Growing grapes in the UK is tough. Harvest timing is crucial, and farmers usually have to pick, crush, and test grapes in a lab to check if they’re ready. This process is slow and wastes part of the crop.
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London want to solve this problem. Prof Lei Su and Dr. Xuechun Wang have developed RipenAI, a portable sensor that uses light and machine learning to check if a grape is ripe without touching it.
How Light Reveals a Grape’s Ripeness
The technology checks how grapes react to light. As grapes ripen, their chemistry changes, which affects how they reflect different wavelengths.
“Our technology uses optical sensors to detect how grapes absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light,” said Dr. Xuechun Wang. “As grapes ripen, their chemical composition changes, which alters their optical response. By analysing these spectral patterns using AI algorithms, we can estimate grape ripeness directly on the vine, without damaging the grape.”
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The team plans to create a handheld version for workers and a system that can monitor the entire vineyard around the clock. They are also exploring a version that could work with robotic pickers.
Better data means better wine
For vineyards such as Saffron Grange, having this data is important. Picking grapes at the right time means less adjustment is needed later, which results in better wine.
“Harvesting grapes at the right time is one of the most important decisions a grower makes when producing the best quality wine,” says Nick Edwards, a Director at Saffron Grange Vineyard. “This requires careful monitoring of key parameters such as sugar and acidity from veraison through to harvest.”
He points out that soil and weather impact the speed at which grapes ripen. “RipenAI will support this approach by providing non-destructive, real-time insight into grape ripeness across our vineyard,” Edwards explained. “A handheld device will also deliver instant results, significantly reducing the labour and time required for sampling, testing, and analysis.”
The team is now searching for more orchards and vineyards to try out their new prototype during the next harvest. Prof Lei Su said, “RipenAI will shape the future of smart harvesting for a growing industry where timing and precision is the difference between success and failure.”
