Collaborative robot handles the cuttings

Although Bygrowers took over Rosa Danica at the beginning of the year, the former owner and current director, Torben Moth Madsen, has not slowed down in continuing to develop workflows at the greenhouse just outside Odense. One of the newest initiatives is a collaborative robot that now plants cuttings side by side with the employees.

Anyone who has ever visited a greenhouse knows that there are impressions to satisfy almost all senses. There are colorful plants for the vision and scents for the nose – and at Rosa Danica, Torben Moth Madsen and his employees have now added another sense into the mix: hearing.

Right in the middle of the process line, from pot filling to placement on the large irrigation table, a new colleague quietly whistles in a steady rhythm while planting cuttings. It is a four-armed collaborative robot from the Funen-based robotics company 4XROBOTS, now working side by side with the experienced growers.

"It's not always fun to do repetitive tasks like planting pots all day. Now our colleague Adrian, who is responsible for planting, can both supervise the robot and manage the rest of the process line at the same time," explains Torben Moth Madsen.

Skilled growers should do more than plant pots
A major purpose of investing in a collaborative robot was to relieve employees from some of the repetitive tasks common in many greenhouses such as planting cuttings, moving pots around, or packing vegetables in a packing facility.

"It is very important to me that my skilled employees can use their competencies where they really make a difference. They should have the opportunity to apply their expertise where it matters in production, and that is not necessarily on the assembly line," says Torben Moth Madsen, continuing:

"Moreover, it was an affordable investment, and it didn't require us to change our process line. It fits over the conveyor and doesn't take up much space in the room, as it doesn't need to be enclosed by safety fencing."

A simple solution
One of the reasons Torben Moth Madsen chose the robot from 4XROBOTS is its simple design, meaning that all employees can learn to operate it.

Michael Møller Nielsen, co-founder of4XROBOTS, explains that the robot was specifically developed to be simple to use.

"It is a collaborative four-armed delta robot - actually the world's first - and it is easy to operate. All it requires is the ability to use a tablet. We know it's crucial for growers that the machine is stable and that they can adjust its work themselves. So we've done our best to make sure the robot allows exactly that," he says, continuing:

"It's also important in a greenhouse that the robot can fit into existing production lines and work side by side with skilled employees without requiring major changes. Because it is collaborative, it doesn't have to be caged like a lion. It's not dangerous to work with."

May scale up with more robots
The greenhouse director of Rosa Danica says it is not unlikely that more robots will be introduced throughout the greenhouse, as the risk of implementing smaller automation solutions is relatively low.

"We had a very smooth start with the robot on the process line. In fact, we could keep production running while it was being installed because it can stand next to people. It only took a day and a half before it was already planting cuttings on the conveyor," says Torben Moth Madsen, concluding:

"I hope and believe the robot has a big future here at the greenhose. And I also expect that it won't be the only collaborative robot we get. We're having a significant effect from an investment that, according to the plan, will pay for itself within a year."

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