New technologies have the potential to transform any sector, including the most traditional ones. The Catalan company Enkitek has designed a robot that monitors the cultivation of fruits and vegetables in soilless agriculture, those that primarily use hydroponic techniques. Using 3D sensors and Artificial Intelligence, it tracks the quality and ripeness of the pieces and collects them, with a design conceived to complement traditional labor and optimize productivity.
The first operations are being carried out with the harvesting of strawberries in hydroponic cultivation, although the system adapts to all types of fruits and vegetables. "Automation through robotics and AI is a high value-added tool for the agricultural sector, because it will allow boosting soilless cultivation and addressing problems such as lack of fertile land or possible drought episodes," said Enkitek CEO, Víctor Canton.
The robot used by Enkitek incorporates a device that, working together with a computer, is capable of executing an AI model capable of locating the fruit, determining its state of ripeness, and also possible defects from an RGB camera. If the product is viable for harvesting, the same robot, with a stereoscopic 3D camera, determines its location within the crop and calculates the optimal position to cut the stem and collect it.
The company, which has received support from the Generalitat through a 10,000 euro grant from Acció, has eight employees in Barberà del Vallès. Founded in 2021, it is currently focused on attracting clients in Catalonia and other territories to commercially deploy its technology.