developed a fruit picker which consisted of five revolute joints. The first two joints provided

the robot with the pointing ability while the remaining three joints formed an elbow for

extending the end-effector towards a targeted fruit. Operation of the robot again involved

acquiring an image and then adjusting the joints of the robot to align the end-effector with the

camera's line of sight. After the arm was pointed toward the fruit, the joints were moved to

extend the end-effector toward the determined location of the fruit. Again, the robot had no

ability to change its trajectory with the motion of the targeted fruit. In both attempts, the

robot was directed to follow the vector from the camera lens center to the determined position of

the fruit. Forward motion of the robots was continued until contact with a fruit was detected.

Grand d'Esnon et al. reported the removal of 50 percent of the fruit in a hedge at a rate of one

fruit every 4 seconds.

 Tutle (1984) developed an idea for an image-controlled robot for harvesting tree fruit.

For his imaginary robot, Tutle proposed the use of a photo-diode-based camera and the

appropriate filters and lighting for detecting the fruit in the canopy of the tree. After the

location of a fruit was determined, the camera was to be displaced so that the arm could be

moved to align with the optical sensor's line of sight towards a detected fruit. Once aligned

with the fruit, the severance module would be extended towards the fruit. The severance

module would contain a second optical sensor that Tutle called a 'seeker' sensor, which

consisted of a four-element photovoltaic detector. The idea behind use of this sensor included

oscillating the severance module until equal light, supposedly reflected from a fruit, was

detected by each of the four elements. This action was intended to align the severance module

with the fruit and adjust for any fruit motion that might have occurred before the robot reached

the fruit. Response from this seeker sensor would also be a signal to slow the forward motion of

the arm. Tactile sensors in the severance module would indicate that a fruit had been scooped

into the module and that forward motion of the arm should be stopped. The fruit would then be

grasped by the severance module, which would twist the fruit while the arm was retracted to

remove the fruit from the tree branch. Since an operational model of this idea was not