PACE Mechanical Handling has introduced an entry-level robot designed to work close to people without needing to be placed within a cage.

The PacePal collaborative robot, is designed to handle cartons or cardboard boxes, making it suitable for farms with in-house packing facilities for potatoes, carrots or other fresh produce.

According to the company, the £78,000 price point is competitive when compared to other entry-level units on the market. It offers a 20kg load capacity, with 1,300mm of reach and can pack up to 15 cartons per minute.

“Over the last couple of years we have heard over and over again the challenges faced by farmers and packers who are struggling to find people prepared to work in their packing operations,” says Nick Cesare, managing director.

“We’ve also heard countless times that these growers cannot afford to automate as the cost of the machine is unaffordable. That’s why we’ve used our industry knowledge, built up over 40 years of supplying robots and automated solutions to agriculture, to introduce the PacePal. It’s incredibly cheap for what it is and is available to buy, rent or on a hire purchase agreement. We think it will become one of our most popular models.”