California’s Citrus Research Board (CRB) has signed a $900,000 funding agreement with Nanovel that includes delivery of a citrus-harvesting robot after a series of field trials in California, Nanovel reported. The field trials are set to start in the spring of 2025 and will be conducted in cooperation with citrus growers.
Nanovel, an Israeli company established in 2018 by Chief Executive Officer Isaac Mazor, has unveiled an AI-powered autonomous fruit-harvesting robot capable of picking citrus fruit for the fresh market. According to Nanovel, the robot offers a solution to growers dealing with farm labor shortages and rapidly increasing costs.
The Nanovel robot is designed to pick citrus in dense foliage. The system features a multi-arm platform, which will initially be towed by a tractor. Future versions are planned to include an internal driving unit and autonomous navigation capabilities. The robot’s telescopic arms are equipped with edge computing, advanced vision systems and AI to identify, assess and selectively pick fruit that meets fresh market quality standards.
Each arm of the robot uses an end-effector with a vacuum gripper to cradle the fruit and then trim the stems using cutters without damaging the fruit. The fruit is then transported via conveyor belts to bins.
In the first phase, the robot is planned to harvest oranges, with later expansion to other types of citrus.
The Nanovel system can operate day and night, optimizing productivity and ensuring crops are picked at optimal times.
Nanovel stated that the real-time collection of harvest data by the system delivers insights that can be used for packing and marketing activities. The data can also provide agronomic insights to growers.
Nanovel will showcase the fruit-harvesting robot at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1.
Source: Nanovel
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