We approach automation from a regional feasibility perspective, tailoring automated solutions to our partner's specific needs. For example, our latest farms in Europe feature more advanced automation than YesHealth iFarm in Taiwan. We believe that higher levels of automation are feasible, but only under the right circumstances.
Currently, we offer automation for tasks including gelponics, seeding, transplanting, internal logistics, harvesting, and product packaging. We are constantly improving our automated solutions to process larger yields at an ever faster pace.
This equipment is essential for the gelponics process. It heats the gel to a liquid state, filling the planting tray, then rapidly cools the gel down to a solid state inside the planting tray.
Our gel substrate is inserted into growing trays, and transferred into the seeding automation. Our seeding automation is capable of planting hundreds of seeds in less than 15 seconds, and is compatible with seeds of all shapes and sizes.
After the seeds have germinated, and the seedlings sprouted, they are transplanted onto larger growing boards. Several hundred seedlings are transplanted in a single motion, then moved into the vertical farm.
Several types of equipment are used for internal logisitics. Scissor lifts and hydraulic lifts are essential for daily farm operations. Hydraulic lifts offer greater stability in farms with over 10 meters height.
We design harvesting and packaging automation to meet regional consumer demands. In Taiwan, for instance, we retail salads and herbs with their roots intact, so we don't require equipment for trimming roots.
In Europe, on the other hand, consumers prefer salads and herbs to be cut away from the root completely. Therefore, we designed harvesting automation specifically for this need.
After the produce has been harvested, all growing trays and styrene boards are cycled through cleaning equipment before reuse. Our machine uses powerful jets of water and brushes to remove any leftover plant matter.
Photos by Alastair Philip Wiper.
Eat Clean, Farm Clean
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