The present invention relates to a device for handling fresh fruit or vegetable products attached to a plant, comprising: means for retaining at least a first portion of a product; and means for engaging a second portion of the retained product; wherein the retaining means and engaging means are arranged such that, while a product is retained by the retaining means, the engaging means can be moved to detach the product.

A system including a first carrier configured to carry at least one first robotic system. The system also can include a second carrier configured to be coupled to a vehicle that is movable across a surface. The first carrier can be movably coupled to and carried by the second carrier. The system can be configured to automatically hold the first carrier in a first position and stationary in a first direction with respect to the surface during a first time period while the vehicle moves the second carrier in the first direction with respect to the surface during the first time period, such that at least a portion the at least one first robotic system carried by the first carrier is stationary in the first direction with respect to the surface during the first time period. Other embodiments are provided.

A system including a first carrier configured to carry at least one first robotic system. The system also can include a second carrier configured to be coupled to a vehicle that is movable across a surface. The first carrier can be movably coupled to and carried by the second carrier. The system can be configured to automatically hold the first carrier in a first position and stationary in a first direction with respect to the surface during a first time period while the vehicle moves the second carrier in the first direction with respect to the surface during the first time period, such that at least a portion the at least one first robotic system carried by the first carrier is stationary in the first direction with respect to the surface during the first time period. Other embodiments are provided.

A device for picking fruit is provided with an optical detection means and a robot arm, fitted with a gripper mechanism. The processing unit actuates the robot arm to make the gripper mechanism move about the piece of fruit to be picked from below. Once grasped, the piece of fruit to be picked is rotated in such a way about a substantially horizontal axis that the stalk of the piece of fruit comes away from the plant.

A system including a picking apparatus including at least two grippers. Each of the at least two grippers can extend radially from a central axis of the picking apparatus. Each of the at least two grippers can be configured to pick a different individual crop of crops of a plant. The system can be configured to rotate the at least two grippers of the picking apparatus around the central axis in a rotational path. The system can be configured to stop rotation of the picking apparatus when a first gripper of the at least two grippers is rotated to a picking position along the rotational path. The system can be configured to adjust an opening width of the first gripper at the picking position to pick a first individual crop of the crops of the plant. The opening width of the first gripper can be adjusted based on a size of the first individual crop to fit the first gripper around the first individual crop. Other embodiments are provided.

A harvesting vehicle including a body, a plurality of wheels coupled to the body, and a pick deck coupled to the body. The pick deck can include a plurality of picking systems configured to be carried over plants growing in at least one plant bed to harvest crops of the plants. The pick deck can include at least one sensor system configured to provide distance measurement data of a height of the pick deck over the at least one plant bed. The harvesting vehicle also includes a plurality of actuators each adjustably coupling the pick deck to the body, and a suspension control system configured to adjust at least a vertical position of the pick deck with respect to the body based at least in part on the distance measurement data. Other embodiments are described.

The present invention relates to a device for separating crop parts from crop (11), the device comprising a carrier (10) with gripping and cutting means (100). The gripping means comprise rotatable elements disposed opposite one another, between which a passage (P) is delimited for receiving the crop part. The rotatable elements comprise a pair of elongated rotors (3a, 3b) parallel to one another. Each rotor is provided with a screw profile (39) along its length and is coupled at a first longitudinal end (31) to a drive (27) for rotating the rotors when in operation. A capturing opening in the direction parallel to the rotation axes (A1, A2) at a second end (32) of the rotors. The screw profiles comprise a capturing zone portion (37) and a cutting zone portion (35). The cutting means (9) are arranged stationary adjacent to the cutting zone portion (35).

A harvesting device for harvesting horticultural produce includes a guiding member, which defines a plant passage being configured to surround the plant stem at least partially in the plant passage during use, and a cutting member, which is attached to the guiding member and which is configured to cut peduncles of the produce to separate them from the stems. The plant stems are configured to be guided inside the guiding member upon relative movements of the harvesting device along the plant stem along a longitudinal axis and the cutting member is configured to cut the peduncles that pass the guiding member during movement of the harvesting device. The harvesting device further includes a storage member, which surrounds the guiding member at least partially and which is configured to collect the produce that is separated from the plant stems.

The harvester header height control system allows automatic adjustment of the header height as the harvester moves across a field to optimize the harvest of the produce in the field. The header height control system adjusts for the topography of the field, the density and health of the plants in the field and the speed of the harvester.

A system including a picking apparatus including at least two grippers. Each of the at least two grippers is configured to pick a respective individual crop of crops of a plant. The system is configured to move the at least two grippers of the picking apparatus in a rotational path. The system is configured to stop rotation of the picking apparatus when a first gripper of the at least two grippers is moved to a picking position along the rotational path. Other embodiments are described.