Development of a selective broccoli harvester

Development of a selective broccoli harvester

Purpose/Primary Objective To improve the efficiency and sustainability of broccoli production through the development of mechanical harvesting technology Scope The proposed programme will cover the following research area within the context of UK horticulture

Field Robotics: Development of a selective broccoli harvester to working prototype. The harvesting apparatus will be required to: a) Detect broccoli heads in a field situation in all light conditions (the ability to harvest at night can be beneficial).

b) Measure broccoli heads to determine compliance with market specification, primarily in terms of size. The ability to discriminate quality is also beneficial to enable rejection of discoloured and damaged heads.

c) Selectively harvest specification-compliant broccoli heads without causing damage to out-of-specification heads and transport to an appropriate container or conveyor.

d) Be suitable for field use in all but the most severe weather conditions.