Abundant Robotics, an American startup at a Silicon Valley research institute, is preparing to pick apples with its robotic harvester.

The technology has been developing since 2016. Tests of the robotic harvester were conducted in the gardens of T & G, the largest New Zealand apple exporter. And this season, the robot will work in the apple orchards of Washington, USA.

A robotic harvester picks apples using suction cups. He is able to navigate independently, deciding which apples are ripe, collect them and transfer them to a bucket without damaging the fruits or trees. Thanks to its design, the combine is able to work in gardens of various types and densities.

In the future, the company plans to provide a robotic combine for rent to farmers. The final cost of the service is unknown, but Dan Stear, CEO of Abundant Robotics, is confident that this solution will be beneficial to the industry.

For information, there are more and more robots in agriculture. Around the world, the agro-industrial sector is experiencing labor shortages. The average age of the farmer is increasing, and young people are not willing to work in this industry.

The shortage of workers is made up by robots that weed, pick berries, vegetables, fruits and greens, and also monitor the condition of plants.