Adev Automation, Inc. is a robotics start-up located in Dayton, Ohio. We are working to lower the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables to make these healthy foods more accessible to people of all incomes. Labor shortages affecting farms across the US are the primary cause of these increased prices making it difficult for farmers to predict their costs. Adev Automation will be able to reduce harvesting costs through the increased use automation in fruit and vegetable harvests across the country. Our plan is to reduce labor costs with a networked fleet of cost-effective electric autonomous robots which will create a robust all weather harvesting solution which will drive down costs for fruit and vegetable farmers.
Adev Automation Vision: Provide strawberry robotic harvesting services to mitigate the impact of labor shortages on farmers and decrease food waste.
Problem: 20% of strawberries in the US are left unharvested each year due to labor shortages
If you would like to hear more about us and how we can add value and efficiency to your harvest operation, feel free to contact us!
The strawberry market is our initial focus due to the very high annual expenditures on harvest labor on strawberry farms across the United States. According to the California Strawberry commission, 2020 Over $1 Billion was spent on strawberry labor which indicates that labor costs account for roughly half of the cost of strawberry production in the US.
Adev Automation has developed a unique harvesting method implementing a networked fleet of lightweight harvesting systems designed to optimize the efficiency of each system in the field.
• Robust: Implementation of multiple small systems ensures that the failure of any one system will not have a significant impact on the harvest time, minimizing the loss of food due to mechanical failure
• Scalable Technology: Harvester design is made up of parts and can easily be produced in large numbers and repaired in the field
• Cost Effective: The small electric harvesters are projected to be cost competitive with current labor rates and generate short term return on investment
Impacts:
• Increased costs for farmers and consumers
• Increasing strawberry imports from other countries
Solution: Efficient Robotic Harvesting
June, 2022 Demonstration at Blooms and Berries strawberry farm in Loveland, OH
