Joint scaling of harvesting robots – the EBZ Group forms a partnership with Organifarms

Organifarms develops harvesting robots for greenhouses. The product called BERRY is a harvesting robot for strawberries. It automates harvesting, quality control and packaging of the fruit, enabling all-year 24/7 operation and reducing the need for labor and associated costs. The first harvesting robots are already in use by customers. <o:p></o:p>

Development of the product to date was undertaken through the start-up BW Pre-Seed with start-up support from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft – BMEL) and funding from the Rentenbank which provides finance for agriculture. This enabled the young enterprise to develop the first fully autonomous harvesting robot during the last three years. <o:p></o:p>

“EBZ Group competencies provide optimum options for scaling of the fruit picking robots, while involvement of the EBZ Group represents a technological leap in innovation projects which are already underway,” says Thomas Bausch, Chair of the EBZ Group. <o:p></o:p>

The software (which was also developed by Organifarms) makes use of machine learning, algorithms and AI for image recognition, the associated ripeness and quality recognition and control of the robot arm. In contrast to competitors, the start-up does not attempt to imitate the function of the human hand when picking fruit, as it cuts the fruit off directly on its stalk, clamping the stem remaining on the fruit to transport it to the punnet. BERRY measures the weight of each punnet during harvesting, thus ensuring optimum filling. This dispenses with sorting after harvesting or subsequent weighing during the retailing process. <o:p></o:p>

“It was important to gain a partner for our company’s growth that, in addition to providing financial support, could also help with product scaling and ensure a high level of reliability in our products,” says Dominik Feiden, CEO and co-founder of Organifarms. “EBZ is a global player and, together with them, we can tap into new markets and bring our production up to an industrial level,” added Feiden. Organifarms attaches enormous importance to the reliability of the product, as farmers with personnel shortages rely on the harvesting robot. <o:p></o:p>

Both companies agree that the use of advanced robotics and AI creates a future in which farmers benefit from a solution to labor shortages and rising costs and consumers can enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables all year.<o:p></o:p>