The pavilions of the International Industrial Exhibition “Innoprom” not only showcase the innovations of industrial giants but sometimes also provide a platform for startups to make their mark.
For instance, a student team from St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University presented a robot capable of harvesting strawberries from fields or multi-tiered greenhouses without human assistance.
The idea was born out of a specific request from the agricultural sector: farmers asked for a helper that could tirelessly yet carefully pick ripe fruit. After all, during harvest season, there is often a shortage of labor.
The young innovators devised a solution and tested it in a makeshift manner: they built a robot model, printed its parts on a 3D printer, equipped it with stepper motors, control boards, gearboxes, computer vision, and taught it to create a 3D map for movement using algorithms. The robot independently determines which berry to pick, how closely to approach it, and which fruit should remain on the vine.
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“This technology could be applied in various sectors of the economy, for example, the robot is ready to handle tasks in warehouse logistics and product sorting. For now, its load capacity does not exceed one kilogram, but we are prepared to improve the project,” Vladimir Davydov, co-author of the project, told “RG.”
The device can be controlled via a joystick or voice commands: the engineers enabled the manipulator to execute cycles by processing user requests through a large language model system.
The prototype has already caught the interest of more experienced colleagues in the field—developers of technological solutions from the innovation complex stand are ready to discuss joint projects.
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