An intelligent bin dog system—a self-propelled bin carrying system that could follow fruit pickers through the orchard—is one of several labor-saving devices that scientists at Washington State University’s Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems hope to develop. Dr. Qin Zhang, director of the center, which is based in Prosser, envisions that the electric bin management system would carry an empty bin into the orchard and follow the pickers until the bin was full. It would then transport the full bin to a central collection station. It would be operated remotely by a picker who would signal when the full […]