KAUST developing robotic system to improve date palm harvesting

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KAUST has been developing a new robotic system designed to automate date palm harvesting. The system aims to disrupt the agriculture industry and position Saudi Arabia as a leader in agriculture innovation. The related research, led by KAUST Assistant Professor Shinkyu Park, focuses on automating key processes in date farming, such as harvesting, pollination and tree maintenance through AI-powered robotics, and promises to produce larger yields of more nutritious dates.  

Dates are an iconic part of the Saudi diet for thousands of years. It is also a major food product, with the value of date exports by the Kingdom increasing 10% between 2022 and 2023 and another 10% between 2023 and 2024. Throughout history, date farming has relied on an accrued knowledge of the color and texture of the date to determine its ripeness and on good physical stamina of the farmers, as they must climb tall trees and cut off their harvest using knives and other sharp objects. The ability to automate these processes – both the evaluation of the date fruit and the actual harvest – will create a steadier supply of the highest quality dates and less risk to the workers.  

Park's solution, "robotic farmers", combines robotics for reliable farming and AI for greater efficiency. The robotic arms of the system will be able to move as quickly as a human farmer while precisely picking each date without damage – to itself or the fruit. By equipping them with high-precision visual sensors, the robotic farmers can distinguish individual dates, flowers, and tree structures to execute various farming tasks like harvesting, spraying, and pruning, which ensures the health, productivity, and longevity of the trees and reduces the risk of pest infestations and diseases. 

Click here to read the full story on KAUST News.