Apple updates: robots and purple rain

28th April 2021 | Eativity editors
Apple news Australia

New autonomous robotic technology developed by Monash University researchers has the potential to become the apple of the Australian horticultural industry’s eye, thanks to the potential benefits it could offer during the current labour shortage crisis.

A research team, led by Dr Chao Chen from Monash University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has developed an autonomous harvesting robot capable of identifying, picking and depositing apples in as little as seven seconds.

Following extensive trials in February and March this year at Fankhauser Apples in Drouin, Victoria, the robot was able to harvest more than 85 percent of all reachable apples in the canopy as identified by its vision system. Of all apples harvested, fewer than six percent were damaged due to stem removal. Apples without stems can still be sold, but don’t necessarily fit the cosmetic guidelines of some retailers.

A helping hand

“Our vision system can not only positively identify apples in a tree in an outdoors orchard environment by means of deep learning,” Dr Chen says. “It also identifies obstacles, such as leaves and branches, to calculate the optimum trajectory for apple extraction

The robot grasps apples with a specially designed pneumatically-powered soft gripper. It has four independently operating fingers and a suction system that grasps and extracts apples efficiently. This is all done while minimising damage to the tree and the fruit. The suction system draws the apple from the canopy into the gripper. This reduces the need for the gripper to reach into the canopy, potentially damaging its surroundings.

Apple updates: one million Bravo apples set to be produced this year
Bravo apples contain more flavonoids than any other Australian apple variety.

One million reasons to enjoy Bravo apples

Consumers will soon be able to enjoy more of the unique dark burgundy Bravo apples developed in Western Australia. This year’s production will increase by one million kilos.

Harvest of the vibrant and flavonoid-rich fruit is now underway at orchards in the Perth Hills, Manjimup and Donnybrook. Both areas predict a significant increase in availability as plantings expand and trees mature. Over the next four weeks, about 3000 tonnes of the fruit will be picked in regions across Australia.

While supplies in local retail stores will increase in coming weeks, the appealing apple has also struck a chord with overseas customers. Bravo apples have secured a slice of the high-end retail market in Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Apple updates: the high flavonoid content means that Bravo flesh is very slow to turn brown once cut
The high flavonoid content means that Bravo flesh is very slow to turn brown once cut.

Two decades in the making

This is just the sixth harvest of Bravo apples. Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development developed the fruit over a two-decade period. It continues to work on new, healthier apple varieties via the Australian National Apple Breeding program. This is the same breeding program that created the Cripps Pink and Cripps Red apples, marketed as Pink Lady and Sundowner.

There are now 26 Bravo apple producers in Western Australia. Plantings of the variety are also increasing in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.

You can identify Bravo apples in retail stores by their deep burgundy colour and blue Bravo sticker. To find out more, head to bravoapples.com.au