Purdue gets $6M for robotic grape, apple pruning

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue University scientists are using $6 million in funding to develop robotic technology that can tackle the laborious task of pruning vineyards and apple orchards.

Associate horticulture professor Peter Hirst is leading the project to develop and improve machines that use cameras and robotic arms to prune grapevines and apple trees. Purdue computer engineering researchers will help develop the software programmed into those robotic arms.