Automated Location of Tree Position for Estimating Apple Yield by using an Android Mobile Phone

Abstract

The accuracy of forecasts depends on the method used and the number of data samples taken in the orchard. An automated system for simple and fast data acquisition consists of an application on a personal computer (PC) for user to create a daily journey through the plantations and export the data to a navigation device. The second part represents an android mobile phone (AMP), which serves for capturing various data, such as positions and images when inspecting the plantations and data. Processing of all collected data runs on a PC, which requires a synchronization of all new, changed or updated data stored in the AMP's database with the database on the PC. After testing the procedure in two successive growing seasons in 245 intensive apple orchards, orchard register inaccuracy and GPS errors were detected as most frequently in the first year. After introducing the automatic discovery of orchards into the procedure, the accuracy of detected position rose from 91.98 % in the first year to 99.99 % in the second.