AI to harvest cucumbers, feed fish as government backs 229 commercialization projects

The era of AI harvesting cucumbers and feeding fish is fast approaching.

The government announced Saturday the results of its "AI Applied Product Rapid Commercialization Support Project," known as AX-Sprint, selecting 229 AI products and services for a combined investment of 754 billion won ($495 million). The selected projects focus on developing market-ready products for launch within one to two years.

In agriculture, an autonomous harvesting robot that picks cucumbers and strawberries and transports them to sorting facilities was among the selections. Unlike existing harvesting robots limited to a single crop, the new system can locate fruit among leaves and stems and automatically swap and carry harvest containers.

In livestock, an automated slaughtering robot will be developed that analyzes the size and shape of livestock products in real time to automatically adjust cutting positions. The goal is to raise productivity and quality in a slaughtering process that currently relies on manual labor for more than 70 percent of operations.

In fisheries, an AI platform was selected that analyzes the size and condition of farmed fish to independently determine the timing and quantity of feed. The system draws on comprehensive data — including water quality, growth status and feeding history — to recommend optimal feeding conditions.

In the maritime sector, an AI-powered surface drone will be developed to autonomously detect and clean up pollution on and below the water. The plan is to automate underwater inspection and debris collection that currently depends on divers, improving both safety and efficiency.

The government expects the initiative to help ease labor shortages and aging workforce pressures at farms, livestock operations and fishing sites.

The program drew 1,604 applications for an initial pool of 246 projects, a competition ratio of 6.5 to 1. Of the 229 projects ultimately selected, 91.3 percent will be carried out through consortiums that include actual demand-side companies.

Among the selected firms, small and medium-sized enterprises account for 82.1 percent, companies founded within the past seven years make up 25.8 percent, and businesses based outside the Greater Seoul area represent 42.8 percent. Projects using domestically developed AI models account for 41.3 percent of the total, while those using domestic AI semiconductors make up 30.6 percent.

The government plans to support the selected projects through regulatory improvements and assistance securing distribution channels, with the aim of ensuring they reach actual product launches and real-world deployment.