Picking Robots and all

[GrowthBox]

Hi All! Just wanted to ask you about your opinion on these new "agricultural robots". They've been advertised to me a few times and was wondering how much other people actually use them during cropping. They seem really bulky and the cost is outrageous if you ask me, but people in my area keep moving to cities so if I be frank I could use more reliable labour.
I focus on fruit farming so I'm also worried that tech like this would squish them without realising and ruin my harvest.

If you were low on seasonal pickers, would you look into picking robots? Or would you rather pay seasonal pickers a little more to keep them around? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

 

[Classichay]

The only decent robot I’ve seen recently is a mummy nut removal robot ( when orange fruit are left on the tree post season) which removes the need for humans with sticks or shaking all the trees as they say an infestation of these parasites can lead to a $400 dollar an acre loss in the first instance, it’s basically a set of cameras with a pellet gun which fires biodegrable pellets at the bad fruit to knock them out. Shocks me it’s not an automatic rifle being the states.

 

[TheTallGuy]

Hi All! Just wanted to ask you about your opinion on these new "agricultural robots". They've been advertised to me a few times and was wondering how much other people actually use them during cropping. They seem really bulky and the cost is outrageous if you ask me, but people in my area keep moving to cities so if I be frank I could use more reliable labour.
I focus on fruit farming so I'm also worried that tech like this would squish them without realising and ruin my harvest.

If you were low on seasonal pickers, would you look into picking robots? Or would you rather pay seasonal pickers a little more to keep them around? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

I would say that it's a bit early for robots - the technology needs time to mature and become more practical and financially viable.

 

[thesilentone]

I would say that it's a bit early for robots - the technology needs time to mature and become more practical and financially viable.

I assume you are joking ?

Immature ? The technology has been used for over 30 years !!

 

[TheTallGuy]

I assume you are joking ?

Immature ? The technology has been used for over 30 years !!

And yet it's not in widespread use... well certainly not around these parts that I am aware of.

 

[thesilentone]

And yet it's not in widespread use... well certainly not around these parts that I am aware of.

In highly widespread use, from manufacturing to logistics and the pharmaceutical industries. Also extensively in the food chain, however mainly process, not so much on-farm.

The dairy sector has adopted a high degree of robotic equipment, as have some arable tasks. But massive growth potential when the next generation get the reigns.

 

[TheTallGuy]

In highly widespread use, from manufacturing to logistics and the pharmaceutical industries. Also extensively in the food chain, however mainly process, not so much on-farm.

The dairy sector has adopted a high degree of robotic equipment, as have some arable tasks. But massive growth potential when the next generation get the reigns.

I'm fully aware of industrial robotics - I used to be that industry myself, but agricultural robotics - more specifically agricultural "picking robots" as per the original post are still a relatively immature thing. There's still a way to go before I see the technology being "mature" & widespread. The required technologies are mostly there, especially with the gains over recent years in visual processing, but in terms of field deployable products there's only a few relatively cumbersome products that I am aware of & those of a price range to bar all but the biggest in the market.

 

[Courier]

The widespread use of robots is still mainly within a built environment where most of the variables can be controlled _ Field scale picking of soft fruits presents a whole extra set of challenges which will in due course be overcome, just not yet whilst labour is available for well under £50 per hour..(circa).

 

[7610 super q]

Not used on farms.........at the peasant end of the food chain.

 

[thesilentone]

The description robots and technology are different, and I agree, making the technology advance to the level of human touch has been a challenge, but they are their now.

Whenever anyone joins the market as a developer or a buyer, they are always to soon, as once established, technology advancements go vertical, and never stop, so you are always out of date.

The investment in technology has to show a return, based on productivity and what it replaces (costs) or it will not sell.

So, the sooner the better.

 

[GrowthBox]

The widespread use of robots is still mainly within a built environment where most of the variables can be controlled _ Field scale picking of soft fruits presents a whole extra set of challenges which will in due course be overcome, just not yet whilst labour is available for well under £50 per hour..(circa).

Great, this is really helpful. Cheers!

 

[Bogweevil]

From Horticulture Week:

Fruit and veg industry pushes robotics to fill soft fruit labour gap
11 June 2020, by Matthew Appleby

A UK agri-food consortium has been formed to address agricultural labour shortages by accelerating the use of robotics and automation (R&A) for picking and packing soft fruit and vegetables.

Simon Pearson

The consortium plans to trial several new robot-based systems this growing season on farms producing strawberries, apples, blueberries, lettuce and broccoli. The aim is for approved technologies to be manufactured at scale and fully implemented for the 2021 season.

 

[Courier]

Great, this is really helpful. Cheers!

Robots in the packhouse will be economically viable before field scale soft fruit picking.

 

[GrowthBox]

Not used on farms.........at the peasant end of the food chain.

HA, yeah I guess. But if it was offered at a reasonable price would you go for it? Some can work up to 20 hours a day apparently...

 

[GrowthBox]

From Horticulture Week:

Fruit and veg industry pushes robotics to fill soft fruit labour gap
11 June 2020, by Matthew Appleby

A UK agri-food consortium has been formed to address agricultural labour shortages by accelerating the use of robotics and automation (R&A) for picking and packing soft fruit and vegetables.

Simon Pearson

The consortium plans to trial several new robot-based systems this growing season on farms producing strawberries, apples, blueberries, lettuce and broccoli. The aim is for approved technologies to be manufactured at scale and fully implemented for the 2021 season.

Cheers for linking this!

 

[ORRA LOON]

We started working with a robotic tree planter last week, myself and 2 lads are doing more meters per day than 2 manual planters staffed by 12 people. Now on week 2 it’s proving to be a success and more investment is going into growing seedlings more suited to the machine so it can do even more meters per day with only 1 man.
When we get the machine back to our nursery in June/July we may run it 24hrs if the weather is in our favour.