Data science and Quantum Information Science division focuses on sharing knowledge, state-of-the-art tools, techniques, research, and emerging industry trends with machine learning applications. Machine learning tools are becoming prevalent with a growing impact across industries. Reflecting the increased relevance, this division aims to create a forum to exchange experiences and discussions on research topics and inspire collaborations, bringing people together from academia to industries.

AI and Robotics have been and will continue to play a key role in reducing farming inputs such as labor, water, and fertilizer and increasing productivity and produce quality. Modular sensing, automation and robotics technologies developed in recent years (including mobile device-based Applications), decreasing cost and increasing capabilities of sensing, control and automation technologies such as UAVs, robust AI tools such as deep learning, and increasing emphasis by governments around the world in advancing AI-empowered smart and automated technologies have created a conductive environment to develop and adopt smart, robotic farming systems for the benefit of agricultural industries around the world with a wide range of farming scale and environment. In this presentation, the author will first discuss the importance of AI-empowered precision and automated/robotic systems for the future of farming (Smart Farming, Ag 4.0). He will then summarize past efforts and current status of agricultural automation and robotics in fruit crops. For example, his work on apple harvesting robots achieved a picking rate of ~80% of apples in modern orchards, taking about ~5.0 sec per fruit. His effort on robotic pollination of apple flowers has achieved a pollination success rate of 84% with a cycle time of 4.2 s. The presentation will conclude with an introduction of the novel robotic systems being developed in his program, and discussion on major challenges and opportunities in AI and robotics in agriculture and related areas including future directions in research and development.

Keywords: AI in Agriculture, Robotics, Smart Farming, Precision Agriculture, Fruit Orchards