The LeafLogic project proposes the development of an integrated lettuce harvesting system in greenhouses, utilizing artificial intelligence, a robotic platform, and augmented reality technologies, aiming to digitally transform agricultural food production. Today, harvesting relies on manual labor and subjective judgment, leading to estimation errors, production losses of up to 30%%, high labor costs, and reduced competitiveness for small and medium-sized businesses in Thessaly. Dependence on human labor creates inconsistency in quality and limited scalability, while food waste and inefficient use of resources increase the environmental footprint.
LeafLogic combines advanced technologies to address these challenges. Through YOLO-type artificial intelligence systems, the detection and classification of lettuce with an accuracy of over 95% in real conditions is achieved, eliminating human subjectivity. At the same time, an autonomous robotic platform (UGV) equipped with LiDAR, RGBD cameras, and SLAM technologies achieves accurate navigation and mapping within the greenhouse. The system also incorporates plant area calculation with an error of less than 10% and continuous feedback from the producer for yield estimation and improved accuracy.
The implementation of the system leads to significantly measurable results: a reduction in harvesting time by at least 70% (from 30 to approximately 5 seconds per plant), a reduction in errors by 80%, a reduction in labor costs by 50%, and an increase in the product's shelf life by 20%. This approach improves the quality and commercial value of lettuce, while strengthening the competitiveness of businesses, with a payback of the investment in two to three years.
The project is part of the Priority Area «Digital Transformation in the Agricultural Food Complex» of the 2021–2027 ESF, promoting innovation, sustainability, and regional development. The implementation of LeafLogic reduces the use of water and fertilizers by approximately 20%%, limits food waste to over 80% %, and contributes to the European Union's goals for climate neutrality. At the market level, the solution is aimed at small and medium-sized greenhouse businesses, strengthening their competitiveness and extroversion. Commercial exploitation will be based on existing networks of producers, cooperatives, and collaborations with research institutions. At the same time, new jobs will be created in the fields of robotics, machine learning, and precision agriculture, while farmers will have access to educational programs that will strengthen their digital skills.
The dissemination of the results will be carried out through scientific publications, international conferences, pilot applications and open events, as well as through digital channels and social networks, ensuring the widespread adoption of the technology. In parallel, a Data Management Plan will be developed in accordance with the FAIR principles and a strategy for intellectual property protection to ensure the exploitation of the results.
Overall, LeafLogic aims to set a benchmark for precision agriculture by introducing an innovative, sustainable, and commercially viable solution that will upgrade lettuce greenhouse production and enhance the economic, technological, and social development of the Thessaly Region, offering substantial benefits to producers, businesses, research institutions, and society.