{"id":22794,"date":"2021-05-21T09:03:28","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T16:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/?p=22794"},"modified":"2021-06-08T10:41:03","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T17:41:03","slug":"western-farmpress-13-innovators-picked-to-lead-harvest-automation-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/index.php\/2021\/05\/21\/western-farmpress-13-innovators-picked-to-lead-harvest-automation-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Western FarmPress: 13 innovators picked to lead harvest automation initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Advanced Farm\u2019s robotic strawberry harvester uses soft grippers and tractor-mounted cameras that are able to determine the ripeness of berries and safely harvest them without damaging the fruit. (Photo: Advanced Farm c\/o Visionary Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The companies will get technical help in introducing robotics and other advances amid push to automate half of West’s specialty crop harvests by 2030.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Tim Hearden<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After weeks of consideration, Western Growers and its allies have placed their bets on 13 companies they hope will lead a march to automating at least half the West Coast’s specialty crop harvests by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The companies will be the first in a cohort of startups and established businesses that will receive technical aid as part of Western Growers’ ambitious Global Harvest Automation Initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization and its partners will also present these companies to growers so they\u2019re not inundated with scores of company pitches and can focus on a handful that are right for their operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chosen businesses all specialize in agricultural robotics, mechanization and automation, according to<\/a> Western Growers. In addition to taking part in field trials and case studies, they will receive systems integration in a “technology stack” that’s being prepared as part of the initative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost harvest startups build the entire technology stack themselves \u2014 from imaging and artificial intelligence to robotic end-effectors and automated movement up and down the fields,” said Walt Duflock, the organization’s vice president of innovation..He added the initiative “will now build this technology stack for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe innovators in this cohort are both startups and established companies that will get help integrating with industry-standard tractors, robot arms and sensors, which can commoditize up to 60\u201380% of the startup\u2019s technology stack,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization is “making real progress on getting the industry to increase their collective collaboration effort” led by trade groups including the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission on things like grower economics by crop type for harvest, Duflock told Farm Progress in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 13 companies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Western Growers, the following companies were chosen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n