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About

Trevor Gee is a robotics researcher at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, whose work bridges agricultural automation and intelligent manipulation. His primary research areas include agricultural robotics, reinforcement learning, and human-robot interaction, with a focus on solving real-world labor shortages in New Zealand’s horticulture industry. Gee’s most impactful contribution is his work on autonomous robotic cane pruning for wine grapevines (31 citations), addressing a critical need for skilled seasonal workers in the country’s growing wine industry. He has also advanced dexterous robotic manipulation through comparative studies of model-based and model-free reinforcement learning (15 citations), demonstrating practical pathways for complex tasks beyond simulation. His research extends to orchard automation, including robotic mapping of apple fruitlets for precision thinning, and the development of platforms like Archie Snr for autonomous fruitlet management. Notably, Gee explores the intersection of AI and robotics, investigating how large language models like ChatGPT and Whisper can make humanoid robots more relatable. With a growing citation impact and a focus on deployable solutions, Gee’s work exemplifies how robotics can transform agriculture while advancing fundamental manipulation and interaction capabilities.