MetoMotion

MetoMotion is an Israeli supplier of advanced robotics for precision greenhouse harvesting. Its GRoW system identifies ripe fruit, picks it and packs it directly into a box. The company is based in Yokne'am Illit, Israel. Its platform targets high-tech greenhouse growers facing labour shortages, rising input costs and spoilage.

How the GRoW robot works

• Driverless vehicle: moves between greenhouse rows, detecting crops to harvest and packing tasks.
• Dual robotic arms: harvest both sides of each row.
• End-effector: picks fruit without damaging it.
• Onboard boxing: packs crops into standard industry boxes.
• 3D vision: captures high-resolution colour images for crop identification and grading.
• Analysis software: provides real-time crop data for yield forecasts and distribution analysis.

Greenhouse results

The site says the platform is meant to replace repetitive, labour-intensive tasks and to improve crop yield while using fewer resources. It also says that fewer people moving through the crop limits the spread of disease. The site also says the collected data can help growers improve output and optimise post-harvest operations and sales planning. The site also cites spoilage, wastage and inflationary cost pressures as the problems the robot is meant to reduce. The company notes that the project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme.

Yield and grading

The site claims the platform can raise crop yield by up to 15 per cent. Its vision system takes high-resolution colour images, which the analysis software uses for grading as well as crop identification. The site also describes an automated packing step that places crops into standard boxes at harvest, which it presents as a way to reduce spoilage.

Key facts

• Based in: Yokne'am Illit, Israel
• Products: GRoW autonomous greenhouse robot
• Markets: Commercial greenhouse growers