Robotics in action at Fieldays

Media Release

1 June 2017

Robotics in action at Fieldays

The robots have arrived, and they’re here to make our lives easier.

At this year’s NZ Agricultural Fieldays, horticultural robotics will be on display at the University of Waikato’s stand. Tauranga-based company Robotics Plus will have their latest prototype of the Autonomous Mobile Multi-purpose Platform (AMMP) on show, and prototypes for apple and kiwifruit picking robots will also be on display.

University of Waikato Professor Mike Duke, from the School of Engineering, says it’s time to embrace the robot revolution in horticultural industries as the ability to harvest high-quality, resilient crops will keep New Zealand at the top of its export game.

“Robots never sleep, and this makes them ideal workers. They’ll do the menial work humans should no longer be expected to do. Increasingly, robots will be built to work in industries that struggle to maintain a full workforce.”

The AMMP machine, which was developed by Robotics Plus’ Dr Alistair Scarfe, is designed to reduce labour costs by providing an autonomous on-orchard harvesting system.

Capable of driving around an orchard by itself, the AMMP, with the addition of detachable robotic arms, has sensing technology that makes it stop at the right place in the orchard and perform required tasks. Sensing systems, custom arms for harvesting, or spraying systems can be interchanged without the need to build a whole new machine for each task.

Waikato engineering students supervised by Professor Duke have worked with Dr Scarfe on the functionality of the various robotic attachments for the AMMP. The University of Auckland, led by Professor Bruce MacDonald, is focused on developing the sensing and software systems that will allow the robots to interact with and navigate their environment. This collaboration, along with input from Plant & Food Research, has gone a long way in ensuring the technology being developed is suitable for the environment it will be working in.

More than 70% of New Zealand’s merchandise exports come from the primary industries, with the Ministry for Primary Industries aiming to double primary exports from $32 billion in 2012 to $64 billion by 20251.

Professor Duke says the widespread introduction of robotics and smart machinery into New Zealand’s primary industries could save companies money, improve safety, quality and efficiency.

“Robots have been used for decades in automotive factories and, more recently, they’ve been introduced in horticultural pack houses. However, ‘in field’ robotics are more challenging because of the variability of the environment and products.”

Professor Duke says recent developments in computing power, algorithms and sensing, combined with advances in computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies are resolving many of the problems.

In future robots will be designed to do more than just harvest fruit and will perform other jobs such as pollination, weed spraying, thinning, transportation, quality control and pasture repair.

The University’s stand will be in the Mystery Creek Pavilion at NZ Agricultural Fieldays, which runs from 14-17 June at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.

1 Ministry for Primary Industries https://www.mpi.govt.nz/exporting/overview/growing-exports/

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