Robot-harvesting tomatoes: Big step toward autonomous agriculture
During the National Congress Autonomous Systems, Thom Verwater (Batenburg Beenen) showed how high tech and agriculture can go hand in hand.
Published on April 6, 2025
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“The sun is burning on your back, sweat is running down your face. You look to your right and as far as you can see, you see ripe tomatoes,” Thom Verwater begins his presentation at the National Congress of Autonomous Systems in Drachten. The Innovation Manager of Batenburg Beenen immediately makes his message clear: it's all about the human side of technological innovation.
Verwater tells a personal story. He once worked in a greenhouse and knows how lonely and physically demanding it can be. “You are all alone in a row. And the ideal conditions for a plant to grow are not exactly for a pleasant working environment.”
This prompted Batenburg Beenen to focus on ‘impact through autonomous robots’. Robots that not only take over labor, but also actually make the work more humane. And that are also scalable and sustainable – in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Three technological pillars
Verwater outlines how Batenburg works on autonomous systems based on three pillars: perception, manipulation, and intelligence. For example, the company uses LiDAR technology for the Department of Waterways and Public Works to adjust bridge heights for shipping traffic. And in collaboration with Philips, it is learning to manipulate in robotic factories, where hundreds of robots assemble products such as razors daily.
Intelligence is achieved through close cooperation with knowledge institutions such as NHL Stenden and TU Delft. “We are constantly working with professors and research groups to be able to incorporate the latest AI models into our machines directly.”
From weeding to picking tomatoes
Verwater also has examples of successful projects. He talks about a groundbreaking project in greenhouse horticulture. With machine builder Andela, Batenburg Beenen developed an autonomous weeder with 12 robotic arms and 12 cameras, powered by solar energy. “What makes this machine special is that it can enter the field two weeks earlier than people. This gives the crop more time to grow and yields a 10% increase in yield.”
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But that is just the beginning. The next challenge is even more complex: the autonomous harvesting of tomatoes. “We are no longer in a two-dimensional world where you only have to destroy something. This is three-dimensional, chaotic, and also extremely precise work.” The result: an autonomous tomato picking robot that is already being tested by customers. The robot moves independently through the rows in existing greenhouses, recognizes ripe tomatoes with the help of AI, and cuts them from the plant with millimeter precision without damaging the rest. The tomatoes are then immediately packed in crates.
“We started in 2022 with just an idea. Now we have a working machine that is producing. That is something to be extremely proud of.”
Virtual trial and error
Verwater says an essential part of the success is using reinforcement learning in a virtual environment. “It is far too complex to program all those movements by hand. And you don't want the robot to be repaired every time it falls over. So we teach the robot how to move in a digital twin environment – including unlimited trial and error."
This virtual training prevents damage to expensive hardware and produces models that only need the last 20% refining in the real world.
Verwater concludes with three lessons for the entrepreneurs: “One: With today's technology, you can already do much more than you think. Two: There are still so many markets where people do repetitive work. And three: Find a technology partner that suits you. Because you will only get ahead if you build that bridge.”
With all of this, Verwater emphasizes that technology is never the goal, but a means to an end. “A means to lighten heavy work, improve production and create a more humane working environment - whether in a state-of-the-art factory or among the tomato plants in a greenhouse in Friesland.”
