Platinum Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design · 2024
Automatic Harvester Robot
- A' Design Award 2024 Platinum Winner in Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Denso Corporation
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 1,748,134
- Verification code BDF7384154 · Verify this award
About Automatic Harvester Robot
Automatic is a harvesting robot made for large-scale horticultural facilities. Automatic moves along rails laid out in the greenhouse and uses cameras and sensors to judge which cherry tomatoes are ripe. An extending arm cuts whole bunches and places them in a towed box. Work can continue at night, which eases labor shortages during peak harvest periods. Rounded surfaces and a pearlescent finish soften the appearance, and indicator eyes visible from any angle show the direction of travel. Obstacles are detected so the machine stops safely.
DENSO DESIGN's Automatic Harvester Robot emerges within the broader context of agricultural automation that has increasingly defined twenty-first century approaches to food production sustainability, representing a thoughtful synthesis of industrial design principles with the practical demands of horticultural labor, the work depicted here demonstrates how contemporary robotics can be integrated into organic growing environments with sensitivity to both functional requirements and aesthetic considerations, the design achieves notable compositional clarity through its modular organization wherein the mobile base provides stable locomotion while the articulated arm offers the dexterity necessary for selective harvesting tasks that require nuanced assessment of fruit ripeness, the chromatic strategy of neutral white housing appears deliberately chosen to maintain visual harmony within the verdant greenhouse environment while simultaneously signaling the technological sophistication and hygienic standards associated with food handling equipment, technically the integration of sensing apparatus visible at the arm terminus suggests advanced machine vision capabilities that enable the precise discrimination necessary for harvesting operations, thematically this work invites contemplation of the evolving relationship between human agricultural traditions and emerging technological capabilities where automation serves not to replace but to augment human endeavor in addressing challenges of labor availability and production efficiency, the presence of a human worker in the background reinforces this collaborative rather than replacement paradigm, iconographically the abundant tomato harvest surrounding the machine evokes classical cornucopia imagery suggesting prosperity through the marriage of natural abundance with technological ingenuity, the ordered rows of cultivation speak to humanity's ancient project of cultivating nature while the robotic presence signals contemporary extensions of this enduring impulse, viewers might consider how such technological interventions reshape our understanding of agricultural work and the production of sustenance in an era of increasing population demands and environmental considerations.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- With a declining number of farmers worldwide, time-consuming harvesting is one area to save manpower. That is why we designed this robot to offer peace of mind when interacting with it. It features eyes that can be seen from any angle, indicating its travel direction and giving it a friendly image while its rounded top surface and pearlescent finish make it unintimidating. Its system allows it to detect obstacles and stop safely, and its top surface is free of bumps where dirt can accumulate.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 1230mm×1320mm×930mm
(not including cutters, cables)
Chassis weight 300 kg - Tags
- automated harvesting, robot, AgriD, cherry tomato, horticulture facility, DENSO, DENSO Design
- Production Technology
- A new level of harvesting technology has been reached via DENSO's unique image processing and robot hand technology.
1. A modular configuration was used for high versatility and to ensure cost reduction and a low barrier to entry.
2. For cleanliness, the top surface has as few recesses for water or dirt to collect as possible and cables are not exposed.
3. To ensure people can work safely with the robot, it features status indicator lights and has a system to detect obstacles and stop safely. - Design Challenge
- In its early development the robot was angular in shape due to its internal mechanisms and complicated wiring. This combined with its large body size gave it less-than-friendly impression. To create one, we began with the internals, trying to devise a frame layout to achieve a rounded shape while maintaining functionality, and to configure the parts to reduce volume. Also, to facilitate human-robot communication, we designed indicator lights to be visible, so that they would meet peoples' eyes.
- Project Duration
- Design development fully underway in March, 2019.
News released in March, 2020.
Demonstration unit begins operation at AgriD in Inabe City, Mie Prefecture, Japan - Operation Flow
- This robot harvests cherry tomatoes for large-scale horticultural facilities. It moves automatically along rails laid out in a path on the farm and uses cameras and sensors to which cherry tomatoes are ripe for harvesting. The robot's arm can extend and cut off an entire bunch of tomatoes, which is then placed in a box pulled by the robot. It can even work at night when no one is around, contributing to labor savings, addressing labor shortages, and increasing harvest volume.
- Research
- Denso's goal is to integrate the entire greenhouse process into a system allowing people to do the work best suited to them, while machines do the work best suited to machines, providing local farmers with a lively workplace.
The system uses cameras and AI technology to detect bunches, judge ripeness and automatically harvest.
Replacing some of the work done by people with machines during peak harvest times reduces the burden on workers so they can work efficiently and not overtax themselves. - Inspiration
- The world population is set to exceed 10 billion by 2050, bringing an increased demand for food. Food shortages will likely intensify in places with growing populations like Asia and Africa, as some areas are not suitable for agriculture. Japan and other developed countries are facing problems like fewer agricultural workers due to an aging and declining population and widespread food waste. By solving these, DENSO's goal is to reform the entire food value chain toward a sustainable society.
- Image Credits
- Image #1:Designer Yuko Kanda, 2020, Design Division, DENSO CORPORATION / Image #2-#5:2020,Public Relations Division, DENSO CORPORATION