rewrite this title A New Era in Strawberry Harvesting: AI-Powered Robots Pick Strawberries

Researchers have developed a robot that uses artificial intelligence to detect strawberries hidden among leaves and pick them with silicone fingers. The robot’s efficiency has increased up to 74% thanks to a fan system that blows away the leaves.

AI and Robotics Address Labor Shortages in Agriculture

AI-powered robots are beginning to provide a solution to the labor shortage during harvest season, one of the biggest problems in the agriculture sector. While resilient crops like wheat or corn have been harvested by machines for years, strawberries, due to their delicate structure, are still largely picked by human hands. Recent research conducted at Washington State University has taken a step that could change this situation.

The developed robot uses AI-supported image processing technology to detect strawberries hidden amongst the leaves. Then, its arm, equipped with silicone fingers, gently detaches the fruit. Furthermore, the system’s efficiency significantly increases with the use of a fan designed to push the leaves aside. While the robot achieved 58% efficiency without the fan, this rate increased to 74% when the fan was added.

Overcoming the Speed Barrier with Continuous Operation

It takes approximately 20 seconds to pick each strawberry. Although this is slower than human labor, the fact that the robots can work 24/7 continuously and can be easily replicated closes this gap. According to the researchers’ calculations, 10 robots, each equipped with 4 arms, can harvest 300,000 strawberries in 43 hours.

The next step is to have these robots work in a closed and controlled environment (in special vehicles providing optimal light and climate conditions). Scientists are continuing their work to fully automate strawberry harvesting in the future.

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