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Japanese Researchers Unveil LiDAR-Guided Robot for Precision Strawberry Farming

The autonomous robot, designed for high-bed cultivation, demonstrates groundbreaking accuracy and adaptability in real-world trials while researchers work to address dynamic field challenges.

A farm robot using lidar shows it can harvest strawberries from a high-bed cultivation field.

Overview

  • Developed by Osaka Metropolitan University, the robot uses LiDAR sensors and a dual-mode navigation system to operate in high-bed strawberry fields with sub-0.05 meter precision.
  • The navigation algorithm allows the robot to switch between traveling to target locations and contour-following elevated planting beds, ensuring efficient field coverage.
  • Real-world and virtual tests confirmed the robot's ability to maintain precise distance and orientation, outperforming traditional navigation methods in efficiency and reliability.
  • Researchers aim to expand the robot's capabilities beyond harvesting to include disease monitoring and pruning, addressing broader agricultural challenges.
  • Current limitations, including a lack of dynamic obstacle avoidance and reliance on static maps, are being addressed to prepare the technology for wider deployment.