Harvest Automation

Harvest Automation is a robotics company based in Andover, United States. It builds autonomous robots for the nursery and greenhouse industry, aimed at reducing labor costs and improving efficiency. The company was founded in 2008 by a team of robotics specialists. Its HV-100 robot was developed for material handling in nurseries and greenhouses, and the site says hundreds of units now operate in North America, Europe and Australia.

HV-100 features

• Autonomous navigation: the robot adapts to complex farm environments and needs no mapping or new infrastructure.
• Crew integration: it works beside existing staff, with minimal training and setup.
• Container range: the site says the robot handles all common container types and sizes, on common growing terrain.
• Power: quick-swap rechargeable batteries allow 24/7 operation.

Data and support

The HV-100 can use existing Wi-Fi to report productivity and performance statistics to managers and service staff. Harvest Automation supplies documentation and videos that cover every step needed to maintain a fleet of robots, and it offers support by phone or email. The site says the robot works in greenhouse, hoop house and open nursery settings, and notes that it needs no or minimal changes to existing infrastructure.

Operations and results

The company says its robots optimize plant placement, help growers reduce production costs and address labor shortages. The HV-100 is described as the first fully autonomous robot built to work safely alongside people in unmodified nursery and greenhouse settings. The site also features case studies from growers using the HV-100 to improve crop quality.

Key facts

• Based in: Andover, United States
• Founded: 2008
• Products: HV-100 autonomous robot
• Markets: nursery and greenhouse growers in North America, Europe and Australia