RoboVeg is a stand-alone rig mounted on the rear of a standard tractor when in operation.

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It uses sophisticated imaging techniques together with A.I. to identify the broccoli plants in the field and to assess their suitability for harvesting based on the size of the curd.

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Even if a large area of the broccoli head is covered by leaves, as long as there is some part of it exposed, the imaging system is able

to assess its suitability for cutting.

 

Once a head has been selected for harvest, RoboVeg dispatches a robotic arm to cut and collect it.  This means that only those heads which meet the customer’s requirements are

cut and lifted leaving immature or oversized plants undamaged in the field.

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The heads are cut using a bespoke 'hand'

that has been designed to send a sharp

cutting tool cleanly through the broccoli stem.

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The cut heads are gently dropped from the cutting tube onto a conveyor belt which transports them, undamaged, to the trailer running alongside the harvester or, if preferred, into containers situated at the rear of the harvester.

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The harvesting rig can be lifted up off the ground by the tractor mounting and is therefore simple and easy to manoeuvre at the headland.

 

To move the rig from field to field, the rig is unhitched from the tractor’s mounting

and lifted onto a low loader.