Towards a Horticulture System of Systems: A case study of Modular Edge AI, Robotics and an Industry Good Digital Twin

Abstract

Horticulture is facing a growing need for innovative approaches to increase productivity, reduce waste, minimise environmental impacts, and mitigate the risk of labour shortages. To meet these challenges, many are turning to Industry 4.0 technology to be more resilient, sustainable and efficient. However, there is a risk of mass adoption failure due to products being developed in silos that impact product usability, availability, interoperability and adaptability. The financial viability of Industry 4.0 technology adoption is also challenging for many crops. This is due to the high variety of activities being required for only short periods of time during the growing season. This paper proposes a Horticulture System of Systems (SoS) approach, that goes beyond data interoperability, to promote the collaboration of individual constituent systems into an equitable, affordable, optimised ecosystem. The paper utilises systems thinking to identify inter-dependencies and potential opportunities (use cases) to leverage Industry 4.0 technology within the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand. A Modular Agritech Systems for Horticulture (MAS-H) concept is proposed focusing on re-usable sensing, image recognition, robotics hardware and software on-orchard, along with an industry-good data gateway and digital twin. The paper concludes with the implementation of two case studies: Kiwifruit Human Assisted Harvesting and Labour Decision Support (flower bud thinning). Future research will focus on the validation of the MAS-H concept within the kiwifruit industry, including application in other use cases and the addition of a sustainable support system. In parallel, the potential application of SoS across the wider horticulture industry will be investigated.