- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
WSU Develops Robots to Automate Fruit Harvesting
Researchers create soft, inflatable arms and AI-guided blowers to address farm labor shortages
Feb. 5, 2026 at 8:31pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
Washington State University researchers are developing robotic systems to automate fruit harvesting, including a soft, inflatable robotic arm to pick apples and an AI-guided blower to clear paths for strawberry pickers. These efforts aim to help farmers confront growing labor shortages in the agriculture industry.
Why it matters
Automation and robotics infused with AI are a key piece of WSU's work to realize the farm of the future, as tree fruit growers worldwide face labor shortages for critical operations like harvesting and pruning. The university's research aims to provide low-cost robotic solutions to aid the industry.
The details
The robotic apple-picking arm, designed by WSU researchers, weighs less than 50 pounds, costs about $5,500, and can identify and pick an apple in about 25 seconds. For strawberries, the team developed an AI-vision system that combines multiple images to locate the fruit and guide a gentle blower to clear a path for the picker's soft silicone 'fingers' to pluck the berry. While the robots perform the tasks effectively, speed remains a challenge that the team is working to improve.
- The WSU Smart Apple Orchard has recently demonstrated the promise of automating irrigation systems, using weather and water data to adjust irrigation levels and timing to meet immediate conditions, resulting in water usage cuts of up to 50% without hurting yields.
- Between 2017 and 2022, some 3,700 farms went out of business in Washington, with labor shortages cited as a major factor, and the number of farmworkers declined by 23%, with the migrant labor force dropping 37%.
The players
Ananth Kalyanaraman
A WSU computer scientist who directs AgAID, an interdisciplinary institute of research, government and industry representatives from around the Pacific Northwest.
Lav Khot
A professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at WSU with a focus on agricultural automation.
Bernardita Sallato
An associate professor of tree fruit extension at WSU.
R. Troy Peters
A professor and director of the Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems at WSU.
Ming Luo
The Flaherty Assistant Professor in WSU's School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, who designed the soft, inflatable robotic apple-picking arm.
What they’re saying
“Basically, you're looking at a year-round need for labor. AI can help with infusion of robotics - some level of automation, some level of robotics, working hand-in-hand with humans.”
— Ananth Kalyanaraman
“The stress we used to have to grow things, I think AI can help to mitigate that stress on humans.”
— Lav Khot, Professor, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, WSU
What’s next
Researchers at WSU continue to refine the robotic systems, focusing on improving the speed of the harvesting operations to make the technology more viable for widespread adoption by farmers.
The takeaway
WSU's efforts to develop affordable, AI-powered robotic solutions for fruit harvesting and other agricultural tasks demonstrate the university's commitment to driving innovation that can help address the growing labor shortages facing the farming industry and ensure a more sustainable food supply for the future.
