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1. A Dual Motor Actuator Used To Detach Fruit By Shaking Limbs Of Fruit TreesMechanizing the fruit removal operation during fresh-market apple harvesting will result in considerable cost savings for fruit growers. This study introduces a mechanical fruit removal technique that uses a unique limb shaking mechanism called a Dual Motor Actuator (DMA). The DMA was developed as an infinitely variable end-effector that applies rhythmic motions to a fruiting limb to remove fruit. The novelty of the DMA design is the use of two eccentrics mounted to electric motors... M. De Kleine, M. Karkee, Q. Zhang, K. Lewis |
2. Effect Of Time Of Application On Spray Coverage Using Solid Set Canopy Delivery SystemPermanent or solid set canopy delivery system can be used for foliar application in tree fruit orchards. The emitters are placed along the tree rows and are very close to tree canopy. During spray application droplets quickly get deposited on tree canopy and coverage of up to 90% could be achieved. However concerns still exist regarding critical time required to achieve target coverage using SSCD system. This knowledge of selecting an appropriate application time could help growers... M. Karkee, Q. Zhang, A. Sharda |
3. Robustness of Pigment Analysis in Tree FruitThe non-destructive application of spectrophotometry for analyzing fruit pigments has become a promising tool in precise fruit production. Particularly, the pigment contents are interesting to the growers as they provide information on the harvest maturity and fruit quality for marketing. The absorption of chlorophyll at its Q band provides quantitative information on the chlorophyll pool of fruit. As a challenge appears the in-situ measurement at varying developmental stage of the fruit due to... M. Zude-sasse, C. Regen, J. Käthner |
4. Comparison of Plant and Soil Mapping in Prunus Domestica L. OrchardIn the present study, the soil apparent electrical conductivity, ECa, and the plant water status were analyzed in plum production (Prunus domestica L 'Tophit plus'/Wavit) targeting (i) the spatial characterization of soil ECa and fruit yield, (ii) instantaneous water status, and (iii) cumulative pattern of water status and yield. The plum orchard is located in semi-humid, temperate climate (Potsdam, Germany), capturing 0.37 ha with 156 trees. Measurements were carried out on... M. Zude-sasse, J. Käthner, W.B. Herppich, J. Selbeck |
5. Evaluation of a Sensor and Control Interface Module for Monitoring of Greenhouse EnvironmentProtected horticulture in greenhouses and plant factories has been increased in many countries due to the advantages of year-round production in controlled environment for improved productivity and quality. For protected horticulture, environmental conditions are monitored and controlled through wired and wireless devices. Various devices are used for monitoring and control of spatial and temporal variability in crop growth environmental conditions. Recently, various sensors and control devices,... N. Sung, S. Chung, Y. Kim, K. Han, J. Choi, J. Kim, Y. Cho, S. Jang |
6. Practical and Affordable Technologies for Precision Agriculture in Small Fields: Present Status and Scope in IndiaThe objective of this review paper is to find out practical and affordable precision agriculture(PA) technologies present status and scope in India that are suitable for small fields. The judicious use of inputs like water, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and better management of farm equipments will increase the net profit for farmers. The important components of PA in India which are being used for small lands are Geographic Information System(GIS), laser land leveler, leaf color chart,... S. Kumar, M. Singh, H. Mirzakhaninafchi, R.U. Modi, M. Ali, M. Bhardwaj, R. Soni |
7. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Mitigating Bird Damage in Wine GrapesBird predation is a significant problem in high-value fruit crops, such as apples, cherries, blueberries, and wine grapes. Conventional methods such as netting, falconry, auditory scaring devices, lethal shooting, and visual scare devices are reported to be ineffective, costly, and/or difficult to manage. Therefore, farmers are in need of more effective and affordable bird control methods. In this study, two UAS wasused as a bird-deterring agent in a commercial vineyard. The experimental... S. Bhusal, K. Khanal, M. Karkee, K.M. Steensma, M.E. Taylor |
8. Automated Lag Phase Detection in Wine GrapesCrop yield estimation, an important managerial tool for vineyard managers, plays a crucial role in planning pre/post-harvest operations to achieve desired yield and improve efficiency of various field operations. Although various technological approaches have been developed in the past for automated yield estimation in wine grapes, challenges such as cost and complexity of the technology, need of higher technical expertise for their operation and insufficient accuracy have caused major concerns... P. Upadhyaya, M. Karkee, X. Zhang, S. Kashetri |
