Tree Pruning

Tree pruning, crucial for optimizing fruit production and tree health, is undergoing a technological revolution driven by the need for increased efficiency and safety. Current research focuses on automating pruning through robotics and computer vision, employing techniques like stereo vision, deep learning (including YOLO, Mask R-CNN), and support vector machines to accurately identify and measure branches for precise removal. This work addresses labor shortages in agriculture and forestry, improving both the speed and consistency of pruning while mitigating risks associated with manual high-altitude work. Furthermore, research extends to optimizing pruning algorithms for deep neural networks, aiming to reduce model size and computational cost without sacrificing accuracy.