New Robots Developed to Harvest Lettuce for First Time

A robot that can pick ripe strawberries at an expo in Tokyo in 2013. Photo: AFP
A robot that can pick ripe strawberries at an expo in Tokyo in 2013. Photo: AFP
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New Robots Developed to Harvest Lettuce for First Time

A robot that can pick ripe strawberries at an expo in Tokyo in 2013. Photo: AFP
A robot that can pick ripe strawberries at an expo in Tokyo in 2013. Photo: AFP

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a robot that harvests lettuce. Although the prototype named "Vegebot" is nowhere near as fast or efficient as a human worker, it can be considered an achievement in the agriculture robotics field, as described in a study published in the latest issue of The Journal of Field Robotics journal.

Crops such as potatoes and wheat have been harvested mechanically at scale for decades, but many other crops such as iceberg lettuce have to date resisted automation, for two reasons: they can be easily damaged and grow relatively flat to the ground, presenting a challenge for robotic harvesters. Yet, these two problems have been addressed with the new robot.

At the moment, harvesting is the only part of the lettuce life cycle that is done manually, and it's very physically demanding. The researchers also hope Vegebot will contribute to a reduction in costs.

The robot first identifies the 'target' crop within its field of vision, then determines whether particular lettuce is healthy and ready to be harvested, and finally cuts the lettuce from the rest of the plant without crushing it so that it is 'supermarket ready'.

The Vegebot has two main components: a computer vision system and a cutting system. The overhead camera on the Vegebot takes an image of the lettuce field and first identifies all the lettuces in the image, and then for each lettuce, classifies whether it should be harvested or not. Lettuce might be rejected because it's not yet mature, or it might have a disease that could spread to other lettuces in the harvest.

A second camera on the Vegebot is positioned near the cutting blade and helps ensure a smooth cut.

In an email he sent to Asharq Al-Awsat, co-author Josie Hughes admits that: "The robot is slower than human in lettuce harvesting. For a human, the entire process takes a couple of seconds, but it's a really challenging problem for a robot. However, reducing the dependency on humans may help shrink the expenditures, and that's why the new robot is considered economically efficient. "

"We've still got to speed our Vegebot up; however, we plan to market the prototype, which is still being tested before deploying it in fields."



Research: Walking 7,000 Steps a Day a Huge Boost to Health

Step up: Walking even just a little more every day could have big health benefits. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File
Step up: Walking even just a little more every day could have big health benefits. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File
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Research: Walking 7,000 Steps a Day a Huge Boost to Health

Step up: Walking even just a little more every day could have big health benefits. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File
Step up: Walking even just a little more every day could have big health benefits. Tolga Akmen / AFP/File

People who walk 7,000 steps a day have a dramatically lower risk of a broad range of serious health problems, the largest review of the evidence yet said Thursday.

The most widely promoted target for people tracking their number of steps is 10,000 -- but that figure reportedly originally came from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer, AFP said.

To find a more scientific target, an international team of researchers sifted through 57 previous studies that covered 160,000 people.

The results published in the Lancet Public Health journal found that walking 7,000 steps a day nearly halved people's risk of early death from all causes, compared to 2,000 steps.

The study also looked into health problems not previously covered by research into step counts.

Walking 7,000 steps a day was linked to people's risk of dementia falling by 38 percent, depression dropping 22 percent and diabetes decreasing 14 percent.

It was also associated with lower rates of cancer and falls, though the researchers warned this was based on less evidence.

"You don't need to hit 10,000 steps a day to get major health benefits," Paddy Dempsey, a study co-author and medical researcher at Cambridge University, told AFP.

"The biggest gains happen before 7,000 steps, and then benefits tend to level off," he said.

While people's speeds vary widely, 7,000 steps adds up to roughly an hour of walking throughout the day.

Dempsey emphasized that people already managing 10,000 or more steps should keep it up.

But he had a message for people who might find 7,000 steps daunting: "don't be discouraged".

"If you're only getting 2,000–3,000 steps a day, aim to add an extra 1,000 steps. That's just 10–15 minutes of light walking spread across the day," he said.

Andrew Scott, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, said that "it demonstrates that overall more is always better".

"People should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days where activity is limited," he added.

The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity a week. Nearly a third of people worldwide do not reach this target, according to the WHO.