Muddy Machines’ robotic harvester life-saver for UK asparagus

Agri-tech start-up Muddy Machines has developed an automated asparagus harvesting platform capable of distinguishing spears from weeds, even under challenging field conditions. The robot uses an automated gripper arm to cut the asparagus that is within the grower’s spec and place it in a container, and it can predict yields, thereby increasing the value of the crop. 
Florian Richter, Founder and CEO of Muddy Machines, says: “Timing is everything for the asparagus crop and we are working on getting a commercial robot in the field for next season. 
“We are also looking at other crops, such as tenderstem broccoli, following an Innovate UK grant, and would like to talk to farmers and growers at REAP about their challenges and the opportunities for automation and improved data collection. 
“We have had an enthusiastic response to our pre-seed funding round with robotics-focussed investors and we’re now looking at additional equity and grant funding opportunities.”  
Find out more at muddymachines.com  

REAP 2021: Changing Time(s) for Agriculture – 10th November 2021

Imagine a world where agriculture is not constrained by time. The ability to manage and manipulate time is increasing and REAP 2021 will explore the advances in technology and breakthroughs in science that is making this possible.
REAP brings together people from across the agri-tech ecosystem who believe that innovation is the engine for change. The conference bridges the gap between producer needs and technology solutions and showcases exciting agri-tech start-ups.