Why robots still can't pick strawberries

Summary

The video examines why strawberry picking remains difficult to automate, despite advances in agricultural technology. At the time of filming—and in the presenter’s later update—no strawberry-picking machine appeared to be harvesting faster and more cheaply than people at commercial scale.

Farming systems and techniques

• Water management: Essex is one of England’s driest areas, so Tiptree stores water in reservoirs for use through the summer. The farm also has an on-site solar farm.
• Traditional crops: Mulberries and medlars are grown and harvested by people. Medlars are used in preserves such as jelly.
• Raised strawberry growing: In the farm’s third-generation system, strawberries grow above ground in containers filled with crushed coconut husk, a by-product of coconut processing. Keeping plants off the ground helps reduce weeds and the need for herbicides.
• Biological pest control: Predatory mites—tiny arachnids—eat pests that attack strawberry plants, reducing the need for some insecticides.
• UV treatment: UVC light is used at night to help control fungal problems. Because UVC can seriously harm people’s eyes and skin, the equipment must not be operated near people.
• Climate-controlled growing: The fourth-generation system grows strawberries in a greenhouse, where sensors and controls manage irrigation, pumps, airflow and windows. Plants can produce fruit for about six months, with flowers developing into berries that ripen in succession.
• Moving growing rows: Long rows of plants hang from winches and move vertically, making them easier to access without adding extra layers that would compete for available sunlight.
• Plant breeding: New strawberry cultivars are developed by cross-breeding varieties for desired traits. Depending on their intended use, varieties can be selected for qualities such as firmness, size, long growing seasons or flavour.

Why strawberry-picking robots struggle

Picking a ripe strawberry involves more than recognizing a red fruit. A robot must locate the berry among leaves and other fruit, identify its stem in three-dimensional space, determine whether it can reach it, and cut it without damaging the berry or nearby plants. Humans do this with rapid coordination and touch-based feedback; replicating that capability can make robots expensive.

The University of Essex team demonstrates a robot using a deep-learning vision model and off-the-shelf components. It sometimes picks strawberries successfully, but its performance is inconsistent. Other systems may be costly, slow or dependent on custom equipment. The presenter notes that farms struggle to recruit enough seasonal pickers, but expects robots to need more development before they are competitive with human workers.

Researchers and sources featured

• Andrey — Tiptree farm manager.
• Ella — Agricultural mechatronics technician at Antobot.
• Dr Vishuu — University of Essex researcher developing a strawberry-picking robot.
• Daniel — Dr Vishuu’s colleague on the robotics project.
• University of Essex — Robotics research team.
• Antobot — Robotics company associated with the UVC-treatment robot.
• Wilkin & Sons Limited (Tiptree) — Farm and preserve producer featured in the video.
• Destin, from “Farmers Are Geniuses” — Source of a remark quoted by the presenter.
• 80,000 Hours — Career-advice organization mentioned in the sponsorship segment.