Flicking through the pages of the October issue of Mushroom Business, Stalker's eye was attracted to the story of the mushroom picking robot in development.
The story mimics other such items which have surfaced down the years on the theme of robotic mushroom picking.
Two mechanically minded Dutch individuals - John Reuvers of Mehtore, and Johan Van Namen - decided to carry out some research into the harvesting of mushrooms by mechanical means. This resulted in the development of a picking vision robot according to The Biz.
At this point was thinking about the Warwick HRI robot, reported on in March 2006. Stalker also then wondered about the Axis machine that was making news in early 2004.
Ivan Doake of Axis Systems LTD, is still using his machine, somewhere in England according to Stalker's super-spy, Agent J. Word is that the machine was working so well that Ivan got into the mushroom business himself by taking over a big mushroom production outfit in England - that sure shows confidence in the "yoke".
What was once part of the Heveco empire, is now run by the robotics expert under the name of Sussex Mushrooms according to Stalker's sources.
Of course the Axis machine did/ does not use camera technology like the Warwick or Dutch machines. In the new Dutch robot, mushroom recognition, camera and laser techniques are used to help grasp the mushroom without damaging them.
It all sounds wild complicated, vision algorithms and the like being employed. However Reuvers believes the concept has been proven and that the robot can already pick mushrooms automatically, in conventional beds, without damage.
The machine still requires further mechanisation and is not yet in industrial production - but it sure sounds like the future is here already.
More details of the Champignon Plukrobot as they call it over there, at cvr.methore.nl
