Abu Dhabi: Researchers at a university in Abu Dhabi have created an AI-powered robot that can recognize ripe strawberries with precision, pick them without harming them, and work nonstop in a variety of settings, including sunlit fields and controlled greenhouses.
Professors from Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence's (MBZUAI) robotics department are spearheading the "Strawberry Picker" bot project, which is being carried out in conjunction with machine learning and computer vision departments. This creative idea, which is well-positioned to assist the farming sector, attempts to assist farmers in lowering labor expenses while preserving high standards of fruit quality and production.
How does it operate?
The robot makes use of cutting-edge robotics, computer vision, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture technology.
Using parameters including color, size, and shape, the robot's high-resolution cameras and sensors allow it to analyze plants in real-time and detect ripe strawberries. By differentiating ripe fruits from unripe or broken ones, machine learning algorithms guarantee accurate identification.Once a ripe strawberry is detected, a robotic arm with a sensitive gripper gently picks the fruit without causing harm. The robot combines ‘active perception’ with its manipulation capabilities, enabling it to adjust its position or grip based on environmental factors like light, obstructions, or plant movement caused by wind. Autonomous navigation allows the robot to efficiently move across rows of plants, optimising its route and avoiding obstacles through AI-powered pathfinding algorithms..jpeg)
“MBZUAI’s expertise in robotics, computer vision, machine learning ensures that these robots can operate with remarkable precision and adaptability, mimicking the care and attention of human labourers but at a faster and more efficient rate,” professor Dezhen Song, deputy department chair of robotics, and professor of robotics, told Gulf News.
In addition to professor Song, core contributors include professors Ivan Laptev and Hao Li, experts in computer vision, along with a multidisciplinary team of AI engineers, roboticists, and agricultural scientists. Together, they tackle challenges in precision agriculture.
Five advantages
Professor Song pointed out that the AI-powered robot solves important cost-related issues and has a number of benefits over conventional farming practices.
Increased precision: By precisely identifying and selecting just ripe strawberries, the robot minimizes waste and plant damage, increasing crop yields, fruit quality, and market value.
Continuous operations: Without the need for overtime or seasonal wage costs, the robot may work around the clock, providing steady performance and boosting production in contrast to human laborers.
Cost effectiveness: Farmers can retain high output while drastically reducing labor expenses by automating repetitive chores. Additionally, farmers rely on automated systems that require little supervision, eliminating the need to train new employees each season.
Mitigation of labor shortage: This robot offers a dependable and practical substitute for the agricultural industry's dwindling supply of manual labor, particularly for physically taxing jobs like fruit picking.
Scalability: The robot's modular architecture expands its usefulness beyond strawberries by enabling it to be modified for various crops and farming conditions. Farms can expand operations without correspondingly raising labor costs by automating repetitive chores, which makes it simpler to satisfy rising demand.
Apples and tomatoes as well
According to Professor Song, the "Strawberry Picker" is made to function in a variety of settings, such as different climates and topographies.
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