Robotics & Robotics & Imagining SystemsImagining Systems

Working Group IAutonomous Robotic Greenhouse

Workshop IIGuelph, Ontario

8 September 2005

What Industry NeedsWhat Industry Needs

Near-term requirements:• Cutting costs to remain competitive for the next 5

years• Biggest costs–harvesting!

Longer-term considerations:• Stop thinking in square metres; start thinking in

cubic metres• Cost savings up to 3.5x • The future is 3D greenhousing!

Return-on-investment horizon: Less than 3 years

EconomicsEconomics

AutomationAutomation

Automonous Robotic GreenhouseAutomonous Robotic Greenhouse

The Storyline. . .The Storyline. . .

The Grand Mission. . .The Grand Mission. . .

To automate growing operations from seed to table

The Big Question. . .The Big Question. . .

What is the science and technology required to enable cost-efficient growing operations in enclosed systems?• Logistics (moving plants vs moving equipment)• Energy considerations• Artificial intelligence• Sensing & automation• Robotics

Focus of ProposalFocus of Proposal

Development of science and technology to realize the 3D greenhouse of the future

Comparison of future conventional greenhouse operations to 3D greenhouse operations

Infrastructure:• Conventional greenhouse• Baseline 3D greenhouse, suitable for

innovative experimentation• Robotic and automated systems

Declared InterestsDeclared Interests OGVG, YorkU (3D greenhousing) OMA (cost-effective production) UofWindsor, NRC IMTI, YorkU (virtual

greenhouse modeling) Neptec, UofGuelph, UWO (imaging) Unisearch, UTMIE (3D gas analysis) Honey Electric (systems integration) UofGuelph, UTIAS, YorkU, NRC IMTI, OCE

(robotics) Niagara College (photonics) NRC IMTI (post-harvest operations) EMS, UofGuelph, UofWindsor (plant-health

monitoring)

Let’s Grow Together!Let’s Grow Together!

ParticipantsParticipants OCE: Fred Christie, Steve

Colbert NRC IMTI: Peter Orban UofWindsor: Jonathan

Wu UofGuelph: Bernie

Grodzinski, Hussein Abdullah, Javaid Iqhal

YorkU: Mavin Mandelbaum

OGVG: Shallim Khosla Hydrorganic Greenhouse:

Ed Casteels

Unisearch: Doug Beynon

Niagara College: Christine Bradaric-Baus, Marti Jurmain

UWO: John Barron EMS: Andrew Bell Honey Electric: Reg

MacDonald UTMIE: Reza Mani UTIAS: Gabriele

D’Eleuterio