Intelligent harvesting system designed to improve productivity
Date posted: 17 Aug 2009
Plans for a new intelligent harvesting machine could help UK farmers to save money by reducing crop wastage, according to developers.
Researchers working at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have pioneered new imaging technology which could stop farm owners from harvesting their crops at the wrong time.
Working with KMS Projects and Vegetable Harvesting Systems, NPL scientists now hope to develop a robotic machine capable of looking beneath the leaf layers of crops to offer more precise size identification.
Plans for a new intelligent harvesting machine could help UK farmers to save money by reducing crop wastage, according to developers.
Researchers working at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have pioneered new imaging technology which could stop farm owners from harvesting their crops at the wrong time.
Working with KMS Projects and Vegetable Harvesting Systems, NPL scientists now hope to develop a robotic machine capable of looking beneath the leaf layers of crops to offer more precise size identification.
Dr Richard Dudley, project leader at the NPL, suggested that the electromagnetic spectrum could be used to penetrate crop layers.
He said: "Our aim is to develop a unique new automated harvesting machine that will dramatically improve productivity in the UK and global farming industry and ultimately benefit consumers through cheaper food in the supermarkets."
The NPL offers a range of science and research facilities, claiming to provide a link between discovery and real-world application.
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