Design and evaluation of a robotic prototype for gerbera harvesting, performing actions at never-seen locations

The harvesting of gerbera flowers, like many horticultural products, is a labor-intensive task for which automated solutions are highly desirable. While robotic harvesting of gerbera flowers has previously been attempted, it has not been tested under commercial greenhouse conditions. This study presents a design process based on realistic requirements derived from detailed measurements of the crop. We introduce a specialized end-effector for gerbera flower harvesting that leverages passive components alongside specific plant characteristics to enable precise positioning and effective cutting. An integrated testing setup is also presented, combining the end-effector with a robust, high-speed sensing and processing pipeline for field trials. Performance evaluations of the complete system under real greenhouse conditions indicate an overall harvest success rate of 78%, with minimal flower collisions and reliable positioning and cutting actions by the end-effector.