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SAIA Agrobotics develops robots that can take over human tasks in greenhouses. “After years of research, the technology is now ready for commercial deployment.”<img src="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/o18fn2_Pd_Ixcc_NYKU_8_Ah_Fd_D_Cadg_Nx_C_Xgvw_J7b2_Csz_6981912c98.jpeg" alt="o18fn2PdIxccNYKU8AhFdDCadgNxCXgvwJ7b2Csz.jpeg" srcset="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/thumbnail_o18fn2_Pd_Ixcc_NYKU_8_Ah_Fd_D_Cadg_Nx_C_Xgvw_J7b2_Csz_6981912c98.jpeg 245w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/small_o18fn2_Pd_Ixcc_NYKU_8_Ah_Fd_D_Cadg_Nx_C_Xgvw_J7b2_Csz_6981912c98.jpeg 500w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/medium_o18fn2_Pd_Ixcc_NYKU_8_Ah_Fd_D_Cadg_Nx_C_Xgvw_J7b2_Csz_6981912c98.jpeg 750w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/large_o18fn2_Pd_Ixcc_NYKU_8_Ah_Fd_D_Cadg_Nx_C_Xgvw_J7b2_Csz_6981912c98.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1500" height="680">For greenhouse growers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find workers. This is mainly because much of the work in greenhouses is physically demanding and monotonous. As a result, there is a high demand for automation in this sector.<h2>Pruning and Harvesting</h2>SAIA, a tech spin-off of Wageningen University &amp; Research (WUR), focuses on automating manual tasks in greenhouses. “For example, pruning or harvesting. These tasks are often still done by hand, even though they can be performed by a robot,” says Ruud Barth. Barth is the director of SAIA and was named by the FD as one of the <a href="https://fd.nl/fd-persoonlijk/1335720/de-complete-lijst-jonge-talenten-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Young Talents of 2020</a>—innovators aged 35 or younger who are setting the tone in the Netherlands and beyond.“For a standard-sized greenhouse, that amounts to tens of millions of leaves and fruits that need to be pruned or picked each year,” Barth continues in an interview with Oost NL. “We’re seeing that robots can now gradually take over that work; the technology has improved enormously in recent times.” In doing so, SAIA looks beyond just robotics: “We’re developing an integrated system solution that also incorporates cultivation systems and variety optimization.”<blockquote>After years of research, the technology is now ready for commercial deployment. — Ruud Barth, director of SAIA</blockquote><h2>Investments</h2>SAIA Agrobotics can further develop its robotics technology with the investments it secured late last year. On the one hand, from the Thematic Technology Transfer (TTT) funds, which are structured around a partnership with the four Dutch technical universities, TNO, and RVO. On the other hand, from ION+, an innovation fund for SMEs in Gelderland, for which Oost NL serves as fund manager.Barth: “Growers can’t wait when we speak with them. With these investments, we hope to be able to offer a solution as soon as possible. Over the past twenty years, WUR has gained a great deal of experience in greenhouse horticulture using robots—we see that the technology is now ready for commercial deployment.”

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SAIA Agrobotics develops robots that can take over tasks currently performed by humans in greenhouses. “After years of research, the technology is now ready for commercial use.”