Robots instead of harvest workers: this is how the Karlsruhe-based start-up PREFIRO envisions the future of asparagus fields in the state. The prototype of the innovative harvesting method – a box on four small wheels – is now in action on the field of asparagus farmer Thomas Meier in Stutensee-Staffort (Karlsruhe district). A cutting head moves down, grabs a thin green stalk, and cuts it off precisely. The machine then moves up with the asparagus and transports it to a plastic box.
The Prefiro team at last year's expoSE in Karlsruhe
The process is intended to help asparagus farmers cope with rising labor costs. Meier: "With manual harvesting, we will eventually reach our limits and the costs will spiral out of control. Something has to happen," says Meier, adding with a glance at the robot in his field: "I think we are currently at the beginning of the development process."
AI sorting machine for sweet cherries
AI-supported processes are also already being used to sort sweet cherries. Stone fruit producer Kevin Brändlin (right) from Efringen-Kirchen has invested around half a million euros in his new AI sorting machine. According to his own statements, this makes him one of the first in Germany to do so. The machine sorts around one ton of cherries per hour and detects even the smallest defects. To achieve this, it takes more than 30 photos of each individual fruit. The infrared camera detects, for example, whether the cherry is soft and then sorts it out. "You couldn't see that before," says Brändlin, pointing to the potential savings. He used to need eight employees to operate the sorting machine, but now he only needs four. "Half as many people for the same output."
For more information:
https://www.prefiro.de/
https://obsthof-braendlin.de/