In a significant stride towards agricultural automation, KUKA has teamed up with Upper Bavarian firm digital workbench at Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany, unveiling a mobile harvesting robot aimed at revolutionizing apple picking. This collaboration merges KUKA's robotic expertise with digital workbench's innovative approach, promising to advance fruit farming automation. Josef Schmidt of digital workbench highlighted the partnership's potential for valuable insights and future advancements in apple cultivation automation.
The showcased mobile robot features two KUKA KR AGILUS small robots on digital workbench's Tipard 1800, demonstrating a pilot project's success in apple harvesting with a vacuum suction technology that prevents damage to the fruits. This system, enhanced with AI and vision technology for precision, represents a leap in digital and automated agricultural solutions. Alois Buchstab of KUKA emphasized the evolving role of harvesting robots in addressing labor shortages, marking a pivotal step towards efficient and sustainable agriculture.
Source: kuka.com