A compact robotic cutter is essential for successful operation ( Zahid et al., 2021b), which requires the selection of appropriate cutter system components. For robotic pruning, the shear blades were more successful than a saw disc and delivered smooth cuts ( Zahid et al., 2020b) essential for tree pruning to avoid negatively affecting the healing process. Researchers have developed pruning end-effectors using different cutting mechanisms, such as a saw disc ( Botterill et al., 2017) and shear blades ( Zahid et al., 2020b). The end-effector is an integral component of a robotic pruning system equipped with a cutting tool operated by an appropriate mechanism to perform the cutting action ( Zahid et al., 2021a). Therefore, the design considerations for a pruning robot should include the maneuverability and spatial requirements during manipulation. Robotic pruning of apple trees is a challenging task because the crowded and overlapped branches result in narrow spaces for maneuvering the robot inside the canopy ( He and Schupp, 2018 Zahid et al., 2021b). A few studies have reported the development of pruning robots for different crops such as apple ( Zahid et al., 2020a, b), grape, and cherry. Robotic pruning is a selective branch operation that can produce accurate cuts using an end-effector tool attached to the robotic arm ( Lehnert, 2012). A few studies have reported mechanical pruning or hedging of tree fruits ( Krueger et al., 2013), but these operations are less useful for apple trees ( He and Schupp, 2018 Zahid et al., 2021a) because they can result in unwanted vegetative growth.
To deal with decreasing labor availability and higher associated costs, alternate solutions are needed. Manual pruning of apple trees is one of the most labor-intensive operations, requiring ≈80 to 120 h⋅ha −1 of labor ( Mika et al., 2016) and accounting for 20% of the total labor costs ( Crassweller et al., 2020). Pruning is an important cultivation technique that impacts the fruit quality and usefulness of disease control practices ( Glenn and Campostrini, 2011). In the United States, the apple ( Malus × domestica) industry contributes ≈$2.75 billion to the economy ( U.S.
Keywords: automated pruning branch cutting branch diameter cutting angle Malus ×domestica pruning end-effector pruning force pruning torque robotic pruning
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