9. Diagnosis of Grapevine Nutrient Content Using Proximal Hyperspectral ImagingNutrient deficiencies on grapevines could affect the fruit yield and quality, which is a major concern in vineyards. Nutrient deficiencies may be recognizable by foliar symptoms that vary by mineral nutrient and stress severity, but it is too late to manage when visible deficiency symptoms become apparent. The nutrient analysis in the laboratory is the way to get an accurate result, but it is time and cost-intensive. The differences in leaf nutrient levels also alter spectral characteristics outside... C. Kang, M. Karkee, Q. Zhang, N. Shcherbatyuk, P. Davadant, M. Keller |
10. Partial Fruitlet Cutting Approach for Robotic Apple ThinningEarly season thinning of apple fruitlets is a crucial task in commercial apple farming, traditionally accomplished through chemical sprays or labor-intensive manual operations. These methods, however, are faced with the challenges of diminishing labor availability as well as environmental and/or economic sustainability. This research examines 'partial fruitlet cutting,' a novel nature-assisted strategy, as an alternative method for automated apple thinning in orchards. The study hypothesized... R. Sapkota, M. Karkee |
11. A Dual-Arm Machine-Vision-Guided Robotic System for High-Throughput Tissue Sampling in Potato TubersHigh-throughput molecular pathogen detection in potato tubers requires tissue sampling methods that are both sensitive and specific. A critical step in this workflow is the manual extraction of tissue cores, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming, limiting scalability for large-scale diagnostics. To address this challenge, this study developed a machine-vision-guided, dual-arm coordinated inline robotic system that integrates tuber picking, rotation, and tissue sampling mechanisms. In this... D. Loganathan Girija, S. Usama Bin Sabir, D. Rathore, L.R. Khot, C. Mattupalli, M. Karkee |
12. Color Identification and Texture Features of Phalaenopsis Using Deep LearningAs one of the most economically important and widely traded ornamental plants worldwide, Phalaenopsis hold a significant position in the global floriculture industry. The breeding process is traditionally labor-intensive, requiring careful visual assessment of numerous floral traits to select desirable varieties, which underscores the need for scalable, automated solutions. To enhance the efficiency of Phalaenopsis breeding and accelerate phenotypic comparison across varieties,... Y. Kuo |
13. Lauraceae Timber Identification Using Vision TransformerThe forest coverage in Taiwan exceeds 60%, yet over 99% of annual timber consumption relies on imports. This significant dependence, coupled with frequent incidents of wood misidentification and fraud, highlights the need for accurate and efficient wood species identification systems. Conventional approaches, such as microscopic analysis and sensory- based macroscopic inspection, are labor-intensive, subjective, and require domain expertise, making them unsuitable for large-scale or real-time... Y. Kuo |
14. Dual-channel Imaging and Two-stage Deep Learning for Fertility Detection of Duck EggsIn Taiwan, the waterfowl industry generates a production value of NT$11.2 billion, of which meat ducks contribute about 80% (≈NT$8.9 billion). As the upstream segment of the duck meat industry, the hatching process of duck eggs plays a critical role in duck production. Fertilized eggs require a clean incubation environment to develop properly. To protect this environment, unfertilized eggs need to be removed at an early stage, which makes fertility detection essential. However, conventional candling... Y. Kuo |
15. Applying Retrieval-augmented-generation to Support Farmers in Pest and Disease DiagnosisAccording to the Ministry of Agriculture, crop production in Taiwan reached a value of $275 billion NTD in 2023, highlighting the economic importance of agriculture. However, the industry is now facing serious challenges, particularly in pest and disease identification and crop protection. Due to global ecological challenges, the manifestations of local pests and diseases have changed, making it difficult for farmers to rely on past experiences to identify and manage them effectively. Farmers... Y. Kuo |
16. Nighttime Piglet Detection Using Deep LearningIn 2023, Taiwan’s pig industry was valued at over NT$85.1 billion, representing nearly 40% of total livestock production. However, effective piglet management remains a challenge due to environmental variability, frequent aggressive behaviors, and labor shortages—especially during nighttime. Traditional monitoring methods rely on manual observation, which is time-consuming, subjective, and impractical for continuous surveillance. To address this, we propose an automated nighttime piglet... Y. Kuo |
