The development of digital tools, such as special glasses to watch the virtual reality able provide real-time instructions and support during pruning and the integration of robotic solutions, including Assisted exoskeletons and autonomous robots to make the work of farmers easier.
These are the two solutions that an international project funded with almost 5 million euros intends to implement to improve the precision and efficiency of pruning in the olive groves of small farmers by making use of the augmented reality and robotics, enriched by Artificial Intelligence. The technological solutions are based on an Artificial Intelligence module capable of learning from expert human knowledge to address the challenges of tree pruning.
The project – called Agrimate – involves four universities, two research institutes, four research companies and two farmers' organizations in representation of Spain, Italy, Germany and Finland. In Andalusian province of Jaén, the most important in the world for the production of olive oil, farmers, technicians and researchers met to give full operation to the project which will last five years and which aims not only to improve productivity and resource efficiency, but also the 'social inclusion and working conditions in the agricultural sector. The pruning work in the traditional olive groves of a leading olive growing company was thus observed first-hand, essential knowledge for researchers to plan their work, advancing in the future design of Artificial Intelligence tools.
Among the protagonists the Fondazione Bruno Kessler which will contribute to the design and implementation of advanced vision systems that, through image analysis, three-dimensional data and reconstruction of digital environments, will allow the creation of models capable of monitoring the health of plants, the automation of pruning operations and the evaluation of their effectiveness. Finally, it will deal with the evaluation of the social and economic impact of the new technologies introduced, through sustainability analysis and pilot studies.
During the meeting in Spain it was recalled that everywhere the agricultural sector, and the olive oil sector in particular, is facing a “huge challenge” of search for manpower to carry out jobs that are “practically impossible to mechanize”. For this reason, the project aims to provide farmers with cutting-edge tools that make agricultural work as simple as possible, with the aim of reducing the problem of finding manpower.
“The main mission of Agrimate – it was remembered – is to preserve and enhance centuries-old agricultural skills such as the art of tree pruning. To this end, we will develop an AI system that learns from the pruning techniques of experienced farmers, analyzing their methods and evaluating their effectiveness. Taking into account the challenges posed by climate change, the project will examine how automated pruning variants affect plant growth and productivity, identifying both beneficial effects and risk factors. To effectively transfer this knowledge to young farmers, we will leverage Augmented Reality (AR) technology to visually guide farmers by overlaying virtual cut marks on trees, indicating the precise positions and depths for optimal pruning. Additionally, AI will provide detailed explanations for each suggested cut, fostering trust and transparency in the system. This comprehensive approach will enable the new generation of farmers to preserve the knowledge of the past while adapting it to the challenges of the present and future.”
