Syngenta Vegetable Seeds has collaborated with Four Growers, Inc. to test the 'GR-100' robotic harvester in tomato research to maximize tomato output in the future.
Most of today's tomatoes are still picked by hand, which adds significantly to manufacturing expenses, as well as the growing issue of the labor shortage. Growers must find methods to guarantee that customers have access to the tomatoes they require in light of the severe labor shortages.
"The robot sees the tomato, identifies its ripeness, decides whether or not to pick it. If it decides to pick it, it'll go up suck it in to the vacuum system, pass through the tube and drops it into a crate. Then the crate will get shifted into the packing cart", explained Zack Walker, field engineer with Four Growers.
Robot Tomato Harvesters
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds & Four Growers Unveil a Robotic Tomato Harvester
Trend Themes
1. Robotic Harvesting - The rise of robotic harvesting technology is providing an opportunity to automate tasks and eliminate labor expenses.
2. Smart Sensing - The use of smart sensing in agriculture can help to identify ripe produce and improve efficiency in harvesting.
3. Automation in Agriculture - The adoption of automation technology in agriculture can help increase productivity and address the challenges of the labor shortage.
Industry Implications
1. Agriculture - The agriculture industry can benefit from the use of robotic harvesting and automation technology to reduce labor costs and improve efficiency in crop production.
2. Technology - The technology industry can provide innovative solutions to address labor shortages through the development of automated harvesting technology.
3. Manufacturing - The manufacturing industry can benefit from the adoption of automation technology in agriculture to improve productivity and reduce labor expenses in food production.