Researchers to Build Robots to Prune Grapes, Apples

The robots are coming! And some of them may end up taking over the labor-intensive and often expensive task of pruning grapevines and apple trees. Scientists at Purdue University received $3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and another $3 million in matching funds to develop machines that use cameras and robotic arms to prune grapevines and apple orchards. Pruning is generally 20 percent of a grower’s labor costs. Researchers will start by aiming to improve a prototype of an automated pruner developed by a California company. Read more (Associated Press).