LiDAR technology scans fruit for accurate harvest prediction

HQV 3.0 utilises off the shelf LiDAR technology found within iPads and iPhones to scan fruits of all sizes and shapes, and returns highly accurate results in seconds. Its main advantages are its portability, simplicity, speed, and accuracy, according to Croptracker.

Using – for instance – a tablet, growers can scan a bin filled with harvested fruit in a matter of seconds, after which the software recognises the fruits and sizes them.

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AI technology recognises fruits in the field

Croptracker’s proprietary AI technology recognises fruits in the field and sizes them accurately to fractions of a millimeter (less than 3/100th of an inch). As a result, HQV 3.0 will measure the individual color and size for any and all types of harvested apples, cherries, blueberries, pears, peaches, and more in a bin. In addition, the app scans the harvest and returns results back to the user within seconds, appearing on the scanning device. The software is flexible and HQV 3.0 scan results can be accessed from any web browser in addition to the mobile app.

Beta tested around the world

According to the company, HQV 3.0 has been beta tested around the world with Croptracker clients from New Zealand and Chile to growers in Washington, New York state, and Ontario, and growers and packers agree that HQV 3.0 completes critical sizing tasks that they require from their agtech software.

Mac Stewart, Field Representative of the Scenic Fruit Company in Washington state says that with HQV 3.0: “We can empower growers by moving the ‘grader’ to the field. Learning the grade of fruit before it ever gets to the packing shed will help us and our growers to make better and more timely decisions about when to harvest. Knowing accurate grades prior to processing will allow us to maximise the potential of each load.”