Thomas Hocking’s product uses AI to assess berry ripeness in real time and automatically adjusts harvester shaking intensity to optimise fruit quality
A young Waikato innovator has developed technology that could help blueberry growers improve harvest quality, reduce fruit loss and get more from their existing machinery, writes Jesse Wood.
Cambridge Hugh School alumnus Thomas Hocking is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Waikato. Photo: Jesse Wood
Thomas Hocking knows first-hand how small adjustments to harvesting equipment can have a big impact on fruit quality and orchard returns.
The 20-year-old Waikato University mechanical engineering student has worked in commercial blueberry harvesting and, rather than accept the problem, set about solving it.
He has developed a system that uses artificial intelligence to assess blueberry ripeness in real time and automatically adjust harvester settings to optimise the mix of fruit being collected.
The technology aims to help growers harvest more ripe berries while reducing the number of green or damaged berries entering the packhouse.
“I worked in harvesting for several years and saw how much depended on the operator making constant adjustments throughout the day,” Hocking says.
“Drivers can be working long hours and small changes in machine settings can have a significant impact on the crop that’s picked.”
The idea was born after Hocking analysed the harvesting process while working at Blueberry Country in Ōhaupō.
He assembled a team with engineering, software and mechatronics expertise to develop the concept, building and testing a series of prototypes over the past year.
The team showcased the technology in the Innovation Tent at Fieldays last month.
Their system retrofits onto existing harvesters, using an AI-powered camera module mounted above the conveyor belt.
A blueberry harvester. Photo: Supplied
The camera scans berries as they are harvested, identifying whether fruit is ripe, unripe, damaged or overripe. That information is fed into an algorithm which automatically adjusts the harvester’s shaking intensity.
“If the machine is shaking too hard, it can bring off too much green fruit and damage the plant. If it’s too soft, you’re leaving fruit behind,” Hocking says.
“The goal is to keep the harvest operating in the optimal zone without the driver needing to constantly intervene.”
The technology is designed to improve efficiency without replacing workers.
“This doesn’t replace jobs. It just makes people’s jobs easier and helps improve harvest performance.”
A major advantage is that growers can continue using their existing machinery rather than investing in a fully automated harvester, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Most growers can’t justify the cost of replacing harvesters, so we’re focused on providing a more affordable upgrade path,” Hocking says.
He believes practical industry experience has been essential to developing the technology.
“Working on farms and understanding the challenges operators face every day has been really important. Equipment needs to be reliable, rugged and simple to use.”
The team hopes to have the product commercially ready for next season.
Beyond harvesting, Hocking sees opportunities to expand into wider farm technology services including connectivity, analytics and on-farm monitoring tools.
“I’d like to keep helping growers become more efficient. That’s what motivates me.”
Thomas Hocking, left, with Caleb Fernades (mechanical engineering) and George Dixon (mechatronics engineering) in the Fieldays innovation tent. Photo: Jesse Wood
