The National Physical Laboratory reportedly announced that its research scientists have successfully developed imaging technology that will be used in intelligent harvesting robots that can save each farm more than $165,000 per year.

Officials at the lab claimed that the robot is under design and is intended to minimize wastage, which currently stands at 60 percent every year, and simultaneously crack an almost assured, upcoming farm-help labor shortage in and around the UK. Researchers say that one problem is a consequence of the other since every succeeding year there are fewer and fewer migrant laborers available to help collect harvest ready crops, and therefore more than 50 percent of the crops either rot or are harvested too early resulting in gross and unfortunate wastage.

NPL said its scientists are working with KMS Projects and Vegetable Harvesting Systems to transform the available technology in to an intelligent harvesting robot that can look under layers of leaves to figure out material composition, vegetable sizes and other parameters unique to each type of vegetable, and finally, of course, pluck or remove the harvestable vegetable.

The scientists are using four critical components of the electromagnetic spectrum - radio frequencies, microwaves, terahertz and the far-infra red – to look through otherwise seemingly opaque objects, an yet deliver the best technology to cost equation when compared with the costs of labor and wasted crops. The researchers very wisely first tackled the most difficult vegetation in terms of foliage cover, the cauliflower, and claim that they have achieved a major breakthrough, which are significant enough to make public their plans of developing an intelligent harvesting robot.

"The farming industry does not have access to equipment or the skills required to operate in these parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, few places do,” said Dr Richard Dudley, project lead for intelligent harvesting robot at NPL. “That is why KMS Projects and VHS came to NPL to utilise the world class expertise and equipment that we have on site to try and address this problem. Our aim is to develop a unique new automated harvesting machine that will dramatically improve productivity in the UK and global farming industry and ultimately benefit consumers through cheaper food in the supermarkets."

NPL claims it first measured many cauliflower sizes using modified microwave measurement systems, and concluded on an average statistical range deemed appropriate for plucking. Its researchers then allowed for parameter uncertainties and developed an algorithm to instantly asses the size of the cauliflower, and were able to give a successful demo at the Fanuc Robotics site in Coventry using actual cauliflowers, lettuces and other similar crops.

The resulting real time success has led to further commercial support from G's, one of the largest lettuces grower in the UK, to take the project forward and develop the complete product, which could be available as early as next year, said NPL officials.

For those interested in other examples of reported Robotics are TMCnet reported on a space robotic arm that is mounted atop the Space Shuttles to inspect the space craft’s solar panels and replace if required; robotic, microscopic, pin-point accuracy, insertion and navigation of catheters within the human body to rectify differently beating hearts, or arrhythmias; a first generation prototype robot capable of following receiving, interpreting and responding accurately to hand signals, body motion and verbal commands; packaging robots that top load fresh and frozen food at 50 to 240 per minute; and, filling IV bottles and syringes at hospitals.