Development of an Innovative asparagus robotic harvesting technology (AsparaCut)

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UK asparagus producers are faced with an increasingly uncertain labour market for their time-sensitive harvest, especially in light of Covid-19 and Brexit since harvesting is performed predominantly by temporary overseas labourers.We propose to create an innovative, automated harvesting solution incorporating advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to resemble manual harvest (the gold standard) to overcome labour shortages. A reliable, robust and cost-effective harvesting solution such as the one proposed will empower UK asparagus growers to continue to invest in this high-value, nutritious crop, thereby reducing the reliance on high-CO2 emission imports.