DALBOT commercializes AI-powered garlic top remover robot

A new AI-powered robotic device that removes garlic tops has emerged, promising to greatly enhance the taste and quality of garlic-processed foods.

DALBOT (CEO Junggeun Kang), a food-tech company based in Dalseong, Daegu, announced on the 10th the launch of its garlic top remover robot that removes the stem-like tops of garlic.

This system uses AI vision inspection technology to scan an average of 300 kg of peeled garlic per day, automatically removing defective pieces and trimming off the top parts. When multiple garlic top remover units are installed in a modular setup, they can be combined with a conveyor to handle high-volume garlic processing tasks.

Garlic Top Remover Robot cutting only the top part of garlic | Photo provided by DALBOT

Garlic tops are coarse and tough, making them undesirable as food ingredients. However, removing them requires labor-intensive manual work, so most garlic products on the market still contain these tops. DALBOT stated that the robot can replace the work of three human laborers, making it a significant support for garlic farms and food companies struggling with labor shortages due to aging rural populations.

Garlic with the top removed has a superior texture and sells for 20 to 50 percent more than regular garlic, but limited labor availability restricts supply. Mass-producing top-removed garlic with the robot could enhance the flavor of traditional foods like kimchi and seasoning sauces. It may also lead to the development of new garlic-based food products, boosting both domestic and international garlic industries.

Garlic Top Remover Robot main body | Photo provided by DALBOT

“The traditional field of agricultural processing can be revolutionized by integrating AI,” said DALBOT CEO Junggeun Kang. “With the garlic top remover robot, we aim to create a mutually beneficial model for the food industry.”

In addition to garlic processing, DALBOT is developing a diverse portfolio of food-tech robots for applications such as fish cake production and strawberry processing, launching them both domestically and abroad.

DALBOT specializes in image processing and AI-based robotics. Leveraging 30 years of accumulated robotics technology and AI development experience, the company provides optimized production automation solutions for agricultural product processing. It aims to bridge the gap between the growing demand for processed agri-food products and rural labor shortages with intelligent automation solutions.