THERE IS A PRESSING NEED TO REDUCE HARVEST COSTS OF U.

THERE IS A PRESSING NEED TO REDUCE HARVEST COSTS OF U.S. CITRUS FRUIT, BUT AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVE NOT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO MEET THE NEED. TINES OR SHAKERS OR SEVERAL KINDS SUFFERED FROM VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF POOR FRUIT REMOVAL EFFICIENCIES, LOW REMOVAL RATES, HIGH FRUIT AND TREE DAMAGE, AND THE INABILITY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN IMMATURE AND MATURE FRUIT. HOWEVER, ADVANCES IN COMPUTERS AND SOFTWARE, MICROELECTRONICS, SERVOCONTROL LOOPS, MECHANICAL DESIGNS AND OTHER FIELDS ARE BEING COMBINED IN ROBOTICS TO ACHIEVE PREVIOUSLY UNEXPECTED RESULTS. THE FIELD OF ROBOTICS IS STEADILY MOVING OUT OF THE LABORATORY AND INTO THE PRACTICAL, WORKING WORLD. ODETICS, INC. - A PIONEER IN MOBILE, NONFACTORY ROBOTICS - AND THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA - EXPERTS IN AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY - ARE TEAMING FOR A PHASE I RESEARCH PROJECT TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF AUTOMATING THE HARVEST OF ORANGES THROUGH THE USE OF ROBOTICS. APPLICATION OF SUCH TECHNIQUES IS FORESEEN IN VARIOUS CITRUS AND OTHER FRUIT TREE CROPS.