Harvest CROO (Computerized Robotic Optimized Obtainer) was launched in the US in 2012 to create a solution to the dwindling labor force in agriculture.
Back then creator Gary Wishnatzki and co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Bob Pitzer, developed a ground breaking automated way to pick strawberries – previously a high labour intensive job.
Nearly four years on Harvest CROO Robotics continues to develop and test the latest technology for agricultural robotics.
The Harvest prototype can – in an actual working strawberry field – identify, select and pick only ripe strawberries while leaving unripe strawberries and plants unharmed.
The use of this technology will improve the quality of the berries picked, reduce energy usage, and increase strawberry yields by at least 10 percent.
Using the prototype last season, the picking rate was eight seconds per plant. With further improvements this season, that rate is projected to be cut in half.
Earlier this year the National Science Foundation awarded a grant worth up to $1 million to help further develop the company’s groundbreaking technology.
The grant is to be administered in two phases.
The Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I awards Harvest CROO $225,000 to use in continued research and development of the innovative robotic strawberry picker.
“The grant will allow us to hire additional qualified staff members,” said Mark Brown, CFO of Harvest CROO Robotics.said Brown. “This will help us to better solve one of the last remaining technical hurdles of bringing the harvester to market.”
Harvest CROO Robotics will also investigate and develop software and hardware tools to orchestrate a team of robotic subsystems. The goal is to meet the speed and cost requirements of a commercially viable robotic strawberry harvester.
“This generous grant helps us move the project forward,” said Gary Wishnatzki, co-founder of Harvest CROO Robotics and owner of Wish Farms. “Working, in the field, with the mobile platform this strawberry season will allow us to analyze results and develop improvements.”
To learn more about Harvest CROO Robotics, including investment opportunities, contact [email protected] or visit www.harvestcroorobotics.com.
