Martin Churuvija partnered with Australian researchers this summer to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into his prototype tree-pruning robot.
The Washington State University biological systems engineering PhD student had the opportunity to work with scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) thanks to a partnership between WSU and the Australian university focused on robotics.
“Using robots in orchard environments is extremely challenging,” Churuvija said. “Unlike indoor settings, outdoor conditions bring a range of obstacles. For example, our vision system—which uses cameras to perceive the world in 3D like humans—must recognize tree structures despite inconsistent lighting and wind.”
