Saga Robotics, Bitwise Agronomy and Chambers Farm partner to enhance strawberry yield forecasts

Saga Robotics, Bitwise Agronomy, and Chambers Farm have launched a strategic three-way partnership aimed at advancing data-driven strawberry production. The collaboration will use real-time fruit and flower data collected by Thorvald, Saga’s autonomous UV-C robot, and processed through Bitwise Agronomy’s AI platform to provide commercial growers with reliable yield forecasts and crop intelligence.

As part of the initiative, Thorvald robots operating at Chambers Farm—already treating roughly 20% of the UK’s tabletop strawberries with UV-C light—will now also collect high-resolution plant imagery during routine treatments. Using onboard artificial intelligence, each robot is estimated to scan over 3 million fruits and flowers per night, grading ripeness on a 0–7 scale and geotagging data to specific field rows.

The data is uploaded to Bitwise Agronomy’s platform, where it is combined with sensor and weather data. Bitwise applies its proprietary ripening models to deliver accurate, field-specific yield forecasts that inform growers’ labor, harvest, and sales decisions.

“This is about putting real numbers in the hands of growers,” said Damian Flynn, Chief Product Officer at Saga Robotics. “Thorvald is already delivering UV-C treatments. Now, it’s doubling its value by capturing crop data that supports reliable planning and reduces guesswork.”

The technology is being trialed at Chambers Farm, a UK soft fruit producer and early adopter of both Thorvald and Bitwise Agronomy. The farm is using the combined system to assess flower density and ripening trends in real time, which it says is improving resource allocation and planning.

“These are robots that work where it counts: in the field,” said Tim Chambers, Managing Director of Chambers Farm. “We’ve seen how Thorvald’s nightly data runs help guide picking operations. With Bitwise’s predictive tools, we’re elevating our operational planning.”

Bitwise Agronomy, which has developed machine-learning-based models for crop development and yield prediction globally, views the integration with Thorvald as a logical evolution of its services.

“Thorvald is uniquely positioned to collect consistent, high-quality data across the growing season,” said Fiona Turner, CEO of Bitwise Agronomy. “By pairing that with our agronomic models, we’re helping growers make more informed decisions—days, weeks, or even months in advance.”

The partnership represents a shift in Thorvald’s role from a UV-C treatment tool to a broader crop monitoring and decision-support platform. Saga Robotics is continuing to build out its analytics capabilities and plans to launch additional crop detection features and a digital interface for growers.

“Growers don’t need more complexity,” Flynn said. “They need proven tools that slot into their operations and deliver insight. This partnership meets that demand and sets the stage for future field-ready solutions.”