GRoW multipurpose robotic system will reduce the dependence on human labour in greenhouse vegetable production

tomato

Image: GRoW multipurpose robotic system will address the issue of human labour in greenhouse vegetable production. Photo: courtesy of Detonator from Pixabay.

Trendlines Group portfolio company MetoMotion has secured a $1.5m funding for its Greenhouse Robotic Worker (GRoW) system.

The company has received funding in an investment round led by a Netherlands-based company related to the greenhouse industry.

Greenhouses are currently struggling with two critical problems – increasing labour shortages and lack of skilled labour.

As labour costs account for 50% of total greenhouse production costs, the growers intend to use technology to address the labour issues.

MetoMotion CEO Adi Nir said: “We are very excited to have a strategic investor aboard. Our Netherlands-based investor’s combined resources and rich knowledge of the greenhouse industry will provide us with an outstanding opportunity to develop our system with the right fit for the market.

“We can bring our first product to the market and offer farmers a valuable solution to one of the most urgent issues they face in vegetable production today.”

GRoW multipurpose robotic system for labour-intensive tasks in greenhouses

MetoMotion has developed GRoW multipurpose robotic system for labour-intensive tasks in greenhouses and decrease dependence on human labour in greenhouse vegetable production.

GRoW system features robotics and automation technology, including advanced 3D vision system and machine vision algorithms to identify and locate the ripe fruit, and multiple, custom-designed robotic arms.

The system is also provided with an end-effector for damage-free harvesting, as well as an onboard boxing system.

MetoMotion has designed the autonomous vehicle for seamless integration with existing greenhouse infrastructure.

The company can also use its robotic technology in other labour-intensive greenhouse tasks such as pruning, pollination, de-leafing and data collection for cultivation analysis.

The Netherlands-based strategic partner said: “We are very pleased to take part in MetoMotion’s development as we believe that MetoMotion has the ability to bring the first autonomous tomato picking robot to the market. This development will radically change current greenhouse practices and will provide many benefits for growers to grow their businesses further.”