Machine counts fruit, aids harvest plans

GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 25 (UPI) -- U.S. agricultural researchers are developing an electronic system that can count fruit to help growers make better harvesting decisions.

University of Florida experts said their technology -- called machine vision -- might be commercially available by the end of the decade.

"Basically, you use a camera and a computer to mimic what a human being can do," said Associated Professor Daniel Lee, who leads the project.

By knowing the expected yield, growers can tell how much time, labor and equipment will be needed for harvest, said Lee. And, since the system includes a Global Positioning System receiver and notes the position of each tree, it can help growers manage specific areas for better productivity.

But it will be two or three years before the system can be sold because researchers are addressing several challenges. One is uneven lighting, which makes it hard for the camera to detect fruit in the dark recesses of a tree canopy. The other is detecting fruit partially obstructed by leaves or other objects.

The project is being partly funded by the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council.