Event Location: NSH 3305

Abstract: Globally, horticulture is facing many challenges. The most significant of these challenges range from scalability to meet growing food demands, the impacts of constantly increasing labour requirements, produce loss (waste), yield security, hygiene and more. Most people can conceptualise how robotics will assist with many labour intensive horticultural roles to minimise or replace the direct labour requirement. This will ultimately help with other challenges like scalability, yield security, hygiene and food security but can the disruptive impact of robotics go beyond this? We think it will!

Each year around 50% of all produce is wasted. Taking an example from the Kiwifruit industry, we look at how the integration of MARS (mechanisation, automation, robotics and sensors) technologies through the value chain will be able to minimise waste, further adding to scalability and food security benefits of robotics. Two case studies are presented of technologies we have developed that will help deliver these robotic benefits. This will look at an autonomous orchard robot for tasks like harvesting and pollination, as well as a robotic apple packer that integrates into current packhouse systems.