Dr. Derek Morikawa In developing a robotic apple-picking system, Vision Robotics Corporation has taken a revolutionary two-step approach that involves sending a robotic scout through the orchard first to map the fruit and devise a picking plan that a harvesting robot can follow. “This idea of scouting first and knowing where everything is so you can pick efficiently and economically will be a breakthrough,” Vision Robotics Chief Executive Officer Dr. Derek Morikawa told the Washington tree fruit industry a year ago. Originally, the idea was to develop the scout as the front end of a complete harvesting robot, but it […]