Much of the research in orchard innovation involves automation and robotics, but not every orchard can accommodate technology like mechanized harvesters and mechanical thinners. That’s why a Washington State University engineer is also looking for technology that could augment hand labor. Dr. Qin Zhang, a biological systems engineer for WSU, is developing hand-held devices to assist workers with thinning. He is looking for tools that workers could use selectively to thin cherries, speeding up the time-consuming and expensive task. He envisions something as simple as a cordless power drill equipped with a special thinning attachment that could be used to […]