Innovative robotics and additive manufacturing are transforming the future of fruit picking.
In a bid to address mounting challenges in the agricultural sector, Dogtooth Technologies, a UK-based agri-robotics company, is making waves with its intelligent, autonomous fruit harvesting robots. These cutting-edge machines, designed to work alongside human labourers, are rapidly gaining attention for their potential to revolutionise the picking of soft fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes.
Founded with the vision of tackling critical labour shortages, reducing food waste, and improving efficiency, Dogtooth’s mission resonates strongly at a time when the agriculture industry faces increasing pressure to optimise operations and secure food supply chains. The company’s robots promise to deliver a complete alternative to traditional human picking, combining state-of-the-art machine learning and computer vision technologies to identify, select, and harvest ripe fruits with near-human dexterity and care.
What sets Dogtooth’s robotic harvesters apart is their ability to autonomously navigate crop rows, locate and pick delicate berries without inflicting damage, and even inspect and package the fruit immediately after harvesting. This streamlined process eliminates the need for multiple handling stages, which can compromise fruit quality, and allows the robots to work efficiently during cooler overnight hours, thereby enhancing the shelf life of the produce. The result is a significant reduction in waste and a boost in productivity, offering tangible benefits to farmers grappling with staff shortages and the unpredictable demands of seasonal work.
The construction of these advanced robots reflects a sophisticated hybrid manufacturing approach. While Dogtooth incorporates standard, off-the-shelf components when feasible, the heart of their innovation lies in custom-engineered solutions. Among these, 3D printed parts play a pivotal role. Utilising vacuum casting for smaller production runs and 3D printing for complex, lightweight, and rapidly iterated components, the company has been able to push the boundaries of robotic performance and adaptability.
Key to this manufacturing success is a partnership with 3D People, a specialist in rapid additive manufacturing. Sasha Bruml and Felix Manley, founders of 3D People, have positioned their firm as an essential supplier for Dogtooth, providing bespoke polymer components on demand. Harnessing advanced powder bed fusion (PBF) technologies such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), 3D People enables Dogtooth to iterate quickly and deploy functional parts suitable for real-world testing. This agility ensures that Dogtooth can respond to the evolving challenges of agricultural environments while maintaining a reliable and cost-effective supply chain.
With short lead times and the ability to produce uniquely tailored components at scale, 3D printing is proving invaluable for Dogtooth’s ongoing development. As the technology matures, the collaboration between Dogtooth and 3D People shows how additive manufacturing is driving innovation in agri-tech, offering farmers practical solutions to industry-wide problems and paving the way for a smarter, more sustainable future in food production.
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