Articles
Advancements in orchard harvesting automation: the Monash Apple Retrieving System
Article number
1395_59
Pages
447 – 452
Language
English
Abstract
The expanding global population, persisting labour uncertainties, and the ongoing environmental challenges, have driven an increased demand for robotic solutions and precision management strategies in orchards.
This research introduces the Monash Apple Retrieving System (known as MARS) for selective apple picking in modern orchards, with potential integration capabilities with commercial harvest assist platforms.
This robotic harvesting system employs adaptive fruit-robot interaction and intelligent decision-making, aiming to facilitate efficient and damage-free harvesting, thereby contributing to the advancement of precision agriculture practices.
The MARS system integrates the following components: a LiDAR-based 3D vision system, a 6-DoF UR5 manipulator, an adaptive soft gripper, and a path planning-based control system, complemented by a mobile base carrying all the onboard devices.
Through efficient coordination of the robot operating system (ROS), the systems central control unit can accurately perceive and process the 3D position data of each apple, and subsequently execute an optimised approach towards the target fruit, ensuring smooth and precise harvesting manoeuvres.
Afterwards, the soft gripper adeptly grasps and detaches the specified fruit from the canopy with the aim of minimising any potential damage to the fruit.
The field trials conducted during the 2021 and 2022 apple harvesting seasons in Australia demonstrate MARSs success rates of 70.7% for pink lady apples and 71.4% for smitten apples, accompanied by less than 1% fruit damage rate.
The trials also identified areas for further refinement, continued efforts are needed to address the remaining challenges over the coming years.
Overall, the development of MARS offers a promising solution to combat the escalating labour shortage, contributing to the pursuit of a sustainable future in agriculture.
This research introduces the Monash Apple Retrieving System (known as MARS) for selective apple picking in modern orchards, with potential integration capabilities with commercial harvest assist platforms.
This robotic harvesting system employs adaptive fruit-robot interaction and intelligent decision-making, aiming to facilitate efficient and damage-free harvesting, thereby contributing to the advancement of precision agriculture practices.
The MARS system integrates the following components: a LiDAR-based 3D vision system, a 6-DoF UR5 manipulator, an adaptive soft gripper, and a path planning-based control system, complemented by a mobile base carrying all the onboard devices.
Through efficient coordination of the robot operating system (ROS), the systems central control unit can accurately perceive and process the 3D position data of each apple, and subsequently execute an optimised approach towards the target fruit, ensuring smooth and precise harvesting manoeuvres.
Afterwards, the soft gripper adeptly grasps and detaches the specified fruit from the canopy with the aim of minimising any potential damage to the fruit.
The field trials conducted during the 2021 and 2022 apple harvesting seasons in Australia demonstrate MARSs success rates of 70.7% for pink lady apples and 71.4% for smitten apples, accompanied by less than 1% fruit damage rate.
The trials also identified areas for further refinement, continued efforts are needed to address the remaining challenges over the coming years.
Overall, the development of MARS offers a promising solution to combat the escalating labour shortage, contributing to the pursuit of a sustainable future in agriculture.
Authors
H. Zhou, T. Liu, E. Kok, A. Yasar, D. Ranasinghe, M.Y. Wang, C. Chen
Keywords
robotic harvesting, selective harvesting, harvesting platform, precision agriculture, sustainable farming
Groups involved
- Division Temperate Tree Nuts
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Working Group Precision Management of Orchards and Vineyards
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