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About

Dr Jaco Fourie is a leading researcher at the intersection of agricultural robotics and precision viticulture, with a primary focus on automating skilled, seasonal tasks in New Zealand’s winegrape industry. His most impactful work addresses a critical labour shortage by developing autonomous systems for cane pruning—a complex decision-making process traditionally reliant on expert human judgement. In his highly cited 2023 paper, Fourie pioneered a modelling approach that enables robots to identify and select optimal canes for pruning, effectively encoding years of viticultural expertise into machine vision and AI algorithms. This contribution has garnered 31 citations in just two years, reflecting its immediate relevance to both robotics researchers and the horticultural sector. By tackling the challenge of training agricultural workers to make quality pruning decisions, Fourie’s work directly supports the sustainability and productivity of Aotearoa’s growing wine industry. His research stands out for its practical impact, bridging the gap between cutting-edge automation and real-world agricultural needs, and positions him as a key innovator in the field of agricultural robotics.