Artificial Intelligence in Strawberry Fields: Automated Harvesters Ease the Farming Burden
The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) has developed an innovative solution to the challenges faced by strawberry farmers: the autonomous strawberry harvesting robot SHIVAA. This cutting-edge machine, designed for open-field strawberry harvesting, is currently being tested at the Glantz strawberry farm in Hohen Wieschendorf, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Key Capabilities and Impact
SHIVAA is equipped with a unique set of features that set it apart from other strawberry-harvesting robots. It boasts a harvesting capacity of approximately 15 kilograms of fruit per hour and can operate continuously for at least eight hours, including at night under artificial lighting to enhance its image processing capabilities.
The robot's design is specifically tailored for open-field cultivation, making it suitable for a wider range of farming environments compared to systems primarily functioning in greenhouses. SHIVAA is safe to operate alongside human pickers without protective fences, thanks to its internal sensors for collision detection.
Cost Reduction and Labor Support
Jan van Leeuwen, manager of the Glantz strawberry farm, supports the project due to the increasing economic pressure and high labor costs, which account for around 60% of production costs. By automating harvesting, SHIVAA could significantly reduce these costs, potentially leading to cheaper strawberry prices at supermarkets and helping domestic farms compete with foreign imports.
The developers of SHIVAA aim to support and relieve human labor forces rather than replace them, aiming also to reduce crop losses and maintain fruit quality.
Future Potential
Although promising, SHIVAA is still in development, with an estimated timeline of up to seven years before mass production and wide-scale field deployment can be realized. Its technology could eventually be adapted for other fruit types, expanding its use beyond strawberries.
In the broader context of agricultural automation, SHIVAA represents an advanced example of robotics and AI in farming, part of a wider trend toward autonomous machines that perform tasks such as harvesting, seeding, and monitoring crops to increase productivity and reduce labor reliance.
Collaboration and Development
The development of SHIVAA is a collaborative effort between the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg (HAW Hamburg). The system uses special cameras to independently recognize ripe strawberries in open-field cultures, and collected strawberries are placed into a harvesting box mounted on the device.
Summary
| Aspect | Details | |--------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------| | Harvesting capacity | ~15 kg of strawberries per hour | | Operation duration | At least 8 hours continuously, including night use | | Cultivation type | Specifically designed for open-field strawberry crops| | Safety feature | Collision detection sensors for human-robot collaboration | | Development collaborators | Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, German research centers | | Potential cost impact | Could reduce labor costs (~60% of current costs), lowering prices and improving competitiveness | | Timeline to mass deployment | Estimated up to 7 years | | Intended role | Support human labor, reduce crop loss, maintain quality | | Future potential | Adaptation for harvesting other fruits |
This development underscores the increasing role of robotics in agriculture, aiming to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain quality standards.
The autonomous strawberry harvesting robot SHIVAA, developed by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), is equipped with advanced technology, including artificial-intelligence capabilities, enabling it to identify and harvest ripe strawberries at a rate of approximately 15 kilograms per hour.
In addition to its innovative harvesting capabilities, SHIVAA's long operational duration, which includes nighttime operations under artificial lighting, is a testament to the integration of technology and artificial-intelligence in agriculture, targeting efficiency improvements and reducing labor reliance.
