Young innovators from Kozhikode, Kerala, have developed Cocobot, a lightweight robot designed to climb coconut trees and harvest ripe nuts, addressing labor shortages for farmers. This second-generation model is ready for market launch within six months, with demonstrations ongoing to incorporate farmer feedback.
Robot Features
Cocobot Gen-2 weighs just 11 kg, attaches to trees in five seconds without nuts or bolts, and climbs 20-meter trees in under a minute using a simple locking system. Farmers control it remotely via camera and joystick to identify and cut ripe coconuts, completing a full harvest in five minutes on a two-hour battery charge. The upcoming Gen-3 version will be fully autonomous with AI for detection and harvesting on any tree height or width.
Team and Background
Led by engineer Ashinkrishna from Kozhikode, the team includes Gokul Krishnan, A K Gokul Krishna, Alosh Denny, Salman, and Shuhaib. Ashin, who skipped B.Tech to focus on this, drew from childhood innovations like a prize-winning portable AC and bootstrapped with personal savings, prizes, and grants from Kerala Startup Mission, Kerala Agriculture University, and IIT Mandi.
Business Models
Small farmers can hire Cocobot via a mobile app on a per-tree payment basis, creating local entrepreneur opportunities through panchayat-level operators like Kudumbashree units. Large-scale buyers can purchase outright, recouping costs in two years, with international interest from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. Customizations for tender coconuts, spraying, or arecanut harvesting are planned.
Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2026/02/19/coconut-harvesting-robot-launch.html