Floating Robotics

This interview details Floating Robotics, an Automation Machinery Manufacturing company based in Switzerland. The interview is with Salman Faraji, Founder & CEO of Floating Robotics.

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What is the origin story of Floating Robotics?

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Our project started in 2019 in Lausanne when we wanted to automate grape production in steep and hard-to-access vineyards. We built a novel mobility system driven by cables on top of the rows with which the robot "flies" on cables and accesses the plants below. With a patented design, the robot was able to function completely on solar power.

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We developed a manipulation system attached underneath which recognized the objects of interest via cameras and AI and manipulated them with tools designed for the arm to carry. This part of our journey is briefly explained here: https://www.floatingrobotics.com/research/

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What are some of the biggest challenges facing Floating Robotics in the future? 

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Today we are automating manual work in greenhouses, using the same manipulation system of vineyards as a basis. The system adapts well to the industry, yet only automates up to 25% of the tasks, namely harvesting and de-leafing. From a technical perspective, as the next step, we want to see and manipulate smaller and softer objects possibly with dual arms. Humans have much stronger fine manipulation skills with their fingers and recognition system, yet the work in greenhouses quickly turns boring and physically demanding for them. That's where Floating Robotics wants to help.

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What is unique about Floating Robotics compared to competitors? 

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We focus on tomatoes now, but our approach is generalized to many crops. We cut trusses and leaves exactly from the junction to avoid diseases. This precision comes from using multiple cameras and advanced AI which analyzes and models the scene in 3D. While being precise, our pick and place cycle can run down to 8 seconds per truss which is faster than most other competitors. Our second version of robot hardware will be available in 2024 with two arms to double the throughput and achieve an effective rate of below 5 seconds per truss.

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What are some other relevant metrics of the company (amount of existing projects, team size, etc.)?

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Floating Robotics AG currently focuses on automating the harvest and de-leaf of cherry tomatoes in glass greenhouses with pipe tracks. We are expanding to four employees and starting another pilot in April 2024.

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What are some goals in 2024 and beyond for Floating Robotics?

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By the end of summer 2024, we want to completely automate one row without human intervention. By attaching a harvest cart to the robot and placing it at the beginning of the row, we want to harvest and come back with multiple crates filled with tomatoes. In 2025, we expect to add the automatic row-changing feature and let the robot de-leaf multiple rows at night autonomously.

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The 2nd robot version is available to pre-order now and ready to deliver in early 2026. Our system is indeed designed to adapt easily to existing harvest carts and crates. But also using a scissor lift to go up and access the top parts. Floating Robotics foresees adding many other software features on the same platform not only to harvest crops but also to automate rotation, lowering, and clipping tasks in the coming years. 

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How can people connect with you or learn more about Floating Robotics?

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We are most active on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/floating-robotics), but latest videos and updates also appear on the website (www.floatingrobotics.com).

Don't hesitate to contact us for further information, book a demo, and also to place orders.

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