About

Mycionics Inc., founded in 2014, is an Ontario-based robotics company developing advanced automation solutions for mushroom farming, specializing in drawer-based harvesting systems in collaboration with Christiaens Group. Mycionics’ technology includes AI-driven robotic harvesting systems, custom soft-touch grippers, advanced machine vision, and crop scanners to optimize picking efficiency and crop management.

Mushroom farming faces a growing labour crisis, requiring selective, precision-based picking for up to 20 hours per day. Workers must continuously assess size and ripeness, carefully handle mushrooms to prevent bruising, and maintain harvest speed in high-humidity, high-CO₂ environments, making the job physically demanding, hazardous, and difficult to staff. Rising wages and tightening immigration policies exacerbate labour shortages, threatening industry productivity and growth.  Mycionics looks to address these industry challenges with their automation solutions. 

Project

Mycionics is developing a next-gen robotic harvesting system, designed to automate 75% of harvesting operations while integrating AI-driven precision picking, improved grasping mechanics, and real-time coordination with drawer movement. This next-generation system represents a critical step toward full-scale automation in mushroom farming while ensuring that workers can transition to higher-value roles.  Through support from the Sector Adoption Program, Mycionics’ project encompasses the design, development, and deployment of an advanced autonomous robotic mushroom harvesting system, integrating a scanner and pointing system with a four-arm robotic picker and packer at South Mill Champs – a leading mushroom grower.

Impact & Outcomes

At the Sector Adoption project completion, a fully validated, production-ready robotic harvesting system will be installed at South Mill Champs, demonstrating labour reduction, yield optimization, and operational efficiency. This serves as the final step before full-scale commercialization and industry-wide deployment.  As a result of commercial deployment, Mycionics forecast revenue increases to several million and hiring of up to ten additional full-time employees.  Adoption of the technology across the sector would decrease labour requirements, reduce harvesting losses  and increase profitability for Ontario’s mushroom producers – all helping to ensure the provinces food security.