Grape Picker
Autonomous grape cluster/banche harvesting with 4 robotic manipulators
The Slopehelper Grape Picker is an autonomous harvesting solution designed specifically for premium wine and sparkling wine production, where grape detachment from the bunch and oxidation are unacceptable. Before PeK Automotive introduced the Slopehelper Grape Picker to the world, the only alternative for high-quality winemaking was manual grape picking, as all previously existing mechanical harvesters were shaking-type machines.
The fundamental issue with shaking harvesters is that they disintegrate grape bunches, causing vibration-induced grape detachment and immediate juice oxidation. This significantly reduces the quality of harvested grapes, making them unsuitable for premium wine production. The Slopehelper Grape Picker eliminates this problem by carefully collecting intact grape bunches, ensuring they remain undamaged and oxidation-free.
Unlike conventional harvesters, the Slopehelper Grape Picker allows entire grape bunches to be transported to the wine production center, where they can be sorted using advanced sorting machines. This preserves the highest quality standards, making it possible to produce exceptional wines that were previously only achievable through hand-picking. This innovation marks a revolution in vineyard automation, allowing growers to combine efficiency with premium-quality wine production.
100% Autonomous | 100% Electric
Features & Benefits
The Slopehelper Grape Picker, combined with the Slopehelper Base Platform, operates with complete autonomy, eliminating the need for an operator to manage platform driving, supervision, or harvesting control.
With this autonomous harvesting system, a single operator can oversee the entire vineyard, only handling agro bin loading and unloading using a forklift. Instead of relying on a large seasonal workforce, just one operator per shift (two per 24 hours) is required to manage the entire field’s harvesting process.
This revolutionary automation drastically reduces labor dependency and costs, ensures continuous high-efficiency harvesting, and maximizes productivity with minimal human intervention.
The Slopehelper Grape Picker is a high-efficiency robotic harvesting instrument designed to replace a team of 6 seasonal workers, significantly reducing labor costs and dependency on human workforce availability.
Unlike human labor, the Slopehelper Base Platform requires only 3 hours for recharging (provided a sufficiently powerful electric grid). The Grape Picker operates tirelessly for 16 out of 24 hours, without breaks, fatigue, or need for meals, outperforming any human team in terms of continuous operation.
This fully autonomous, high-performance harvesting solution ensures maximum efficiency, reduces harvesting costs, and makes it an indispensable tool for modern fruit plantations.
The Slopehelper Grape Picker replicates human-like harvesting precision to ensure grape bunches remain intact and oxidation-free during collection.
The process begins with a general observation camera, which scans the search area to detect grape stems. Once a potential grape bunch is identified, the system initiates a gentle, non-damaging harvesting sequence:
- Finger-basket manipulators carefully open the leaves, providing unobstructed access to the bunch.
- Precision cutting scissors, integrated within the basket, extend to cleanly cut the stem.
- The grape bunch falls naturally into a cushioned tray, preventing impact damage.
- From the tray, the bunch is relocated onto a conveyor and transferred into the agro bin, maintaining its integrity and freshness.
This delicate and controlled harvesting method eliminates mechanical pressure on the grapes, prevents oxidation, and ensures that harvested grape bunches remain in perfect condition for premium-quality wine production.
By eliminating oxidation during harvesting, growers can achieve a dramatic improvement in wine quality, allowing them to elevate their production into the premium segment. The ability to deliver intact, oxidation-free grape bunches ensures that wineries can produce higher-quality wines, including premium and sparkling varieties, which command significantly higher market prices.
This shift not only enhances brand reputation and product value but also leads to a substantial increase in business profitability. With higher-grade wines, vineyards can access more lucrative markets, gain stronger customer loyalty, and achieve better financial returns, making the Slopehelper Grape Picker a key investment in long-term business success.
One of the significant yet rarely discussed issues in modern wine production is the risk of parasite contamination, which can pose serious health risks to consumers. This problem is particularly associated with shaking-type harvesters, which use an open harvesting system where grape juice begins forming prematurely. As grapes are mechanically disintegrated, the juice accumulates in open tanks, creating an ideal environment for insect attraction and contamination.
These open, juice-filled tanks attract flies and other insects, many of which are known hosts of parasites. Inevitably, some of these insects sink into the tanks, becoming unintended contaminants that are later transferred into wine fermentation tanks. Since not all parasites or bacteria die during fermentation, this can lead to serious hygiene and safety concerns in the final wine product. Additionally, the shaking process itself makes it impossible to prevent insect attraction or to wash contaminated grapes, further increasing the risk.
In contrast, the Slopehelper Grape Picker ensures a fully hygienic harvesting process by keeping grape bunches intact, preventing premature juice formation that could attract insects. Unlike shaking harvesters, it does not rely on open tanks where flies can settle and contaminate the harvest. With no semi-squashed grape mass, there is no risk of insects sinking into juice tanks before processing. This closed and controlled system guarantees that only clean, high-quality grapes reach the winery, making Slopehelper’s technology a significantly safer choice for wine consumers and premium winemakers alike.
The Slopehelper Grape Picker, like all Slopehelper Agrosystem instruments, operates exclusively on electromechanical solutions, without relying on hydraulic or pneumatic actuators.
By eliminating fluid-based systems, this robotic harvester offers:
- Higher durability – No risk of leaks, pressure failures, or maintenance-intensive components.
- Superior energy efficiency – Optimized power consumption, extending operational runtime.
- Precision and control – Smooth, accurate movements that replicate human-like picking actions without mechanical delays.
This robust electromechanical design ensures the Grape Picker is a fully field-ready, highly efficient, and long-lasting solution for modern fruit harvesting, delivering the performance and reliability that growers demand.
The Slopehelper Grape Picker is engineered for stable and precise harvesting even on slippery or uneven terrain. Special actuators dynamically adjust the manipulator frame inclination, ensuring that robotic arms stay perfectly aligned with the green fence and crop, regardless of ground conditions.
Additionally, the self-stabilizing cargo platform of the Slopehelper keeps the agro bin in a constant horizontal position, maximizing bin filling efficiency while preventing fruit from shifting or sustaining damage due to terrain irregularities.
This advanced terrain-adaptive system ensures safe, efficient, and damage-free harvesting, maintaining consistent productivity even in challenging field conditions.
When the Slopehelper Grape Picker detects that the agro bin is full, it automatically initiates the bin replacement process to ensure uninterrupted harvesting. Here’s how the process works:
- Notification & Navigation – The system sends a notification to the operator via the TeroAir application and autonomously travels to the designated download point.
- Automated Bin Handling – Upon arrival, the distribution system automatically opens and parks aside, allowing a forklift to remove the full bin and load an empty one.
- Seamless Resumption – After the bin swap, the Grape Picker autonomously returns to the exact location where the bin was detected as full and continues harvesting without delay.
This intelligent automation ensures continuous operation, eliminates the need for manual intervention, and optimizes harvest logistics for maximum efficiency.