WPS provides both fully automated systems and semi-automated systems. Some clients need the full automation to ensure that experiment protocols are very closely followed, others happily trade total plant capacity for automation level if the budget requires making a choice.
Essential to a digital phenotyping system is the transport system, in many cases a conveyor based infrastructure, capable of handling tens-of-thousands of plants daily. Integrated within the transport system are other components such as watering and weighing stations, manual loading loops, and specialized robotics for handling potted plants, leaf punches for biochemical and genetic assays or spray cabins. The WPS conveyor systems are unique since they are developed only for the transportation of plants, and therefore highly optimized, both technically and commercially for exactly this application.
Some facts and figures:
- Used on >100 facilities around the world both for phenotyping and professional horticulture.
- Combined length of WPS conveyors today is >2000KM (>1200 Miles)
- >1,000,000 RFID fitted plant carriers are used daily
- System capacities vary between 200 & 100,000 plants per system
- Individual plant throughputs up to 7000 plants/ hour are achieved
Many of our clients use ebb/ flood/rain irrigation with the plants on the conveyor and not reliant on watering weigh stations
500 Plant Automated Conveyor System with Multi-Purpose Imaging Cabin: 1- This section of the conveyor is counter-balanced and simply lifts up, manually, for easy walk-though access to the imaging area and watering module. 2- Plant growth and conveyance area. 3- Imaging station. 4- Watering and weigh station.