Evaluation of a low-cost selective shaking device and soft surface catchment for fresh market blueberry harvesting

With the surge in global blueberry consumption, there is a growing need for efficient harvesting methods to meet market demands. Traditional hand harvesting remains the norm for fresh market blueberries, but it is labor-intensive and costly. This paper presents a feasibility study of a cost-effective human-assisted mechanical harvesting system designed for tunnel-grown blueberries. The system incorporates lightweight, battery-powered hand-held shakers and multi-level soft surface catchers operating in tandem. Performance evaluation compared traditional hand-harvesting with the proposed system in terms of post-harvest quality and harvest rate. Results indicate that the proposed system offers a higher harvest rate (81.3 berry per minute) but may yield more unripe berries (30.6%). Optimization of detachment settings at 900rpm for 1.2s, shows potential to improve system performance up to 80.7%. Overall, the study highlights the effectiveness of the human-assisted approach in bridging the gap between manual and machine harvesting, with implications for enhancing efficiency and reducing labor costs in the blueberry industry.