In the heart of the Netherlands, a quiet revolution is taking place in the world of greenhouse horticulture. At the ACRES cultivation company in ‘s-Gravenzande, a pilot project is underway that could potentially reshape the future of tomato farming. The star of this project is the Artemy harvesting robot, a technological marvel developed by Certhon and Denso, which is currently being tested for cherry-truss tomato harvesting.
The project, part of the Dutch NPPL-R programme, aims to demonstrate the potential of a harvesting robot in an industry that has traditionally relied heavily on human labour. Harvesting truss tomatoes is a labour-intensive process, and growers are increasingly facing challenges such as rising labour costs and potential future shortages of workers. This is where the Artemy harvesting robot steps in, offering an innovative solution to these structural challenges.
Juri van Es, a tomato grower and board member at ACRES, sees this project as a crucial step towards the future of greenhouse horticulture. “The use of the Artemy harvesting robot offers an innovative solution for structural challenges such as rising labour costs and a potential future shortage of labour,” he explains. “We therefore see this project as an important step towards the future of greenhouse horticulture.”
ACRES, a leading greenhouse horticulture company specialising in the cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers, is no stranger to innovation. The company, formed from a merger of three Westland family businesses within the growers’ association Prominent, has around 50 hectares of modern glasshouses, 20 of which are equipped with full-LED lighting. As a member of Prominent, ACRES is part of an innovative growers’ association that works on product innovation and central packing to ensure efficiency and quality.
However, the path to successful robotisation is not without its challenges. Monique Bijlaard, a researcher at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), explains that every greenhouse has its own unique setup, which makes each company unique. “Certhon has adapted the robot to the specific situation of high-wire cultivation at ACRES,” she says. “The growing gutter can be installed at a different height, the camera height on the robot differs per company, and the type of harvest crate also differs per company. Any bottlenecks in the working method must also be mapped out.”
Logistical challenges have also been addressed before the project started. Van Es explains that their internal transport system uses a chain conveyor to move full trolleys to the processing area. “We must take into account that the harvesting robot may unexpectedly exit a row just as a trolley passes, causing a collision,” he says. “The autonomous row-change of the harvesting robot must proceed undisturbed.”
The Artemy harvesting robot can operate continuously for 24 hours, but after 5.5 hours, the battery must be manually replaced. The robot carries seven harvest crates, and when these are filled with trusses, the robot autonomously drives to trolley carts with 24 crates, where full crates are exchanged for empty ones. This trolley was specially developed for this purpose together with Metazet. When it is full, the trolley travels via the internal transport system to the processing area.
Timo Kleijwegt, Product & Sales Manager at Certhon, emphasises the importance of standardisation in the development of the harvesting robot. “Every grower has specific wishes,” he says. “But it is impossible to build all of them into a robot. That is why we must work towards a standard that works for every grower. As robot manufacturers, we must adapt to the cultivation conditions, but a grower will also have to adapt to the robot.”
Bijlaard will assess the harvesting robot in operation, looking at the technical status, harvesting speed and accuracy, product quality, and whether the robot performs correctly. She will consult the grower to determine the most important criteria, such as money, time, work convenience, and maintenance sensitivity. Based on these findings, she will calculate the business case, so that the grower can decide whether or not to purchase this robot.
Certhon appreciates the willingness of cultivation company ACRES to allow the robot to be developed in its greenhouse. Kleijwegt says, “We greatly value the opportunity we have been given. We really need such growers to make robotisation a joint success, because a robot is never perfect right away. Past experience has shown that a ‘call me when it is finished’ approach does not work.”
WUR has expertise in both cultivation and technology. For this project, the organisation conducts an independent and objective assessment, focusing on applicability and integration into business and work processes. “Integration into business processes involves proper planning of who is working where in the rows, so that they do not hinder each other,” Bijlaard explains.
As the pilot project at ACRES continues, the future of tomato farming is being shaped.