Innovation of the Year: A Robotic Apple Harvester Built for Real Orchards

Buobe IA context · why it matters

Timing is critical in fruit orchards — Lost income due to unharvested fruit can be avoided with automation.
Growers urgently need harvesting automation — Essential to sustain the industry amid labor shortages. Fique de olho:
More apple harvesters will likely be developed as demand grows.

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innovationcenter.msu.edu

on •1 min read

In fruit orchards, timing is critical. When labor is scarce or costly, fruit may remain unharvested, causing lost income and risking the relocation of specialty crop production from Michigan to regions with larger orchards and more workers.

Agricuture Innovation Center College of Engineering Research Department of Mechanical Engineering

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