Vineland Research and Innovation Centre Develops New Harvesting Robot
Canada’s greenhouse vegetable sector is booming, but the cost and availability of human labor is a challenge across the industry. Harvesting is one of the most labor-intensive tasks in a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operation, making it a prime target for automation.
Leveraging their experience marrying robotics and computer vision with biological objects, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre has developed a proof-of-concept harvesting robot for long English cucumbers and bell peppers. The robot’s custom, patent-pending end effector is key in streamlining the harvesting process. The end effector encircles the fruit and traverses the length, cutting when it reaches the narrow stem. In light of this design, the robot eliminates any risk of mistakenly cutting a main stem and losing the crop.
Vineland’s robotic harvester will be on display during the Canadian Greenhouse Conference from October 9 through 12, 2024. Located in Vineland Station, Ontario, less than 30 minutes from the conference location, this is an ideal time to visit the Vineland campus. Attendees can see the robotic harvesting solution in action and meet Vineland staff to learn more about how their company can become the first to offer a viable commercial robotic harvesting system for greenhouse vegetable crops.
Vineland is currently seeking eligible collaborators to invest, develop, manufacture, market, and sell this harvesting robot in Canada and around the world.
To register for Vineland’s Robotic Greenhouse Vegetable Harvester demonstration, click here.
