Carnegie Mellon developing automated systems to enable precision farming of apples, oranges

"Growers can use the data generated by this new approach to make decisions throughout the year regarding pest management, pruning, fertilization, irrigation and yield estimates," McFerson said. "We believe this will result in higher quality fruit at a lower per unit cost, as well as a more productive and safer workplace."

The CASC Program will work with apple growers in Pennsylvania, Oregon and Washington and includes collaborators from Penn State, Washington State, Oregon State and Purdue universities as well as the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Researchers will use a fleet of automated four-wheel vehicles that can perform multiple tasks, including tree monitoring and chemical spraying. Industrial partners include Toro, Trimble, Vision Robotics, IONco and Sensible Machines.

The NREC's Integrated Automation for Sustainable Specialty Crop Farming Project will deploy a fleet of networked, unmanned tractors in the orange groves of Southern Gardens Citrus (SGC), one of Florida's largest growers. In addition to SGC, collaborators include researchers at the University of Florida, Cornell University and Deere & Co.

Harvesting remains one of the most labor-intensive operations at orchards, but it also is very challenging to automate because of demanding handling and cost requirements. Both projects will investigate new designs for mechanical harvesters, including a vacuum-assisted device that the CASC will use for apple harvesting, but the emphasis will be on aiding human harvesters, rather than replacing them.

The Specialty Crop Research Initiative was established by the 2008 Farm Bill to solve critical issues facing specialty crops, which include fruits and vegetables. The two Carnegie Mellon-led projects were among 18 that received a total of $28 million in the first round of grants this fall. The Robotics Institute is part of Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science.

About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. For more, see www.cmu.edu.