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University of Essex homepage Departments Computer Science and Electronic Engineering Partnerships Strawberry picking robots with Wilkin and Sons
School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering

Wilkin & Sons

Well-known for its 'Tiptree' brand of fruit preserves, Wilkin & Sons Limited partnered with experts from the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering and the School of Life Sciences at Essex through our Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).

Revolutionising harvests, delivering business value

The Government's flagship Farming Innovation Programme is designed to support bold initiatives that will transform productivity and boost environmental sustainability within England's agricultural and horticultural sectors, all while steering these industries toward achieving net zero emissions.
Wilkin & Sons are once again delighted to partner with the University of Essex in tackling what is currently the most significant challenge for our industry.
Chris Newenham Joint Managing director of Wilkin & Sons

Our partnership with Wilkin & Sons Ltd

The business impact

Through the KTP partnership with Essex, Wilkin & Sons has forged a strategic connection with the Head of Essex's Robotics Lab, with the University hosting one of the largest robotics facilities in the country, to explore how the project's technology can futureproof their business. The project aims to not only alleviate the repetitive, labour-intensive nature of crop picking but also extend the shelf life of the produce by accelerating the packaging process. The developed prototype uses a robotic arm to harvest strawberries, weighing each one before placing it into packaging. 

Equipped with more than 50 robotic systems and backed by over £3M in investment and covering 100m², our Robotics Laboratory offers an extensive space in building and programming intelligent systems.

Find out more about robotics at Essex

Versatile RobotX

Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier

Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier

Professor and Director of Impact

School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex

Leading the Embedded and Intelligent Systems (EIS) Research Laboratory, Klaus also heads the Intelligent Embedded Systems and Environments Research Group and established Versatile RobotX alongside Vishuu Mohan winning the UKRI AI & Robotics national awards. The team aims to improve efficiency and address critical challenges like labour shortages and sustainability in the agri-tech industry.
Dr Vishwanathan Mohan

Dr Vishwanathan Mohan

Senior Lecturer

School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex

Vishuu's PhD in cognitive robotics at the Italian Institute of Technology focused on enhancing the cognitive abilities of the humanoid robot iCub, exploring the computational principles that underpin human-like cognition. Their contributions span multiple interdisciplinary, EU-funded projects, with roles ranging from PhD researcher to Principal Investigator. Vishuu and Klaus established the Versatile RobotX team, winning national awards for their work.

Leading experts

Dr Vahid Abolghasemi
Dr Vahid Abolghasemi

Senior Lecturer

School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex

Vahid actively engaged in broadening the practical applications of his theoretical knowledge, with his expertise lies on technologies, including smart and adaptive low-power sensing and communication, wireless image transmission, compressed and lightweight neural networks, and artificial intelligence. These advancements find applications in crucial sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and global environmental challenges.
Dr Hossein Anisi
Dr Hossein Anisi

Reader and lecturer

School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex

Head of the Internet of Everything (IOE) Laboratory, Hossein has been selected as the Best Academic 2023 at the annual KTP celebration of Innovation. His research has made significant contributions to the technology industry, fostering robust collaborations with key industry players. He has worked closely with multiple companies in the UK, specializing in the development of smart monitoring and automation IoT-based systems that ensure reliable, seamless generation, transmission, processing, and demonstration of data.
Professor Tracy Lawson
Professor Tracy Lawson

Professor and Director of Essex Plant Innovation Centre (EPIC)

School of Life Sciences, University of Essex

Involved in the Essex Plant Innovation Centre (EPIC), Tracy has been named as one of the most cited researchers globally in 2024 by a prestigious international organisation, analytics company Clarivate. Her research focuses on photosynthesis, stomatal behaviour, and water-use efficiency, both at the leaf and whole-plant levels - with the aim to understand how environmental changes affect these vital processes and explore ways to modify plants for greater efficiency, helping to ensure a sustainable food supply for the world.
Dr Vishwanathan Mohan with the strawberry-picking robot
Innovation in action

Our Essex Robotics team 'Versatile RobotX' demonstration showcases a fully autonomous dual-arm mobile robot designed for soft fruit harvesting and other repetitive farming tasks. A leading company shaping the future of agriculture, Versatile RobotX's technology is generating significant interest from major growers and agritech firms as it progresses through its scale-up journey.

Celebrate with our Versatile RobotX team winning the UKRI national awards Read about our strawberry picking robots in partnership with Wilkin & Sons
What else do we have
See our Robotics Team Versatile RobotX product spotlight
Learn more about the business case study with Wilkin & Sons
View our Research Experience Scheme
Find out about our collaborative work with JEPCO
Dr Mays Al-Naday working on a laptop that is connected to some servers on her right.
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Telephone: +44 (0) 1206 874431
School of Life Sciences University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ
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