Australian apple growers are watching closely as a world first commercial harvesting of apples using robotic machinery goes underway at an orchard in New Zealand.
A similar prototype robot has been trialled in an orchard in Victoria, and Australian fruit growers are keen to see how the robot performs.
One of Tasmania’s largest apple growers, Howard Hansen, said while the development is exciting, he believes the project has a way to go and requires more refinement before it becomes a reality in Tasmanian orchards.