Getting accurate information before the harvest about the expected quality and available sizes quickly and simply is within reach. Thanks to artificial intelligence technology, applications such as TrueFruit can sort fruit while it is still growing based on its spots and color, long before it passes through any sizing lines.
The South African company Aerobotics initially developed the technology to address real problems in citrus plantations nationwide, but today its biggest customers are in California, Australia, and Spain. They have also adapted the technology to other crops, such as table grapes, cherries, blueberries, and stone fruit.
"We offer a package of tools powered by artificial intelligence to help both growers and marketers, as well as buyers, get information in advance about the crops they are working with," says Juan González, Business Development Manager of Aerobotics for Spain and Portugal.
"When a buyer or producer goes to a field, there is a lot of information to analyze. Quantifying, managing, and using this data at scale becomes a complex task using traditional methods, as the information can vary greatly when resorting to subjective analysis methods. Our technology helps extract, standardize and manage this information in a more efficient and cheaper way so that both the grower and the buyer know in great detail and in a more accurate manner what's in the tree, both in terms of quality and sizes, ahead of the start of the commercial campaign," says Juan González.
According to the specialist, Aerobotics is balancing two variables with this technology: time and investment. "The time it takes to obtain information from the field makes the investment in these tools profitable. We adapt to the way the grower operates, adding an extra step: that of simply taking a few photos with their cellphone, without the need for drones, as we did initially. On average, it takes just about three minutes to analyze an orange tree, for example."
"This technology can also be used in the facilities. Taking photos of the pallets, you can know in advance what the fruit's characteristics are before it goes through the packaging lines," he says.
"Large and medium-sized citrus growing and marketing companies in Spain are showing more and more interest in this type of technology in view of the growing challenge of producing efficiently so that the business can remain profitable and competitive in the face of increasing competition in international markets," says Juan González. "We can help companies considerably improve how they operate."
Juan González
Aerobotics
Tel.: +34 694 420 353
[email protected]
www.aerobotics.com