A four-year study by the University of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics has found two Australian-made 1.5m-high robots can uncover the best locations to place beehives in order to improve yields.
The robots were trialed on almond, apple, lychee, custard apple, avocado and banana farms, with the robots concurrently working on each side of tree rows using cameras, lasers and software to create a series of algorithms to identify fruit.
The robots were able to identify yield variations that were the result of a lack of pollination.
“This is a very exciting finding as this technology has the ability to help growers identify issues such as a lack of pollination and address them quickly,” John Lloyd, CEO of grower-owned body Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) said. “By monitoring the data patterns produced by these robots growers can effectively help ensure the best yield possible.”
The robots could also identify fruit and nuts with an accuracy rate between 60 and 96 per cent depending on sunlight and leaf coverage, which Lloyd said paves the way for autonomous tree fruit and nut picking.
“This study has provided a real window into a not too distant future where labour hire shortages and associated costs no longer need to be key concerns for tree crop growers,” he said. “Ultimately, this technology will enable growers to save time and money, allowing growers to get their produce to consumers more efficiently while increasing their overall farm gate returns.”
The study was commissioned by Hort Innovation, which is investing more than A$15m into autonomous-based projects.
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