A novel vision based orchard system to maximize fruit tree yields and Class 1 quality by 20% while reducing waste by 50%

Project Information

OrchardMan

Grant agreement ID: 673872

DOI 10.3030/673872

Closed project

EC signature date 28 May 2015

Start date 1 June 2015

End date 30 November 2015

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost € 71 429,00

EU contribution € 50 000,00

Coordinated by

FRUITION PO LIMITED
United Kingdom

Objective

The overall innovation project is intended to bring our novel ‘OrchardMan’ vision-based tree-fruit measurement technology to
European market-readiness. This will provide in-field data based on cost-effective image capture technology and novel
image processing algorithms, which can identify commercially relevant yield factors such as fruit size, growth and tree
architecture automatically in the difficult environment of the orchard under variable weather and lighting conditions. The
project will demonstrate that that the developed system has the capability to support precision horticultural management at
the single tree level, reducing waste from growing undersize fruit by up to 50%, and increasing overall tree yields by up to
20%, This would give European users a cumulative benefit of €1bn from 500 units implemented over the first five years.
This work is relevant to topic SFS-08-2014-1: “Resource efficient, eco-innovative food production and processing”,
particularly optimization of current food production systems, in the SME sector, with the aim of reducing water and energy
use and waste generation, and improving food quality, through the improving growers’ ability to increase overall fruit yield
per tree and the percentage of Class 1 quality reducing quality-reject waste, and reduction of imports, reducing transport
CO2.
There are techno-economic uncertainties that we must clarify before investing in a full development project, so we need to
carry out a thorough feasibility study, including the business plan for the phase 2 development and subsequent
commercialisation. Specific objective for the feasibility study is the elaboration and production of the Business Plan to
specify the second phase work needed to bring this technology to commercial readiness and replicate it through Europe,
including Techno-economic feasibility, Market studies, IP and dissemination work.

Fields of science

• agricultural sciences › agriculture, forestry, and fisheries › agriculture › horticulture › fruit growing

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
• H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument

Topic(s)

• SFS-08-2014-1 - Resource-efficient eco-innovative food production and processing

Call for proposal

H2020-SMEInst-2014-2015

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SMEINST-1-2014

Funding Scheme

SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Coordinator

FRUITION PO LIMITED

• Net EU contribution: € 50 000,00
• Address: Acorn House, John Wilson Business Park ; CT5 3QT Whitstable ; United Kingdom
• SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes:
  Region
  South East (England) › Kent › East Kent
• Region: South East (England) › Kent › East Kent
• Activity type: Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
• Total cost: € 71 429,00