Autonomous robots used in high-bed strawberry cultivation

Assistant Professor Takuya Fujinaga of Osaka Metropolitan University created the algorithm to allow agricultural robots to navigate in two distinct modes: travelling directly to a predetermined location and moving steadily alongside elevated crop beds. These high-bed cultivation methods, which already offer a partial solution to reduce the strain of manual labour, could be made even more efficient with robotic assistance.

The research, carried out within the university's Graduate School of Engineering, involved testing an agricultural robot equipped with LiDAR – light detection and ranging – technology. Commonly used in autonomous vehicles and high-specification smartphones, lidar works by emitting rapid laser pulses to detect and map surrounding objects and surfaces.

In both simulated and real-world farming environments, the robot successfully maintained a consistent distance from the raised beds while navigating. The precise mapping capability of the LiDAR sensor allowed it to operate autonomously with accuracy.

A farm robot using lidar shows it can harvest strawberries from a high-bed cultivation field. (Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University)

“If robots can move around the farm more precisely, the range of tasks that they can perform automatically will expand, not only for harvesting, but also for monitoring for disease and pruning,” Professor Fujinaga explained. “My research shows a possibility, and once this type of agricultural robot becomes more practical to use, it will make a significant contribution to improving work efficiency and reducing labour, especially for high-bed cultivation.”

Professor Fujinaga’s findings have been published in the journal Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, offering a potential pathway toward practical deployment of robotic systems in high-value crop harvesting.