Media CoverageTech-powered banana picking and more at the ARM Hub Industry DayThe Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Hub (ARM Hub) has celebrated half a decade at the forefront of Australia’s tech manufacturing sector with an Industry Day. Queensland-based research institute welcomed leaders and researchers from across manufacturing, AI and robotics to their HQ in Northgate, Brisbane, for a series of talks and networking events designed to help…
ProjectEvaluation of screening technologies for detection of foreign bodies including soft plasticsThis project investigates advanced sensing technologies to evaluate their effectiveness in detecting soft plastic contaminants. The study focuses on identifying methods that can reliably detect these materials within complex food matrices, enhancing contamination prevention strategies.
Case studyRevolutionising indoor pollination with a smart robotic platformChallenge Horticulture is one of Australia’s most labour intensive agricultural sectors. Labour accounts for a significant portion of crop production costs, particularly in tasks such as monitoring, harvesting and pollination. This is particularly true for indoor growers, who often must resort to manual pollination due to the low numbers of natural pollinators in Australia. Solution…
NewsUsing robotics to surmount labour challenges in commercial horticultureFrom mobile platforms to deliver automated crop-tending services to banana de-handing robots, QUT's Dr Chris Lehnert is helping cut labour costs to Australia’s indoor cropping sector.
NewsFFS PhD student finds cost-effective hands-free way to estimate plant height in protected cropping facilitiesNamal Jayasuriya’s research at Western Sydney University using machine vision to estimate crop-height, a proxy for vegetative growth, has been published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.
Media CoverageBanana industry turns to robots and AI for ‘dangerous’ packing-shed task of cutting fruit from stemIt takes a bit of effort to get bananas from the farm to the fruit bowl, with growers relying on a significant workforce to pick and pack each harvest. Now, scientists are working with the industry to develop a prototype robot arm to separate the banana fruit from the stalk, a labour-intensive process known as de-handing.
Media CoverageRobotic arm under development to automate banana de-handingThe A$2m research programme will use computer vision and machine learning to find an automation solution Australian scientists are researching and developing new technology to build a robotic arm that will automate the repetitive and intensive parts of banana processing. The research will be delivered through Hort Innovation and led by the Queensland University of Technology…
Media CoverageBanana industry turns to robots and AI for ‘dangerous’ packing-shed task of cutting fruit from stemIt’s often top of the list of Australia’s most popular fruit, finding its way into lunch boxes and smoothies across the country every day. But it takes a bit of effort to get bananas from the farm to the fruit bowl, with growers relying on a significant workforce to pick and pack each harvest. Now…
NewsRobots to make banana processing more a-peelingHort Innovation, QUT, ARM Hub and Australian Hydraulics Services are collaborating with Future Food Systems in a $2M project to automate the labour-intensive job of de-handing bananas.
ProjectBanana dehanding automation technologyThis research focuses on the automation of banana de-handing, aiming to reduce manual labour and enhance processing efficiency. By developing and integrating robotic systems into this core process, the project addresses labour constraints and creates opportunities for wider automation adoption in banana handling and packaging operations.
Autonomous robotic platforms for greenhouseshttps://research.qut.edu.au/Reference MaterialAutonomous robotic platforms for greenhousesThe goal of this project is to research and develop a fully autonomous robotic crop management system for protected cropping systems that will help the horticulture industry reduce the risk of crop loss and improve productivity by having the right information to make better decisions. A new crop monitoring and automation robot is currently being…
Robotic Task Automation in Protected Cropping Systems: enabling autonomous pollination in Australian greenhouses using mobile robotsJohn Skinner, Garima Samvedi, Jordan Erskine, Chris LehnertPaperRobotic Task Automation in Protected Cropping Systems: enabling autonomous pollination in Australian greenhouses using mobile robotsThis final report encapsulates the joint effort between Queensland University of Technology and P’Petual Holdings Pty Ltd in developing an autonomous mobile robot for enhancing the pollination process in greenhouses, particularly for Tomberry tomatoes. This initiative aimed to integrate and elevate P’Petual’s proprietary pollination system with autonomous capabilities, thereby addressing the labour-intensive and costly aspects…
NewsSmart mobile platform set to transform indoor pollination operationsQUT robotics experts have developed a self-guiding robotic platform that enables hands-free pollination in a commercial greenhouse, paving the way to cost-effective automation of labour-intensive tasks.
NewsCollaboration can spark innovation: Summit takeawaysThe inaugural Future of Food Summit highlighted some of the key challenges facing global food supply, and identified innovative and sustainable solutions.
NewsA showcase of future food: Summit exhibitorsThe Summit mini-expo, a mix of future food innovations, Indigenous ingredients, upcycled products, agricultural robots and healthy pulse-based snacks, was a chance for Future Food Systems CRC and QUT to showcase their capabilities in the sustainable agrifood space.
NewsAgrifood, analysis, automation and aeons-old cures: QUT facilities toursFour fascinating guided tours, free to Summit delegates, showcase QUT’s world-class capabilities in robotics and automation, agrifood innovation, tropical crops, advanced analysis and Indigenous ingredients.
News2022 Future of Food Summit: more speakers announcedOur expanding Summit speaker contingent includes industry, academic and government leaders from across the CRC’s cohort and beyond.
Media CoverageThe word’s tiniest tomatoHow the merino sheep breed kick-started Australia’s wool industry; Using mules to move livestock in feedlots; Port Stephens oyster growers face devastating QX disease; plus the world’s tiniest tomatoes.
NewsQUT Robotics experts to help Queensland’s banana farmers automateBrisbane's ARM Hub, North Queensland Banana Farmers and Hort Innovation have teamed up to help growers identify opportunities to cut costs by adopting ‘continuous improvement and automation technology’.
NewsSetting the course for protected croppingA nine-year strategy for those growing crops undercover developed by QDAF with input from key stakeholders including FIAL and the CRC is set to be implemented by Protected Cropping Australia and Hort Innovation.
