Dr Chris Lehnert

P2-003 Identification of protected cropping systems for robotics; P2-008 Modular vertical growing systems field analysis; P2-017 Task automation in protected cropping systems; P2-022 Banana Dehanding Tech

After taking out a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at University of Queensland, Chris Lehnert undertook a PhD at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), staying on to become a post-doc researcher and Senior Lecturer in Robotics at and Chief Investigator at the QUT Centre for Robotics. Projects he’s engaged on include Moving to See; Reaching in Clutter using Force and Tactile Feedback; Safe autonomous driving through dense vegetation via interaction; and the development of Harvey – The Robotic Capsicum Harvester. An early-career highlight was participating in 2016’s Amazon Picking Challenge. Dr Lehnert led the now-completed Robotic Vertical Farming Systems project for Future Food Systems CRC, and is research lead on the FFSCRC’s Autonomous Robotic Platforms for Greenhouses’ project, a collaboration with national vegetable grower and FFSCRC industry partner P’Petual Holdings. Read more about Dr Lehnert here.

P2-022 In Progress

Development of automated banana dehanding technology utilising computer vision, machine learning and robotic handling methods

Banana de-handing is a core process at all banana processing facilities. It is a repetitive and physically demanding activity that if automated, could improve processing efficiencies and provide a valuable integration point for robotics systems. This research is pertinent given current workforce reliability and supply chain issues, TR4 disease, and low-cost imports threats.

P2-017 In Progress

Enabling task automation in protected cropping systems with autonomous mobile robots

The project will create and demonstrate navigation algorithms that enable the robotic platform to perform crop row enter and exit behaviours.

P2-008 Completed

Development of a modular vertical growing system phase 1: field analysis of a modular vertical growing system

The project is addressing specific design challenges identified by Greenbio as it seeks to develop and commercialise proprietary solutions for mobile modular vertical hydroponic growing systems.

P2-003 Completed

Identification of protected cropping production systems and crops suitable for application of robotics based on economic analysis, and benefits to industry

A major goal of the CRC is to support Australia’s protecting cropping sector in transitioning to advanced automated systems – including, potentially, robotics.

Robotic task automation project to prototype potential pollination solutions

Involving SME grower P’Petual and QUT robotics experts, this CRC project aims to automate not just pollination, but all sorts of indoor-grown crop-tending tasks.

Meet Chris Lehnert: automation and robotics expert

QUT-based robotics engineer Dr Chris Lehnert specialises in solving commercial automation challenges, developing novel solutions for an array of real-world applications. Right now, he's developing components for high-tech vertical farm modules in a CRC collaboration with Greenbio.

Greenbio Group: developing high-tech growing systems for high-value functional foods and medicinal products

As an agri-biotech company, Greenbio Group looks forward to working with automation experts in the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision at Queensland University of Technology to develop high-tech automated facilities in which to grow food and medicinal plants for use in high-value […]

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