17. Phalaenopsis Seedling Assessment Using Leaf Contour Detection with YOLOIn this study, we propose a vision-based approach for automatically measuring the morphological traits of Phalaenopsis seedlings. By utilizing top-view and side-view images, our method automatically extracts leaf contours to replace traditional manual measurements. A YOLOv8n-seg model was employed to segment the seedlings, and further correction strategies were introduced to improve accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate the potential of our approach to support large-scale seedling classification... Y. Kuo |
18. Automated Identification of Tomato Diseases, Pests, and Disorders Using Ai Models and Smartphone ApplicationsTomato is one of the most important economic crops in many countries, with a substantial global production volume. However, tomato growth is often affected by diseases, pests, and physiological disorders (DPD), which typically manifest as symptoms on leaves, such as specks, yellowing, necrosis, or leaf deformation. These issues significantly reduce tomato yield and quality. Therefore, accurately identifying these symptoms and implementing corresponding management strategies have become crucial.... Y. Kuo |
19. Detecting and Removing Defective Carcasses of Taiwanese Native Chickens Using Convolutional Neural NetworksPoultry is one of the most important sources of meat worldwide. In 2023, the production value of poultry in Taiwan reached 59.8 billion NTD, accounting for 27.8% of the economic value of the animal husbandry industry. Among various chicken breeds, Taiwanese native chickens (TNC) are highly favored by consumers for their meat quality and flavor. As the demand for chicken increases, providing high quality meat to the market has become crucial. Unlike broilers, Taiwanese native chickens have diverse... Y. Kuo |
20. Identification of Citrus Diseases, Pests, and Disorders Using Deep LearningTaiwan’s warm climate offers favorable conditions for citrus production, making it the most economically valuable fruit crop in the country. Citrus trees are perennial and mainly propagated asexually. Long-term exposure and limited genetic diversity make them more susceptible to infection by various pathogens. In practice, diagnosis often relies on farmers’ experience, which can be subjective despite their familiarity with local conditions. Microscopic examination by plant pathologists... Y. Kuo |
21. Automatic Counting of Chickens Around Feeders Using Convolutional Neural NetworksIn 2023, Taiwan’s chicken industry generated about NTD 93.6 billion, or 43.5% of the livestock production value, underscoring its central role in the sector. Nonetheless, monitoring flock health and housing remains labor-intensive, and adjustments to feeding regimes frequently depend on subjective judgment, limiting standardization and scalability. Because feeding behavior is a key indicator of health and welfare, we present a vision-based system that continuously detects feeders and counts... Y. Kuo |
22. Automated Selection of Taiwan Native Breeding Chickens Using Machine Vision and Deep LearningChicken is a primary global source of protein. In Taiwan, the poultry sector is a cornerstone of the domestic food supply. A significant part of this sector is the Taiwan Native Chicken (TNC), a collection of indigenous breeds prized for their unique flavor and cultural value, generating over 26 billion New Taiwan Dollars in 2023. Maintaining the quality of TNC relies on the effective selection of superior breeders. Conventionally, this selection is performed through manual inspection of phenotypic... Y. Kuo |
23. Identification of Cucumber Pests, Diseases, and Disorders Using Deep LearningCucumber is an essential economic crop worldwide, which is typically cultivated in summer. The hot and humid conditions make them highly susceptible to various pests, diseases, and physiological disorders, which hinder their growth and lead to significant yield losses. Early and accurate detection is vital to limiting the spread of diseases or pests. However, traditional diagnostic approaches rely heavily on visual inspection by experienced farmers or microscopic examination by specialists, which... Y. Kuo |
24. Monitoring Chicken Houses with AI Surveillance SystemIn Taiwan, the need of chicken meat accounts for approximately 30% of total livestockvproduction. In order to maintaining animal welfare, floor-rearing chicken farming approaches are widely used in Taiwan. However, traditional poultry management is often labor-intensive which increases the risk of disease transmission. To improve monitoring efficiency, we proposed a smart rail surveillance system to automatically monitor chickens for real-time chicken health assessment. The system comprised a... Y. Kuo |