Technology ensuring out-of-season British strawberries

The robots have been taught to recognise when a strawberry is ready to be picked

A team of robot pickers have helped Lincolnshire-grown strawberries appear on supermarket shelves out-of-season.

An estimated three million strawberries have been produced by the project at a farm, at Carrington near Boston, owned by Sir James Dyson.

Grown under glass, the fruits have been picked by a workforce including 20 robots taught to recognise when they are ready.

The firm said it showed the capability of technology to aid British growing.

There are many reasons why strawberries at not widely grown in the UK during the colder months, principally the British climate.

Another is the lack of foreign agricultural workers once the traditional picking season has finished.

A computer-controlled weather system ensures the right climate for growth

While the strawberries are grown under glass, millions of images of the fruit have been used to educate the robots.

Daniel Stockill, who developed the robot pickers, said: "Over the years we have taken tens of millions of images of strawberries and we have put it through an algorithm.

"We have managed to teach the robot what is a good strawberry and what is not a good strawberry."

Steve Barker from Dyson Farming said: "Innovation and engineering is part of our DNA being associated with Dyson Technology".

British-grown strawberries are not a common sight during the winter months

The firm said it avoids the unnecessary food miles that come from imported strawberries by extending the British growing season.

A computer-controlled weather system ensures the strawberry plants are given the optimum climate to flourish, without a large energy bill.

"The carbon footprint is contained here within these 26 acres," Mr Barker said.

"An onsite anaerobic digestor produces all the heat and power required by the glasshouse."

He said the firm has more projects in the pipeline to show the capabilities of "British growing when partnered with engineering and technology".