Real-time grading boosts speed and accuracy
The Ambit Robotics picking cart attaches to existing greenhouse picking trolleys, upgrading them with a camera and AI-based vision system. As a picker moves down the row, the on-cart camera instantly grades each tomato truss for ripeness, highlighting only the sale-ready fruit clusters. By identifying ripe trusses on the spot, the system helps pickers avoid selecting tomatoes that are too green or overripe. This real-time grading reduces picking mistakes and boosts harvesting speed without affecting quality.

“Our goal is to combine machine vision with human speed to achieve better picking outcomes,” says Paul Voutier, founder of Ambit Robotics. “By guiding pickers to the right fruit at the right time, we’re seeing faster pick rates and more consistent quality in the harvest. The camera system’s accuracy means workers can pick with confidence, and growers get exactly what the market wants.”

The cart’s intelligent guidance software can suggest optimal movement between trusses, and in trials it even enabled automated trolley movement to the next ripe cluster. This route planning minimizes downtime and increases picking efficiency. Improved accuracy in selecting only ripe tomatoes also streamlines the post-harvest process. With uniform ripeness, less sorting is needed and there is less risk of unripe fruit reaching consumers.

Tackling labor constraints in greenhouse production
Greenhouse tomato growers around the world are facing labor shortages and rising labor costs. In high-income countries, finding enough skilled pickers has become increasingly difficult. Automation and assistive technologies are becoming essential to sustain production.

“Harvesting is the most labor-intensive task in the greenhouse,” notes Voutier. “Growers tell us they can’t find enough workers during peak harvest, or labor has become too expensive.” By speeding up human pickers and reducing errors, the Ambit Robotics cart increases the productivity of each worker and helps farms cope with limited labor availability. It also reduces the need for extensive training, since new workers can reach expert-level accuracy quickly with the system’s guidance.

“Yield shaping” – Aligning harvest with market prices
Beyond labor efficiency, Ambit Robotics is introducing the concept of “yield shaping.” Real-time data from the picking cart lets growers adjust their harvest strategy in response to market price changes.

During weeks of low tomato prices, the system can advise picking fewer ripe trusses, allowing more fruit to stay on the vine. When prices rise, growers can harvest more knowing the remaining crop is still at optimal ripeness. This flexibility helps growers align their harvest with demand and protect margins. By reducing overripe and underripe picks, growers deliver a more consistent product that can command better prices. Early users say this responsive approach can smooth out weekly pricing swings and may increase total season revenue.

Field-tested innovation developed in Australia
The smart picking cart has been field-tested in commercial greenhouse environments to refine its technology. Ambit Robotics developed and tested the system at the Apex Greenhouses demonstration facility in Virginia, South Australia, and at Mortlock Hydroponics in Victoria. These trials ensured the camera’s grading algorithm and the cart hardware could withstand real farming conditions.

“Testing at working greenhouses was key,” Voutier says. “It allowed us to fine-tune the system for different tomato varieties and growing conditions, and to prove that even in a busy greenhouse, the technology reliably guides pickers to the right fruit.”

The result is a rugged add-on device that clips onto existing trolley carts, avoiding the need for expensive custom harvesting machines. This retrofit design makes the solution accessible and easy to deploy in high-tech greenhouses with minimal disruption.

Ambit Robotics’ picking cart system will be available for demonstrations starting January 26, 2026. Greenhouse tomato growers can register for a demo through the company’s website. Bookings can be made online and will let growers see how the cart grades fruit and fits into their workflow. Ambit Robotics encourages growers to bring questions and even their own produce samples to test the system live.

For more information:
Ambit Robotics
ambitrobotics.com/