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About

Dr Oliver Bachelor is a leading researcher in agricultural robotics and precision viticulture, with a primary focus on automating skilled tasks in winegrape production. His most influential work, "Modelling wine grapevines for autonomous robotic cane pruning" (2023), has already garnered 31 citations, addressing a critical labour shortage in New Zealand's wine industry by developing computational models that enable robots to make quality pruning decisions. This contribution bridges the gap between traditional viticultural expertise and autonomous systems, tackling the challenge of training seasonal workers to maintain high-producing vines. Bachelor's research integrates computer vision, machine learning, and plant physiology to create practical solutions for sustainable agriculture. His work is notable for its direct industry impact, aiming to reduce reliance on scarce skilled labour while maintaining vine productivity. By advancing robotic perception and decision-making in complex agricultural environments, Bachelor is helping to future-proof New Zealand's wine sector against workforce volatility. His contributions represent a significant step toward fully autonomous vineyard management, with potential applications extending to other perennial crops globally.