New Fruit Harvesting Robot Powered by AI Comes To Life

Posted by Growing Produce Staff|September 24, 2024

Nanovel’s AI-powered autonomous fruit-harvesting robot is designed to pick citrus fruit for fresh market in dense foliage. Photo courtesy of Nanovel

Nanovel, an international ag tech startup, has unveiled its AI-powered autonomous fruit-harvesting robot capable of picking tree fruit for the fresh market.

The Nanovel AI-powered autonomous fruit-harvesting robot is designed to pick citrus fruit for fresh market in dense foliage. The system features a multi-arm platform, which will initially be towed by a tractor. Future versions are planned to include an internal driving unit and autonomous navigation capabilities. The robot’s telescopic arms are equipped with edge computing, advanced vision systems, and AI to identify, assess, and selectively pick fruit with precision that meets fresh market quality standards. In the first phase, the robot is planned to harvest oranges, with later expansion to other types of citrus, the most widely cultivated fruit globally. The company’s crop roadmap includes lemons, grapefruits, avocados, mangoes, peaches, and nectarines.

Each arm of the robot uses a patented end-effector with a vacuum gripper to cradle the fruit and then trim the stems using cutters without damaging the fruit. The fruit is then transported via conveyor belts to bins.

Considering the potential this technology has for growers, the California Citrus Research Board has signed a non-dilutive funding agreement with Nanovel, which includes the delivery of a robot after a series of field trials in California, totaling $900,000. The field trials are set to start in the spring of 2025, and will be conducted in cooperation with leading citrus growers.