Experimental AI tech lending a helping hand to fruit producers in Japan

Chiba – Researchers in Japan have been conducting experiments using robotics and artificial intelligence to alleviate fruit farmers' reliance on scarce labor while supporting those who are aging and have no successor. Trials are underway in Chiba Prefecture, a major production area for Japanese pears, and Yamanashi Prefecture, the country's main grape-growing region. In spring this year, a consortium made up of the Chiba Prefectural Government, agricultural cooperatives, and other concerns launched a two-year experimental project at pear-growing properties in the cities of Ichikawa and Narita in the prefecture. According to Tokyo-based consulting company NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting Inc., which oversees the experiments, a robot cargo vehicle automatically follows workers as they harvest pears, transporting the fruit to a designated location. An integrated camera shoots photographs of the prepicked pears and surrounding foliage, AI analyzes the data and provides information on the best time for the fruit to be harvested based on its growth.