Picture perfect crop production

摘要

SpenceGunn reports on how researchers are using low-cost digital image technology to develop automation for tasks ranging from striking cuttings to crop monitoring and weeding. The cost of digital cameras has fallen so fast that using film has becomealmost inconceivable. It's a fair bet that most growers reading this will have one - they're ideal for taking pictures for the nursery catalogueor website. But the scope for using modern, low-cost digital imaging in horticulture goes way beyond just taking pictures. "Digital image technology is just becoming available at a viable cost for it to be used in controlling automation in horticulture,"says Warwick HRI researcher Rodney Edmondson. "It is one of the most exciting developments for the future of the industry."