Now, researchers at Washington State University think they have a solution: an AI-guided robot that combines soft silicone grippers and a fan that blows leaves aside before plucking the fruit.
During field trials in Huizhou, China, the machine successfully picked nearly three out of every four ripe strawberries using its fan system — a 16% improvement compared to trials without the fan. Each berry took the robot approximately 20 seconds to identify and harvest.
The team, which includes scientists in China, published their results this summer in the journal Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.
“Right now, [the technology] won’t totally replace manual labor,” said lead author Zixuan He, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark. “But it could be a very promising supplement when you don’t have enough people in the field.”
Strawberry farming relies heavily on human labor, which is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. For years, researchers have tried to automate the harvest, but most systems were tested in greenhouses or on table-top plants, where fruit hangs below the canopy and is easier to reach. The berries are more typically grown in open fields in the U.S., making hidden fruit a significant obstacle for robots.
