Experimental development to develop a hand held blueberry harvesting aid

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The UK soft fruit industry is facing unprecedented challenges due to the uncertainty of available picking labour as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with ongoing limitations caused by the uncertainty of Brexit, the fall in the value of sterling and greater opportunities becoming available to migrant labour in mainland Europe.Given these pressures, it is now critical to develop a harvesting aid to alleviate the pressure on requiring large numbers of migrant workers and improve the industry's resilience to future disruptions. A successful aid will enable the industry to pick all available blueberries and therefore supply the UK population with blueberries which are high in antioxidants and help support the immune system. Whilst also supporting the UK economy, protecting jobs in rural areas and preventing unnecessary imports which are detrimental to the environment.We will use advanced and precision design techniques to rapidly develop a blueberry harvesting aid. We will use 3D CAD modelling, digital prototyping and 3D printing to create the harvesting aid. This project is critical to the immediate sustainability and future growth of the UK blueberry industry.