Teaching robots to harvest asparagus

Asparagus is one of the most labor-intensive crops on the market. Harvesting demands extreme precision—the terrain is uneven, and the stalks are thin and of varying length. These challenges inhibit automation, leading to currently available harvesting robots being too slow and inefficient. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a robot prototype that detects and localizes ripe green asparagus while moving at a commercially attractive speed. Further testing is planned to develop the harvesting ability of the robot.