Robot Wanted: Experience in Greenhouses Preferred

Greenhouse automation continued to develop steadily this year, with a range of new robotic systems moving from testing into practical use. Manufacturers, research institutions, and growers focused on improving labor efficiency, crop handling, and production consistency through collaborative robots, AI-powered harvesting systems, and automated cultivation tools.

From transplanting and irrigation to monitoring and harvesting, these projects reflect a broader effort to integrate robotics into everyday greenhouse operations in a way that is scalable, cost-conscious, and aligned with growers' operational needs.

Delta's D-Bot Series Collaborative Robots (Cobots) have been honored with the 2025 German Design Award in the category of 'Excellent Product Design'.

Farm-ng is optimizing growing practices from planting seeds to harvesting crops with its Amiga robot—a modular, scalable, intelligent robotic platform designed to meet growers' diverse needs. The Amiga's adaptability allows it to take on various applications, offering growers a cost-effective, electric, AI-powered solution.

Artemy, the advanced harvesting robot developed by DENSO Corporation and Certhon, is now actively operating in a commercial greenhouse of 8 hectares at The Valley, cultivating both mini cherry and cocktail tomatoes on the vine. "This marks a milestone in solving labor shortages in greenhouse horticulture while enhancing efficiency and productivity", explains Mr. Mukai, DENSO's executive officer in charge of its food value chain business.

An AI-powered robot developed in Abu Dhabi is transforming strawberry harvesting. Created by experts at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), the robot identifies and picks ripe strawberries without damage, operating across environments from sunny fields to controlled greenhouses.

"As the crop modules move, our irrigation robot sprays a fine mist of water and nutrients directly onto the roots," the team explains. "This minimizes microbiological risks and reduces the need for extensive nozzle maintenance. In short, we have made aeroponics more affordable and stable, bringing high-tech agriculture within reach of more growers."

4XRobots has announced the official launch of its collaborative delta robot at Indoor Ag-Con on March 11 and 12, marking its debut in the US market.

Visitors to the 4XRobots booth (#1114) will have the opportunity to see the robot in action for the first time at a trade show in the US. The robot's programming and user-friendly interface will be on full display, demonstrating how it can be integrated into greenhouse production.

© Bogaerts Greenhouse Logistics

Over the past two years, the use of UV-C technology in strawberry cultivation has gained significant traction. As issues with mildew emerged over the last years, growers swiftly started looking for alternatives to traditional spraying methods. In Belgium, four suppliers collaborated and participated in an initiative set up by Coöperatie Hoogstraten to offer growers a thorough look at what they have to offer.

© TTA-ISO

Trays or packs move directly from the transplanting line into the FlexFixer. A top-mounted vision system scans for empty cells on the go. Meanwhile, a multi-axis robot collects healthy plugs from a donor tray, gently lifted from below. A second vision system checks which grippers hold plants, and the robot accurately fills only the empty cells.

© University of Essex

The next generation of strawberry-picking robots are being trialled on a farm in Essex in an attempt to solve labour shortages across the agricultural industry. The University of Essex's Dr Vishwanathan Mohan is leading the £1m project, funded by the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, which has seen trials take place on Wilkin and Sons' vertical strawberry farm down in Tiptree.

© Unitree Robotics

Go2, as a "new employee", is equipped with a dedicated camera and agricultural sensors to monitor seedling growth conditions in real time. The robot also integrates a custom AI vision model developed for specific scenarios.