For the last 2 weeks The English Apple Man has concentrated on 'Berries' - today we look at the prospect for Robotics in Strawberry production. Two companies making inroads into strawberry growing; 1. Already in use and 2. One in commercial trials.
Robotics
1. SAGA robotics
The traditions of the agricultural industry are set for a technological shift. Norwegian and UK based Saga Robotics has recently raised EUR 9.5 million from international investors in support of its ambitious growth plans.
2. Dogtooth Technologies
Dogtooth is a Cambridge-based technology start-up, building state-of-the-art intelligent robots for soft fruit picking.
Ten years ago, it was difficult to imagine robots picking delicate berry fruits as well as people. But enormous progress in the field of machine learning and computer vision means that robotic picking is now a reality.
Robotics
Solving critical issues
Thorvald first emerged in the robotics group at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences where the team saw the need to introduce robots into agriculture in order to solve critical issues such as labour shortages, sustainability and yield security.
Thorvald was then established as a company in its own right, committed to delivering autonomous services for the soft-fruit agricultural industry, combining a robust mechanical design with intelligent autonomy.
Thorvald platform
Where plant biology meets cutting-edge technology. Multi-functional and autonomous, Thorvald is transforming the scope of modern farming.
UV-C Light Treatment Process
Thorvald safely protects plants from powdery mildew through the application of high-intensity UV-C light. Live data is also transferred back to the farmer as part of Thorvald's treatment schedule.
Flexible, reliable, autonomous, efficient.
Thorvald has been designed to work across all farming environments and terrains. Its modular construction means there are almost limitless possibilities for adaption, tools and applications. While Thorvald performs autonomous farming tasks, you and your team can focus on managing the farm as a whole.
Autonomous
Thorvald navigates autonomously using proprietary state of the art software.
Reliable
Thorvald has been tested over thousands of kilometres in challenging, real-world agricultural environments.
Below: Halvard Grimstad
How childhood play led to tackling world hunger with robots!
Meet Halvard Grimstad, Head of Deployment and one of the Robotic Engineers working with Thorvald. Halvard grew up in Norway surrounded by farms and playing with Lego. As a Robotics Engineer, he combines his love for nature and putting things together to create robots that will revolutionise farming.
Click on: Halvard Grimstad Then Click on SKIP ADVERT
Click on Oli Pascal and Thorvald Platform
Every grower knows powdery mildew is an expensive problem which needs careful and effective control.
Historically this has meant spraying with a fungicide, but using the Thorvald robot and treating the plants with UV light treatment negates the need for a spray of fungicide. Saving time and material, but importantly using an environmentally friendly weapon!
Below: a severe case of Powdery Mildew
Thorvald provides that control, protecting your valuable crop through the application of UV-C light, each and every night, so you and your team don't have to. Efficient, autonomous, sustainable and cost-effective, Thorvald is a reliable partner for every strawberry grower.
Oliver Pascall, Clock House Farm
"We have been using Thorvald for a number of years now and for the past few years the partnership has really strengthened. I think this is allowing Clock House farm to be right at the leading edge of robotic innovation in soft fruit."
Light treatment
Thorvald is a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution with no direct CO2 emissions during operation.
Light treatment controls powdery mildew without chemical inputs by exposing strawberry plants to shortwave light on a weekly basis.
Research and real-life usage show this to be highly effective at controlling powdery mildew.
Powdery mildew treatment in polytunnels
A fleet of 3 robots conducting light treatment on strawberry plants in the UK. Exposing strawberry plants to shortwave light on a weekly basis is highly effective in controlling powdery mildew. The treatment must be applied at night in order for it to perform optimally, but as treatment is delivered autonomously by a driverless robot unit, it saves labour over conventional fungicide application.
The light treatment also generates significant added value through direct cost savings and the environmental benefits of reduced fungicide use.
Click on: Thorvald robots treating Powdery Mildew - SKIP the ADVERTS
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DOGTOOTH ROBOTICS
Below: Ed Herbert - COO Dogtooth Robotics
Dogtooth is pioneering the use of the most sophisticated robot control systems in applications that previously needed increasingly difficult-to-recruit human labour. But this means more than developing technology in a lab. Since day one, we've been working alongside customers to develop picking solutions capable of use in real farms.
Our team of engineering superstars is solving the problem not only of building robot control systems capable of achieving sufficient visual acuity and dexterity, but also of deploying robots into challenging real-world environments, operating robots safely alongside farm personnel, and manufacturing robots at scale.
Dogtooth was founded by Dr Duncan Robertson, Ed Herbert and Mat Cook. The business has been funded to date by Innovate UK awards, several angel investors led by Peter Cowley (Chair of Cambridge Angels), Octopus Ventures, the Martlet Fund, and Angel CoFund.
Dogtooth is a Cambridge-based technology start-up, building state-of-the-art intelligent robots for soft fruit picking.
Ten years ago, it was difficult to imagine robots picking delicate berry fruits as well as people. But enormous progress in the field of machine learning and computer vision means that robotic picking is now a reality.
Our team of engineering superstars is solving the problem not only of building robot control systems capable of achieving sufficient visual acuity and dexterity, but also of deploying robots into challenging real-world environments, operating robots safely alongside farm personnel, and manufacturing robots at scale.
At an East Kent Fruit Society visit to Hugh Lowe farms in June, Anna Stevens (Growing Kent & Medway) took this video of the Dogtooth Robot in action!
Click on: Dogtooth Robotics Strawberry Harvester
That is all for this week. Next week The English Apple man will be reporting on the status of the apple & pear crop as we move into August and reflecting on the early season, apple harvest is not far away!
Take care
The English Apple Man