Fieldwork Robotics Ltd., a company specializing in the development of harvesting robots, has been granted £515k by the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This grant aims to accelerate the BerryBot Project, a collaboration between Fieldwork Robotics, Performance Projects Ltd., and the Hall Hunter Partnership. The project’s main objective is to enhance the performance and reliability of Fieldwork Robotics’ raspberry harvesting robot, Alpha, with the goal of offering a profitable robotics harvesting service to UK raspberry growers by 2025.
The agricultural industry is facing significant challenges due to labor shortages and the subsequent waste of valuable produce. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) estimates that up to £22m worth of UK fruit and vegetables are wasted each year because of labor shortages. Factors such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, Brexit, and high employment levels in other sectors have exacerbated the agricultural labor crisis. Farmers are in desperate need of cost-effective solutions to boost harvesting yields and protect their profits.
Fieldwork Robotics’ technology addresses these challenges by providing a solution to labor shortages, increasing farm efficiency, and reducing food waste in the UK. The company’s proprietary model, Alpha, developed in collaboration with Bosch, utilizes advanced technology to analyze crops, determine the optimal time for harvesting raspberries, and neatly package them for delivery to supermarkets.
The BerryBot Project will focus on further enhancing the robot’s hardware, software, control, and vision capabilities to enable faster picking rates. These engineering advancements will enable Fieldwork Robotics to offer an operational and profitable robotics harvesting service to UK raspberry growers. The project will involve regular testing of the robotics technology at the Hall Hunter Partnership’s raspberry farms, allowing the team to make necessary adjustments based on real-world usage. This iterative process will optimize the productivity of the robot and help identify the optimal raspberry growing environment, further benefiting farmers.
The recent grant award follows a successful funding round, which raised over £3 million. This funding included a £1.5 million investment from Elbow Beach Capital and over £1.5 million raised through a Seedrs crowd fundraise. These investments highlight the growing interest and confidence in Fieldwork Robotics’ innovative solutions.
The implications of the BerryBot Project are significant for the agricultural industry. By addressing labor shortages and increasing harvesting efficiency, Fieldwork Robotics is poised to revolutionize the way raspberries and potentially other crops are harvested in the UK. The project’s success will not only benefit farmers by protecting their profits and reducing waste but also contribute to the overall sustainability and resilience of the UK’s food system.
Fieldwork Robotics’ collaboration with Performance Projects Ltd. and the Hall Hunter Partnership brings together expertise in agricultural robotics manufacturing and extensive knowledge of berry farming. This partnership ensures that the project will be grounded in practical applications and tailored to the specific needs of UK raspberry growers.
With the support of DEFRA and UKRI, Fieldwork Robotics is well-positioned to achieve its goal of offering a profitable robotics harvesting service to UK raspberry growers by 2025. The BerryBot Project represents a significant step towards a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient agricultural sector in the UK.