A new challenge in which we participate from Ingro together with some of the best European innovators such as CT TECNOVA and ROBOTNIK AUTOMATION.
The aim is to develop a universal and adaptable system for automated grafting for seedlings based on anthropomorphic robots.
The full name of the project is INJER-ЯOBOTS: UNIVERSAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR GRAFTING OF SEEDLING and it is funded by the call for experiments of the ECHORD ++ project, funded by the Seventh Framework Program of the European Commission.
Grafting in the horticultural seedling industry is a common practice done by hand, with the aim of achieving a stronger and more productive plant. Currently, the grafting of seedlings is a very important part of the horticultural production industry in Europe, representing the nightshade market (tomato, pepper and eggplant) up to 38% of world production, with more than 200 million plants grafted annually , and cucurbits (watermelon, melon and cucumber) commercialize up to 47% of world production, with more than 120 million plants grafted annually.
The objective of INJER-ЯOBOTS is to realize a universal and flexible robotic system for the grafting of horticultural seedlings, based on the cooperative work of two anthropomorphic robots supported by artificial vision and external devices. The key strategy of this approach is based on two main concepts: (1) the application of grafting techniques on several species with a single robotic system, which allows the reduction of downtime between commercial seasons, and (2) the precise control of the grafting process taking advantage of the precision and repeatability of commercial robotic arms.
INJER-ЯOBOTS will try to solve a horticultural problem by introducing equipment, techniques and work practices that had not been previously applied for the grafting of seedlings, generating results in evolved equipment with respect to existing systems and that respond to the needs of nurseries and farmers.
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