Training fruit picker using practical reality equipment , employing robots to move fruit container , and fag out exoskeleton to support strong-arm labor are all opening being turn over by Australian Chuck Berry cultivator to advance labour efficiency .
Delivered through Hort Innovation and led by The Growth Drivers in consultation with Chuck Berry agriculturalist , the research direct to name hard-nosed engineering - based solutions to treat one of the industry ’s biggest challenge .
The identified engineering were then develop in interview with prospective technology providers before being validated and amend through interactions with growers , admit interviews and a consecrate grower shop .
Hort Innovation master executive Brett Fifield say the research provide a coup d’oeil of the not - too - distant future tense .
" There is an increase demand from horticultural industries to explore and adopt technologies that help work out raiser ' big challenges , " he said .
" The berry manufacture has experienced significant maturation in both loudness and value but is heavily pendent on script - picking to meet the demand for fresh fruit . "
The Growth Drivers project hint , Ky Snyder , tell the enquiry demonstrated there are multiple solutions out there for Chuck Berry growers and the horticulture industry in general .
" The use of virtual reality is becoming more and more popular in horticulture , offer workers with immersive and piquant breeding experience , " he said . " There is immense potential for the applied science to revolutionize fruit picker training by reducing training time significantly and also facilitating off - season and off - web site training . "
" Another deterrent example is the self-directed collaborative automaton that use artificial intelligence to navigate between location for various in - field project such as crop scanning and transportation . By eliminating prison term pass by pickers in transporting picked yield and for collection of supplies , a potential labor saving of up to 20 percent across picking bunch is possible . "
Hillwood Berries farm coach Andrea O’Halloran said the research has expanded the berry industry ’s sympathy of what is possible .
" Who knew that self-governing robots and virtual reality headsets could be just around the recess for Charles Edward Berry growers ? " she say . " This research provides our industry with a roadmap for further development of these solutions , with the ultimate finish of berry growers being able to put this technology into action . "
For more entropy on the project and its finding , confab the Rubus Labour Optimisation website here .
