Ripe Robotics’ fruit picking robot almost ready for harvesting

Ripe Robotics’ fruit picking robot called Eve edges closer to orchard trials, with development of the fifth version of the robot taking place over the last few months. “We’ve undergone some pretty massive design changes recently,” Hunter Jay, CEO of Ripe Robotics told APAL, Australia’s national peak industry body for apple and pear growers.

Also read: Ripe Robotics starts trials with fruit picking robot Eve

New end-effector

According to Hunter Jay the end-effector has been changed. “Previously we had big tubes which worked well on a small scale, when we were picking apples of up to a couple of hundred, there was no problem. But a stick might become lodged every couple of hundred, which is still far too often. A stick every 10,000 apples is still too frequent.” A smaller suction cap now wraps around the fruit, which is to prevent sticks from getting lodged.

Ripe Robotics told APAL they‘re hoping to get into the orchard late this season for picking Pink Lady apples, and then oranges.