Strawberry-picking robots have been called upon to tackle a labour crisis in the industry.
The artificial allies could harvest and package the fruits “in a matter of seconds”, according to the University of Essex.
Prototypes being tested by researchers at Tiptree-based jam makers Wilkin & Sons cost £10,000 – a fraction of the existing robots’ £150,000 price tag.
“Robotics is a game changer to tackle some of the critical challenges facing us – food security, labour security, climate and energy,” Dr Vishwanathan Mohan said.
Using a robotic arm, the machine can pick a strawberry in 2.5 seconds before weighing it and placing it in packaging.
The university said it could be easily adapted to other crops, with harvesting trials also planned for onions, tomatoes and lettuce.
Dr Mohan, from Essex’s school of computer science and electronic engineering, designed and built the robot with Prof Klaus McDonald-Maier.
“Through this project we want to transform how food is grown efficiently using robotics and AI, and make state-of-the-art agri-robotics technologies accessible to everyone,” said Dr Mohan.
“Even if smaller farms and businesses can afford a robot, you need a whole fleet of them to make a difference, so it is vital we find cost-effective alternatives to help the agricultural industry with labour shortages.”
