Researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have developed a robotic mechanism for mushroom picking and trimming and demonstrated its effectiveness for the automated harvesting of button mushrooms.

Researchers develop prototype of robotic device to pick, trim button mushrooms

Penn State researchers Lihua Zeng, visiting scholar, and Aslan Zahid, doctoral degree candidate, first measured branch-cutting force with a sensor attached to manual pruners to provide information for the end-effector design. Image: Long He Research Group, Penn State

The first robotic cutting mechanism — or “end-effector” — for a fully automated, computerized pruning system for modern apple orchards has been designed by a Penn State research team, an early step in the creation of a technology aimed at easing challenges facing tree-fruit growers.