Corematic Engineering and The Hinkler AgTech Initiative are joining forces to build a next generation macadamia nut harvester that will improve the capabilities and efficiency of the entire industry.
According to Co-Founder and Director at Corematic Engineering Scott Hansen, the harvester aimed to help farms and businesses to stand above the competition by benefiting from state-of-the-art innovation.
“The next generation harvester utilises modern technology to make the machine more efficient, autonomous and easy to operate,” he said.
To get the idea off the ground, Mr Hansen said the project started with an understanding of the needs of those in the field.
“The interesting thing regarding this project is that, for the first time, an engineering company is involving all the growers, farmers, and macadamia nut experts to shape the future of macadamia harvesters,” he said.
“The idea of this commercial harvester actually came from our discussion with the farmers directly.
“It also came from our observation around the fact that the area they need to cover is growing very quickly and farmers don’t have the capacity to build a product themselves.
“We thought that if we can make a machine that operates using a smart control system, farmers can spend less time being overworked and will save time, money and a couple of headaches on the way!”
The Corematic and Hinkler Agtech teams will be at AgroTrend next weekend to begin the next phase of the project – gaining interest from farmers in the region and beyond.
Mr Hansen said Corematic would also collect the know-how from industry professionals through monthly workshops in order to shape the next generation harvester to best suit their needs.
“We are asking all of those industry professionals to join in on our workshops and participate in the product development process,” he said.
“This includes giving them direct influence in the harvester design and helping ensure that the final product addresses any concerns the industry currently encounters during the harvesting process.
“The final goal will be to design and manufacture the prototype of a next generation harvester.”
The Hinkler AgTech Initiative (CQU) is funding the first phase of the project, with Corematic Engineering leading the development.
