In a breakthrough for coconut farmers, a young engineer from Kerala has developed a robot capable of climbing coconut trees and harvesting nuts in minutes. The innovation, named Cocobot, is expected to hit the market within six months.

Designed by Ashinkrishna from Kozhikode along with partners Gokul Krishnan, A K Gokul Krishna, Alosh Denny, Salman and Shuhaib, the robot has evolved from a prototype to a near-commercial product.

Fast, lightweight and efficient

The second-generation Cocobot Gen-2 weighs just 11 kg and can be mounted onto a tree in five seconds. Using a simple locking mechanism — without nuts, bolts or chains — it grips the trunk securely and climbs a 20-metre tree in under a minute.

Within three to four minutes, it cuts down ripe coconuts and leaf stalks. The entire harvesting process takes around five minutes per tree.

Farmers operate the robot through a compact remote console connected to an onboard camera. The joystick-controlled robotic arms identify and cut ripe coconuts, and can even make a small incision to check ripeness. Powered by battery, Cocobot runs for up to two hours on a single charge.

AI-powered future model

Ashin says a third-generation model, currently under development, will be fully automatic. Driven by Artificial Intelligence, it will independently climb trees, detect ripe coconuts and harvest them without manual control.

The robot is designed to work on trees of varying heights and girths, with a safety lock system preventing falls during operation.

Business model for farmers

To make the innovation accessible, the team has proposed two models. Farmers can either purchase the robot outright — with the investment expected to be recovered within two years — or hire services through an app-based system where entrepreneurs operate Cocobot and charge per tree.

This model could create local employment opportunities, including for women and differently-abled individuals.

Ashin, who funded his early work with just ₹5,000 in savings and prize money, received later support from Kerala Startup Mission and other institutions. He says enquiries are now coming from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Cocobot may soon offer a technological solution to one of the biggest challenges in coconut farming — labour shortage and rising harvesting costs.