Coronavirus accelerates the rise of the robot harvester

When UK farmers found themselves short-staffed due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, the government launched a campaign urging the public to cover the shortfall and “Pick for Britain”. With the recruitment campaign struggling to convert applicants into farm workers and Brexit already disrupting the supply…

12-hole strawberry tray for a mobile tray field system

Kraege Beerenpflanzen propagates strawberry plants and has been looking for a system that can increase the number of plants per m2 and with which a qualitatively optimal plant can be produced. A tray field makes it possible to cultivate above ground, without loss of space for walkways. A choice was made for…

Norwegian strawberry picking robot popular due to COVID crisis

The corona pandemic has once again demonstrated how dependent agriculture is on seasonal workers, but Norwegian growers may get help from robots next year. For Norwegian growers, the development of autonomous robots cannot move quickly enough, especially now that many of them are struggling to find…

"Demand was so great that there were supply shortages"

The innovative PROBAND V banding process from the Kranenburg company project Service & Produktion LLC was one of the absolute highlights at this year's Fruit Logistica. It was not unexpected that the machine with its quick-change frame was nominated for the coveted Innovation Award. We talked to Product…

Manual stick inserting is a thing of the past

Positioning and inserting the milled sticks is physically hard work, people stand bending over all day. That is why Beekenkamp Plants chose the Mobile Sticking Machine (MSM) by Flier Systems. Ron Duijvestijn, manager at Beekenkamp Plants, knew about the existence of this system for quite a while. He went…

SmartWash system could have applications treating viruses in the workplace

Once the dust has settled following the COVID-19 pandemic, there is likely – many in the produce industry believe – to be an increasedawareness of the importance of safety in the food production process, including during the washing and preparing of vegetables. Here, treatments from JBT alliance partner,…

New environmental packaging line for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry

Cascades, a company who works with eco-friendly recycling, hygiene and packaging solutions, announced the launch of its new range of Cascades Fresh packaging products for…

New X-ray inspection system for beverages, liquids and solid foods

Mekitec Group, a global manufacturer of food quality control systems based on X-ray technology, announces the launch of a completely new X-ray inspection system, Sidemekitm, targeted for the product safety and quality control needs of food and beverage producers worldwide. Mekitec describes their newest…

University of Illinois

US researchers develop robots to help on the farm

The University of Illinois' Coordinated Science Laboratory team has accelerated work on the TerreSentia robot, a nimble and semi-autonomous machine that can provide the same attention to detail as human labor. “Essentially, with the COVID-19 crisis, two things happened. One is the urgent need to keep…

"I don't want weeds in my nursery"

Recently an industrial floor sweeper was delivered to Schrijnwerkers. Schrijnwerkers is one of the largest blueberry plant nurseries in Europe. Located in Overloon, the Netherlands, it consists of a five hectare container field and a five thousand m2 greenhouse in which multiplication and propagation of…

"Vegetable growers looking to accelerate switch to mechanical harvesting due to coronavirus crisis"

Due to the coronavirus crisis, vegetable growers and processing companies in countries such as the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany are looking to accelerate their transition to mechanical harvesting. Although the biggest focus is on leafy vegetables, growers of other crops are also interested in increasing the…

US: Robotic vending machine in Silicon Valley

Just a few months ago, Chowbotics and fellow Bay Area makers from a high-tech vending machine that sold cappuccinos, hot ramen, and croissants warmly discussed their appeal in terms of freshness and 24-hour comfort. Then COVID-19 makes dangerous food orders for workers and customers. Suddenly, the…

Suwin Puengsamrong

UK growers to trial new robot-based systems to combat labour shortages

UK growers are set to trial several new robot-based systems this season on farms producing strawberries, apples, blueberries, lettuce and broccoli. A UK agri-food consortium has been formed to address labour shortages by accelerating the use of robotics and automation (R&A) for picking soft fruit and…

Université de Sherbrooke

Canadian roboticists create third arm to pick up fruit

Roboticists from Université de Sherbrooke in Canada have invented a waist-mounted remote-controlled hydraulic arm that can help pickers with gentle tasks like picking fruit, but: it also possesses the strength to smash through walls! The goal of the novel new joint is to “mimic the performance of a human…

Basket washing machine to save labor cost

In the fresh-cut industry, hundreds of baskets are used to carry raw products or transfer semi-products. But the cleaning process of these baskets is a huge cost, which requires a lot of time and labor. As requested by customers, Lueon Technologies Co., Ltd. have designed an automatic basket washer,…

New fresh produce packing robotics set to enter the trial phase

A Queensland-based start-up company is hoping to step up trials in the coming months on its intelligent robots, which are aimed at improving fresh produce packing operations. Co-Founder of LYRO Robotics says its machine intelligence tightly integrates 'the brain, the eyes, and the hands', enabling robots…

How to build an overhead conveyor system

A new video released by Ultimation Industries shows manufacturers, distributors and others how to build an overhead conveyor system that takes advantage of generally unused vertical space above the working area. Overhead conveyors can be used to move products, create buffers and deliver products in…

New nanobubble generator Neo offers optimal oxygen monitoring and control

Moleaer is launching the Neo, its fifth nanobubble generator in its product portfolio designed to improve water quality and enhance food production in greenhouses and fish farms. The Neo offers real-time monitoring and control of dissolved oxygen in water via an optional integrated oxygen generator,…

CAN (ON): Alliance-funded fruit and vegetable technology adapted to sanitize N95 masks amid COVID-19 pandemic

Prof. Keith Warriner is a food scientist, but when he heard about the shortage of N95 masks for front-line health-care workers battling COVID-19, he saw an opportunity to contribute. Warriner and several collaborators have adapted technology that uses UV light, hydrogen peroxide and ozone to…

Vegetable processing line for Beijing Daxing International Airport

A lot of fresh products move through airports so, in order to have a smooth operation each day, vegetable processing lines can be a big help. “Last year, Lueon installed two vegetable processing lines for the Beijing Capital Agribusiness Group (CAG) in Daxing, Beijing, China. These vegetable processing…