Join us on the UC Davis campus to learn how Dr. Stavros Vougioukas is applying AI research to improve robotic fresh fruit harvesting around the world.

Research Directions for High-Performance Harvesting Robots

Featuring Stavros Vougioukas, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis.

WHAT: Free event with a one-hour talk by Dr. Stavros Vougioukas

WHEN: Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 12:00–1:00 PM

WHERE: Physical and Data Sciences Building (formerly PSEL), Seminar Room 1025, UC Davis, or via Zoom

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This event is open to all, whether you are a part of the university community or the public.

Join the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) on the UC Davis campus for an exciting event demonstrating the latest developments in farm robotics and AI technologies.

Harvesting is one of the most labor-intensive operations in fresh fruit production. However, many countries face farm labor shortages that reduce labor availability and increase costs.

Academic researchers have been developing harvesting robot technologies and prototypes for the past forty years, and startup companies have been striving to build commercial robots for twenty or more years. However, commercial fresh fruit harvesting still relies on manual labor.

AIFS Faculty, Dr. Stavros Vougioukas will present the state of the art in harvesting robots and explain the main factors limiting their speed and efficiency. Next, he will discuss results from research performed in his lab and propose research directions that promise to overcome the current limitations and lead us to cost-effective, real-world harvesting robots.

Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.

This event is available in hybrid format to attend in person or online.