GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of the FRUCTHOR-IA project is to promote innovation and transformation in the fruit and vegetable production sectors in the SUDOE region, seeking continuous improvement through the use of advanced robotic technologies. Specifically, the project addresses the technical, financial, and labor challenges of the fruit and vegetable sector, contributing to optimizing its competitiveness through the development of autonomous robotic solutions for crop monitoring and human-robot collaboration.

The project is structured around three specific objectives:

• Analyze the automation needs of the fruit and vegetable sector in the SUDOE area and design innovative solutions based on autonomous robotics and human-robot interaction.
• Testing and optimizing autonomous robotics solutions for crop monitoring and effective human-robot collaboration in efficient fruit harvesting.
• To conceive and implement joint strategies and action plans that allow expanding the scope of autonomous robotics solutions towards improving efficiency in monitoring and selective harvesting of fruit.

CATEC ROLE

CATEC participates in the development of advanced technological solutions, focusing on the design, development, and optimization of autonomous robotics solutions for crop monitoring. These systems integrate advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Their work centers on computer vision algorithms and the autonomous movement algorithm for quadruped robots, both in their trajectory through crops and in their vertical movement for comprehensive monitoring of trees or plantations.

CATEC is also conducting a pilot trial on farms in the Guadalquivir river valley (Lebrija, Seville), validating the use of the autonomous quadruped robot equipped with RGB sensors for selecting the optimal harvesting point in collaboration with the local agricultural sector.

PARTICIPANTS

Leader: CAR-CSIC (Center for Automation and Robotics, Spanish National Research Council).

Partners: Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITCL), FADA-CATEC, Chambre d’Agriculture de la Dordogne, Conseil Départemental de la Dordogne, Agerpix Technologies SL, École Supérieure des Technologies Industrielles Avancées (ESTIA), Associação de Municípios da Cova da Beira (AMCB), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança – CeDRI, Instituto Politécnico of Viseu – ESAV.

TOTAL BUDGET

1.789.850,00 €

DURATION

The project has a planned duration of three years, during the period 2025 – 2028.

Project No.: S2/1.1/E0170

FINANCED BY

The initiative is supported by the INTERREG VI-B Southwestern Europe (SUDOE) program, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Ayuda FEDER: 1.342.387,50 €