Hiroki Kurita

About

Hiroki Kurita is a pioneering researcher in agricultural robotics and automation, with expertise spanning autonomous harvesting systems, deep learning-based fruit detection, and intelligent combine robot navigation. His work addresses one of modern agriculture's most pressing challenges: reducing labor dependency while maintaining productivity in an era of declining rural workforces. Kurita's most influential contribution is his deep learning-based automated fruit harvesting robot, which employs Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) architecture to achieve rapid, accurate fruit localization and robotic arm harvesting — a paper that has garnered an impressive 194 citations since 2019, reflecting its significant impact on precision agriculture research. His earlier investigations into autonomous combine harvesters laid important groundwork, developing RTK-GPS-guided path-following control systems, automated grain unloading through image processing, and sophisticated container-searching algorithms for robotic combines. His 2017 operational framework for autonomous rice harvesting further demonstrated his systems-level thinking, integrating robotic algorithms with human-machine cooperation across complex multi-stage harvesting workflows. Collectively accumulating over 300 citations, Kurita's research represents a comprehensive, technically rigorous body of work that bridges computer vision, robotics, and practical agricultural engineering — making him a notable figure for students exploring the future of smart farming technologies.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   An automated fruit harvesting robot by using deep learning

   194 citations · 2019
2. 2
   Rice Autonomous Harvesting: Operation Framework

   34 citations · 2017
3. 3
   An automated fruit harvesting robot by using deep learning

   21 citations · 2018
4. 4
   Advanced Harvesting System by using a Combine Robot

   21 citations · 2013
5. 5
   Path-Following Control of a Head-Feeding Combine Robot

   20 citations · 2013
6. 6
   Application of Image Processing Technology for Unloading Automation of Robotic Head-Feeding Combine Harvester

   14 citations · 2012
7. 7
   Efficient searching for grain storage container by combine robot

   8 citations · 2014
8. 8
   Path Following Control for Head-feeding Combine Robot

   4 citations · 2013
9. 9
   Application of image processing technology for unloading automation of robot combine harvester

   2 citations · 2011

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links