Hochschule Düsseldorf – University of Applied Sciences (HSD) and Josef Zeyer Stahlbau Agrarsysteme GmbH are conducting a research project on the development of a fully automated, AI-assisted and row-independent lettuce harvester (AureSa). The aim is a selective harvesting solution that evaluates harvest maturity and head quality, precisely controls the cutting process, thereby reducing crop losses and significantly reducing the physical strain on human harvesters. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) within the framework of the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM), runs from 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2027 and has a funding volume of €440,000.
"In the AureSa project, we integrate modern sensor technology and artificial intelligence into a robust system that combines the qualitative selection skills of manual work with the quantitative performance of machine harvesting. This technology aims to ensure harvest quality, relieve staff and strengthen the competitiveness of agricultural holdings," says Prof. Dr. André Stuhlsatz, head of the research project as well as the FMDauto – Institute for Product Development and Innovation at the HSD Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering.
With the AureSa project, HSD is strengthening its role as a driving force for application-oriented research and transfer into practice. Josef Zeyer Stahlbau Agrarsysteme GmbH is pursuing the goal of using the newly developed technology to launch a marketable product and to establish the first row-independent, AI-assisted lettuce harvester on the market.
