Japanese scientists have developed a robot that capable of picking strawberries. The device will be commercially sold for U.S. $50,000. Robot that called Berry-bot is reportedly go on sale early in 2014.
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| An agricultural machinery maker Shibuya Seiki and the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization demonstrate a robot that can pick ripe strawberries at the annual Auto-ID and Communication Expo at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. (Picture from: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/) |
Scientists from Shibuya Seiki, an automation company whose creates the strawberry picker robot which are still in the trunk. Robot equipped with a 3D stereo camera system to locate and assess the images of fruit ripe strawberries which correspond to the color database. When the robot has found the strawberries are ripe, and then be able to move the robot arm to reach out and clamp to break the stem and enter into a basket. The 2-meter robot moves on rails between rows of strawberries and placed in the greenhouse.
With this robot, strawberry farmers can save energy and time for picking strawberries. This robot is claimed to be able to reap the strawberries in 8 seconds. "This robot will harvest two-thirds of the whole strawberries on a night when the farmer is asleep," Mitsutaka Kurita of Shibuya Seiki said to CNet.
This robot is a commercial version of the robot was developed by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO). In Japan, picking or harvesting strawberries require more energy than producing rice, tomatoes, or cucumbers. For further development, the robot is able to pickers function as well as processing strawberry. Berry-bot has been exhibited at the Auto-ID & Communication Expo, that held in Tokyo, Japan. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CNET | THE JAPAN TIMES]
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