Comparative analysis of foreign robotic solutions for automating apple tree pruning and fruit harvesting

Industrial orchards worldwide are experiencing a shortage of seasonal labor, with the costs of manual labor for harvesting and pruning apple trees in high-density orchards accounting for as much as 60–65 % of total production costs. Over the past decade, a market for robotic solutions for pome fruit crops has emerged internationally, comprising two main segments: fruit-harvesting platforms (TRL 7–8) and research and experimental pruning prototypes (TRL 4–6). This study aimed to conduct a systematic comparative analysis of foreign robotic platforms, identify their key technical and economic limitations, and formulate specifi c recommendations for the development of a competitive Russian solution. The methodology included an analysis of 34 sources published between 2014 and 2026, including publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, relevant industry media reports, as well as an interview with the founder of FFRobotics and fi eld observations conducted in commercial orchards in Krasnodar Krai. According to the interview, the FFRobotics platform achieves a productivity of 20 t/day at a harvesting rate of 90–95 % when the fruiting wall is up to 50 cm wide; when the width increases to 1 m, the harvesting rate decreases to 50 % or less. The comparative analysis revealed a critical gap among the considered platforms: no existing system integrates apple harvesting, pruning, and thinning into a single multifunctional platform, limiting its practical operating period to 2–3 months per year. In addition, the existing literature contains no analysis of the Advanced Farm Technologies platform, despite its advanced design incorporating six manipulators and vacuum grippers. As a result of the analysis, a concept for the proposed solution was developed. The concept comprises a self-propelled platform equipped with 12 fully independent Cartesian-coordinate manipulators with CNC control, rotatable vacuum suction cups mounted on thin angled tubes, pneumatic track-width adjustment (3.5–4.5 m), an integrated conveyor with a soft-chute discharge, and interchangeable attachments for pruning and thinning. Implementation of this concept could extend the practical operating period of the system from 2–3 months to 6 or more months per year, thereby potentially reducing the payback period for commercial horticultural enterprises.

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