Apparatus, system, and method for growing and harvesting living matter

A system for growing and harvesting living matter, the system comprising:

• trays;
• a racking portion, comprising:
• two racks separated by an aisle where each one of the two racks has shelves vertically spaced apart from each other;
• and
• a robot selectively operable to deliver the trays to and retrieve the trays from the shelves, wherein the robot comprises:
• a lower horizontal track in the aisle, parallel to the aisle, and non-movably fixed relative to the two racks;
• an upper horizontal track in the aisle, parallel to the aisle, and non-movably fixed relative to the two racks;
• a vertical track perpendicular to and selectively movable along the lower horizontal track and the upper horizontal track in only forward and rearward directions parallel to the aisle;
• and
• a motorized vertical carriage selectively movable along the vertical track in only upward and downward directions perpendicular to the forward and rearward directions, wherein the motorized vertical carriage is configured to support at least one tray at a time so that the at least one tray co-moves with the motorized vertical carriage;
• a processing portion, comprising;
• a harvester configured to receive the trays from the shelves and to remove living matter from the trays;
• and
• a seeder configured to receive the trays from the harvester and to distribute seed to the trays;
• and
• an electronic controller operable to autonomously control operation of the robot to deliver each one of the trays, after seeded by the seeder and before the seed is germinated, to a corresponding one of a plurality of storage positions on the shelves and to retrieve each one of the trays, when the seed has grown into the living matter, from the corresponding one of the plurality of storage positions on the shelves,
• wherein each one of the trays, after being delivered to the corresponding one of the plurality of storage positions on the shelves and before being retrieved from the corresponding one of the plurality of storage positions on the shelves, remains in and does not move from the corresponding one of the plurality of storage positions on the shelves until the seed in the corresponding one of the trays has grown into the living matter.