Fieldwork Robotics has unveiled its new Fieldworker 1 robot, designed to harvest raspberries at the same speed and quality as human pickers. This advanced model improves berry ripeness detection and increases picking speed, building on previous innovations like the Berry Bot and Berry AI projects supported by Innovate UK. The robot utilizes AI technology to assess berry ripeness more accurately than before, using spectral frequency to eliminate human bias in the analysis.
Fieldworker 1 can operate in a fleet, allowing one operator to manage multiple robots simultaneously, significantly reducing the labor required and enhancing harvesting efficiency. The UK-based company claims that the new robot offers growers a predictable cost per berry, enabling better management of labor, operating costs, and profit margins.
Fieldwork founder and chief science officer Martin Stoelen highlighted the robot as a pinnacle of next-generation autonomous harvesting, reflecting the company's significant progress since its first model in 2016.
In addition, Fieldwork has partnered with Australia’s Costa Group for trials of its robots at Costa’s berry farms over the next 12 months, starting in Q1 2025. CEO David Fulton emphasized the importance of this collaboration, showcasing the effectiveness of Fieldwork's solutions in addressing real-world challenges for growers.
Read full news: Fruitnet
