Cambridge-based company Autopickr, together with Coopers Croft Vineyard and WineGB, have been awarded over £475,000 in Government funding for a pioneering robotics project.

Autopickr, known for their autonomous robots for agricultural use, are leading the project which is being supported by Innovate UK and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Farming Innovation Programme. Having recently been the recipient of the Innovation in Agriculture award at the 2024 Robotics and Automation awards, Autopickr is now developing a new robot, aptly named ‘Vinny’, which will be capable of performing multiple key vineyard tasks.

Working alongside Coopers Croft Vineyard in Suffolk and trade association WineGB, the project aims to create a sophisticated robot that can mimic hand-picking as well as assisting with green harvesting and canopy management.

Autopickr has also developed an automated asparagus harvester, which won a Cofinitive #21toWatch award for agritech this year and is due to have its second trial season within the next year. This technology will be adapted and further advanced to create a solution that can be used in vineyards. The robot can travel up/down slopes, operate at fruit zone height, and through a unique artificial vision system, distinguish between unripe and ripe grapes, picking whole bunches once they are ready.

Most machine harvesters agitate the vines to extract grapes, meaning that whole bunches can only be picked by hand. Many wine producers, particularly those that make premium traditional method sparkling wine, insist on the use of whole bunches.

Commenting on the robotics project, Robyn Sands, Co-Founder and CEO of Autopickr, said: “We’re pleased to be collaborating with British vineyards to bring new robotic solutions into the wine industry."

"Our focus is on providing a practical tool that can take on some of the labour demands in the vineyard, especially during the busiest times of the year, while helping maintain the quality that matters so much in winemaking.”

This year, vineyards in the UK surpassed the 1,000 milestone for the first time, now totalling 1,033. The area under vine now stands at 4,209 hectares, according to Government data, representing a growth rate of 123% in a decade. According to the South Downs National Park Viticulture Growth Assessment Report (2021), vineyards employ 17 times more people per hectare than traditional arable farming. With 2,300 people working full-time, and a further 8,300 employed in seasonal or part-time labour in the British wine industry, this robot is intended to help vineyard managers with labour challenges without sacrificing quality and attention to detail.

Once developed, the robot will be available to both purchase and rent.

Phoebe French, Communications Manager at WineGB, commented:

“With a 50% growth rate in full-time equivalent positions forecast by 2025 in our industry, this project has the potential to supplement skilled labour required in the vineyard, particularly at busy periods such as harvest.”