NVSU students have developed an autonomous harvesting robot for greenhouse farms. The device is capable of harvesting tomatoes around the clock without damaging the fruits and can replace up to six people in production.

The robot is a five-axis manipulator with two types of grippers: vacuum – for careful harvesting of individual fruits, and cutting with heat treatment – for plum-shaped varieties. The device is equipped with a high-resolution camera that recognizes tomatoes, determines the degree of ripeness and the health of the plant, and is also able to detect fruits under the leaves.

The robot's expertise is provided by a microcomputer with an extensive database of tomato photographs. Thanks to this, the device knows dozens of varieties and quickly makes a decision about harvesting. The grip is performed using silicone tentacles resembling the structure of human skin. Built-in microsensors control the compression force, allowing the fruit not to be damaged and to be carefully placed in the pallet.

According to developer Anton Vlasenko, the device moves autonomously around the greenhouse, runs on replaceable batteries, and can operate for days. A industrial version of the robot has now been created, which is planned to be supplied to agro-industrial complexes. The inventors already have partners ready to implement the robots in their greenhouses within a year. Currently, the model is being refined: navigation is being improved, a second tentacle is being added, and the appearance is being optimized.