested and recommends when to make a return trip to harvest new growth.
Data is gathered in real-time and communicated to both the operator and the farm office or manager. It can be used in real-time, as well as for historical data analysis and yield mapping.
Each robot can harvest up to 1,200 heads per hour versus 515 per laborer. Each head is cut at a specified size and height versus assessment by eye and experience with manual harvest.
RoboVeg prices start at $260,000 for the RV1 with its single robot head. The largest unit, the RV3, weighs in at about 6,000 lbs. It has a length of 8 ft., a width of just under 20 ft. and a height of 6 1/2 ft.
“The RoboVeg is currently set up to harvest broccoli and pointed head cabbage,” says Clarke. “We will be looking at adding other crops in the future.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, RoboVeg Ltd., 37 Potters Lane, Kiln Farm, Milton Keynes, MK11 3HQ, United Kingdom (ph +44 (0)1908 348 700; usa@roboveg.com; www.roboveg.com).
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