More and more harvesting companies are struggling with staff shortages. Low-cost automation with a fast ROI should provide a remedy. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute (IPK) are currently testing our robolink® lightweight robot for use in cucumber harvesting. The automated harvesting assistant must be at least as effective as the pickers. An experienced picker can harvest up to 13 cucumbers per minute.
The problem
Harvesting cucumbers can be exhausting. As a result, there are fewer and fewer harvest helpers. In order to pick the cucumbers, helpers have to lie on their stomachs on a platform behind a vehicle, often for hours on end. The increasing shortage of labour not only makes it difficult to plan the harvest, but also results in high harvest losses. An automation solution would provide a remedy here. However, this must be cost-effective, especially for small farms of this type, for it to be worthwhile. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK) is working on a cost-effective automation solution using our robolink® lightweight robots.
The solution
Initial field tests with the lightweight robot from igus® for use in cucumber harvesting have already been successful. The harvesting robot is cost-effective, powerful and reliable. Even in adverse weather conditions, the robot can recognise cucumbers that are ready for harvesting and pick and place them gently with its two gripper arms. Modern control methods that equip the robot with tactile sensitivity and enable it to adapt to environmental conditions help here. This protects the plants during automated harvesting.
