At the Universitat Politècnica de València, researchers developed Dragonbot, an autonomous robot that is changing how Spanish farmers harvest pitayas. In recent field trials, it picked more than 75% of ripe fruits without direct human intervention, highlighting the potential of selective automation for high-value fruit cultivation.
Unlike harvesting methods that can remove ripe and unripe fruit together, Dragonbot uses vision-guided algorithms and a specially designed robotic arm to select pitayas at optimal maturity. Its ripeness assessment draws on data from more than 500 samples collected across three growing seasons and varieties. The system also considers fruit weight, assessing firmness alongside sugar content to guide its harvesting decisions.
Precision Harvesting
Coordinated by the Agricultural Robotics Laboratory at the UPV, the project brought together expertise from the Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial (ai2) and companies including GreenVision, Inderen and Nutai. GreenVision supplied the ripeness-estimation technology. Inderen provided an agrivoltaic testing environment, while Nutai developed the vision system that pinpoints where each fruit should be cut.
Dragonbot moves autonomously on a four-wheel-lead platform with independent suspension and steering on two wheels. A robotic arm carries a custom-designed gripper suited to the delicate structure of pitayas. For detachment, the arm uses a vibrating blade alongside pneumatic scissors; flexible pneumatic fingers then hold the fruit gently and place it in a tray. The sequence brings the vision system and autonomous navigation into the same process as the arm, while aiming to reduce handling damage.
Reducing Waste, Improving Quality
By selecting fruit that meets commercial standards, Dragonbot enables staggered picking, limiting the removal of immature fruit and helping growers deliver a more uniform product. Project coordinator Coral Ortiz said that less than 12% of the fruit handled by the robot was damaged during trials. For a crop described as fragile, careful gripping and placement are basic to limiting bruising and post-harvest losses.
The technology could also help address seasonal labor shortages affecting harvests in Spain and across Europe. Its flexible design may have applications beyond pitayas, particularly for other delicate fruits that need selective picking and gentle handling.
Funding and Future Prospects
Dragonbot was funded by the Generalitat Valenciana’s Strategic Cooperation Projects program and European FEDER funds. The project was also recognized as a success story at Innova Connect, an event focused on collaborative new idea in the Valencian Community.
The system is still being refined, but its reported trial results point to the potential for more efficient harvesting and less waste, supporting growers facing economic and labor challenges. Wider use across other crops will depend on how well selective harvesting and gentle handling translate to different growing conditions and fruit varieties.
