RI Seminar: Professor Manoj Karkee
Title : Automation and robots in tree fruit orchards
Manoj Karkee
Professor & Director
Centre for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems
Washington State University
Editor-in-Chief – Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Abstract: AI and Robotics has been and will continue to play a key role in reducing farming inputs such as labor, water and fertilizer and increasing productivity. Modular sensing, automation and robotics technologies developed in recent years (including mobile device-based Applications), decreasing cost and increasing capabilities of sensing, control and automation technologies such as UAVs, robust AI tools such as deep learning, and increasing emphasis by governments around the world in advancing AI-empower smart and automated technologies have created a conductive environment to develop and adopt smart, robotic farming systems for the benefit of agricultural industries around the world with a wide range of farming scale and environment.
In this presentation, the author will first discuss the importance of AI-empowered precision and automated/robotic systems for the future of farming (Smart Farming, Ag 4.0). He will then summarize past efforts and current status of agricultural automation and robotics in fruit orchards including examples from apple harvesting and fruit tree pruning, followed by an introduction of the novel systems being developed in his program. At the end, major challenges and opportunities in agricultural robotics and related areas including potential future directions in research and development will be discussed.
