Fieldwork Robotics signs collaboration agreement with Burro
Fieldwork Robotics Ltd., developers of selective, adaptive and modular harvesting robots, has signed a collaboration agreement with manufacturer of autonomous and collaborative mobile robot platforms, Burro.
Raspberry growers are particularly impacted by the significant and growing labour crisis affecting the agricultural sector. As cost of labour grows driven by minimum wage increases and availability of labour remains pressured, growers are looking towards innovation to mitigate against labour cost headwinds and against the inevitable greater challenge of seasonal worker availability in the future.
However, even when growers are keen to integrate robotics into their harvesting practice to try and abate increasing costs, they face problems with initial cost of equipment and lack of compatibility between different technologies.
Interoperability between different kinds of technology is an essential step in ensuring farmers and growers can integrate robotics into their operations in a way that is efficient and cost effective for them.
The Fieldworker 1: Interoperable and base agnostic
The working partnership has produced a base agnostic payload that can run on multiple bases, including Burro’s, providing farmers with an affordable, efficient and interoperable solution to their harvesting needs. The payload of the Fieldworker 1 integrates with other autonomous robots, and this interoperability has been developed and demonstrated in partnership with Burro.
Other compatible brands include OxDrive, specialists in the design and manufacture of robust, integrated, electric drives.
Burro is a leading developer of fully autonomous robotic platforms. Their model incorporates machine learning, high precision GPS and ‘Pop-Up Autonomy™’ to create a high-quality autonomous platform that transports produce from A to B around the field.
Like Fieldwork, Burro’s technology is designed to enhance agricultural work and support growers struggling with a lack of available labour. Burro has recently raised a $24m Series B funding round and has strong platform success across Fieldwork’s target markets, making them an ideal partner for the company.
