Project description
Autonomous plant production
Based in northern Germany, RoBoTec PTC GmbH is a spin off of Bock Bio Science GmbH, a professional tissue culture laboratory and nursery, and a service laboratory for cloning and propagation. The company is now taking a step forward to becoming a technology leader and system supplier for autonomous in vitro plant cultivation. The EU-funded RoBoCut project provides a unique solution for in vitro plant propagation of high-quality plant species. A 3D image recognition and deep learning software will identify complex plant structures, cut them without contact and place them in new culture vessels. This process will be done automatically, in a sterile environment. The project's ultimate aim is to equip all plant laboratories with the innovation as a standard equipment for plant tissue culture, PTC, plant propagation.
Objective
RoBoTec PTC GmbH is a young company and already highly awarded SME specialized in the automation of breeding and mass propagation of plants via plant tissue culture. Based in northern Germany RoBoTec PTC GmbH was founded as a spin off of Bock Bio Science GmbH, a professional tissue culture laboratory and nursery, service laboratory for cloning and propagation. In the 100 years long company history several market-disrupting technologies have been developed by Bock. Now the RoBoTec PTC GmbH makes a further step to become a technology leader and system supplier for autonomous in vitro plant cultivation by developing and marketing the RoBo®Cut. As a unique solution for in vitro plant propagation of high-quality plant species the innovative system uses 3D image recognition and deep learning software, able to recognise complex plant structures, cut them without contact and place them in new culture vessels - all automatically in a completely sterile production cell. Potential customers rethink laboratories as the RoBo®Cut helps to achieve new levels of quality and efficiency. Better work planning and increased productivity will be possible, but the decisive aspect here is, that the system offers the opportunity to brings plant propagation back to Europe, which has been handed over to low-wage countries due to cost pressure. Environmental costs, process risks and a considerable transfer of knowledge can now be avoided. As a first mover we subsequently want to equip all plant laboratories with the RoBo®Cut. system as a standard equipment for PTC plant propagation. For an initial market introduction, Bock addresses the European and American markets. The global distribution network will help to quickly enter the world market and generate 15% relevant market share and a turnover of 165 Mio Euros within the next years.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencecomputer visionimage recognition
- social sciencessociologyindustrial relationsautomation
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivity
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learningdeep learning
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulture
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME - SME instrumentCoordinator
28357 BREMEN
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.