Automated container-handling system for container production nurseries

Production of nursery crops in the US is accomplished in container- and field-growing conditions, with propagation and seedling-rearing carried out in greenhouses. The USDA, NASA and the ANLA have collaborated to develop an automated in-field container-handling system for reducing dependence on foreign labor while also increasing productivity. A first-generation system was developed at CMU, capable of automatically lifting and conveying plants from the ground onto trailers, and vice-versa. The system is capable of handling a vast array of container-designs from different manufacturers, and spans the size-range from #1 to #5 (approximate equivalence to gallons). The system is designed to handle 45,000 containers per 8-hour day with one to two operators. Testing and a new design are currently underway, with as-built designs and experimental results for the first prototype´s performance presented.