Fieldwork Robotics launches latest harvesting robot with improved accuracy and speed

Fieldworker 1 is an enhanced robotic model that allows more accurate detection of berry ripeness and a heightened picking speed.

Building on recent advancements facilitated through the Innovate UK-backed Berry Bot and Berry AI projects, the new robot provides growers with a predictable cost per berry, enabling them to augment human labour while better managing their operating costs and overall profit margins.

The latest robot is equipped with spectral frequency, which the company said removes any human bias from the analysis of berry ripeness, and the expectation is to harvest ‘without compromising on quality’.

The Fieldworker 1 will also have the capacity to work in a fleet, with one operator running multiple robots across the field. Fieldwork said that this should further reduce the labour intensity of the harvesting process, as well as improving harvesting efficiency.

In a statement, David Fulton, Fieldwork CEO, said: “The progress we have made over the last 18 months has been extraordinary. Partnerships with industry-leading companies are a testament to the hard work of our team, the quality of our product, and the effectiveness of our solution which solves a real world problem for growers.

“Fieldwork is strengthening our offering to growers operating in the fresh raspberry industry. We have secured a healthy pipeline of contracts with some of the world’s largest berry growers operating in our target markets, Australia and the US, and I am confident that we will continue to deliver to our customers.” 

The company, founded in 2017 as a spin-out from Plymouth University, has secured a partnership with Costa Group, a producer of fresh fruit and vegetables in Australia.

This agreement will see Fieldwork’s robots deployed for trials at Costa berry farms over the next year, with field trials taking place from Q1 2025.