University of Canterbury researchers led by Professor Richard Green reported progress in reconstructing detailed plant geometry using cameras, lighting and an AI processing pipeline. The July 2026 announcement describes work by Richie Ellingham, Oliver Batchelor, Matt Mattar and colleagues to identify fruit and estimate its size and growth.
The university reported fruit-count errors of approximately two to three percent during testing and data collection across twenty commercial farms. Mobile camera structures were developed for vineyard rows and taller orchard trees. The intended uses include harvest forecasts and, eventually, guidance for operations such as pruning or picking. Reliability work was continuing ahead of potential commercialisation through HoloCrop, so the reported results should be treated as research outcomes rather than universal product guarantees.
