An automated mushroom harvesting system for mounting to a vertical mushroom rack comprises a robot having a frame mounted to a vertical carriage assembly. A SCARA arm is slidably mounted to the vertical carriage assembly by a vertical stage, operable to move the SCARA arm along a vertical mast. The SCARA arm moves the end effector in a horizontal plane for harvesting mushrooms, above the surface of the mushroom bed and into and out of the confines of the mushroom rack, and the vertical stage moves the SCARA arm in a vertical direction so as to access the mushrooms in a bed and to access mushroom beds on different levels of the vertical mushroom rack. An end effector having a helically reinforced neck and a graduated elasticity modulus, with a lower elasticity modulus in the neck and a higher elasticity in the cup, is also provided.

An automated mushroom harvesting system for mounting to a vertical mushroom rack comprises a robot having a frame mounted to a vertical carriage assembly. A SCARA arm is slidably mounted to the vertical carriage assembly by a vertical stage, operable to move the SCARA arm along a vertical mast. The SCARA arm moves the end effector in a horizontal plane for harvesting mushrooms, above the surface of the mushroom bed and into and out of the confines of the mushroom rack, and the vertical stage moves the SCARA arm in a vertical direction so as to access the mushrooms in a bed and to access mushroom beds on different levels of the vertical mushroom rack. An end effector having a helically reinforced neck and a graduated elasticity modulus, with a lower elasticity modulus in the neck and a higher elasticity in the cup, is also provided.

The present invention relates to a system for growing mushrooms, comprising a shelving, comprising multiple support beds for holding compost and casing soil arranged above each other, a picking platform for harvesters, the platform movable with at least a vertical directional component along the shelving and a harvesting conveyor, comprising a harvesting conveyor belt that extends at least partially along the beds and is supported by a number of guides, along which the harvesting conveyor is movable, wherein at least one of the guides is coupled to the shelving; and at least one of the guides is coupled to the picking platform and is movable together with the platform with at least a vertical directional component.

The present invention relates to a system for growing mushrooms, comprising a shelving, comprising multiple support beds for holding compost and casing soil arranged above each other, a picking platform for harvesters, the platform movable with at least a vertical directional component along the shelving and a harvesting conveyor, comprising a harvesting conveyor belt that extends at least partially along the beds and is supported by a number of guides, along which the harvesting conveyor is movable, wherein at least one of the guides is coupled to the shelving; and at least one of the guides is coupled to the picking platform and is movable together with the platform with at least a vertical directional component.

There are provided a system, method(s), and apparatus comprising multiple interacting machines and sub-systems for autonomously/automatically, semi-autonomously/semi-automatically and/or manually harvesting items such as mushrooms from a mushroom bed, wherein the yield and quality of the harvest can be improved over standard methods of harvesting. The system may be referred to as a “harvesting and packing system”, having multiple interacting sub-systems, machines or apparatus to transport and position a harvester at different levels of a multi-layered growing bed, operate the harvester to scan and harvest items from the growing beds, and transfer harvested or “picked” items such as mushrooms to a packer having a stem cutter, discard bin(s) and collection bin(s) to enable fully autonomous harvesting and packing.

There are provided a system, method(s), and apparatus comprising multiple interacting machines and sub-systems for autonomously/automatically, semi-autonomously/semi-automatically and/or manually harvesting items such as mushrooms from a mushroom bed, wherein the yield and quality of the harvest can be improved over standard methods of harvesting. The system may be referred to as a “harvesting and packing system”, having multiple interacting sub-systems, machines or apparatus to transport and position a harvester at different levels of a multi-layered growing bed, operate the harvester to scan and harvest items from the growing beds, and transfer harvested or “picked” items such as mushrooms to a packer having a stem cutter, discard bin(s) and collection bin(s) to enable fully autonomous harvesting and packing.

An apparatus for cultivating plants, including mushrooms, is provided that includes at least one tilt-able plant cultivation module coupled to at least one horizontal support unit by at least one hydraulic unit. The at least one horizontal support unit is coupled to a vertical support unit. The tilt-able plant cultivation module further includes a frame and a plant cultivation tray. The frame of the tilt-able plant cultivation module and the at least one horizontal support unit is coupled manually, hydraulically, or pneumatically. The tilt-able plant cultivation module tilts at a desirable angle which facilitates and makes the plant harvesting process more convenient for a worker without affecting the under cultivated plants. The worker is enabled to look closer to the tilt-able plant cultivation module that in turn allows the worker to select plants to be harvested.

An apparatus for cultivating plants, including mushrooms, is provided that includes at least one tilt-able plant cultivation module coupled to at least one horizontal support unit by at least one hydraulic unit. The at least one horizontal support unit is coupled to a vertical support unit. The tilt-able plant cultivation module further includes a frame and a plant cultivation tray. The frame of the tilt-able plant cultivation module and the at least one horizontal support unit is coupled manually, hydraulically, or pneumatically. The tilt-able plant cultivation module tilts at a desirable angle which facilitates and makes the plant harvesting process more convenient for a worker without affecting the under cultivated plants. The worker is enabled to look closer to the tilt-able plant cultivation module that in turn allows the worker to select plants to be harvested.

A mushroom handling apparatus includes a frame, a mushroom transfer device, and a first guide extending around mushroom growing beds. Mushroom holders are mounted at spaced locations along the first guide. A drive moves the mushroom holders to transfer mushrooms between growing beds and a mushroom transfer region. A mushroom handling device adjacent the transfer device incorporates a second guide that at least partially overlaps the first guide in the transfer region. Mushroom grippers are mounted on the second guide, the mushroom holders and mushroom grippers being indexed on the guides such that the grippers are aligned with respective mushroom holders in the transfer region to transfer the mushrooms from the holders to the grippers. A lift adjusts the height of the frame with respect to vertically tiered shelving to bring the mushroom transfer device and mushroom handling device into vertical alignment with selected vertically tiered growing beds.

Provided herein are mycelium materials and methods for production thereof. In some embodiments, a composition includes: a substrate; a mycelium material; and a perforated material, wherein the perforated material is positioned above the substrate. Methods of producing such a composition are also provided.