DEVELOPMENT OF A HARVEST AID FOR NARROW-INCLINED-TRELLISED TREE-FRUIT CANOPIES

A mechanical harvest aid was developed for narrow inclined trellises that allowed pickers free movement in order to optimize their picking time. The harvest aid featured auto-steer, continuous “creep” ground speed, a fruit sorting section, and automated bin filling. Field tests demonstrated the potential to improve worker productivity up to 22% and effectively remove culls in the orchard. Fruit damage was unacceptable and will require refinements in the fruit handling components.