Authors
Shiqun Dai, Dengjun Tu, Xurui Fan, Ming Wang, Zhiyang Zhang, Wenrui Zhu, Li Jiang, Jianfei Zhou, Weidong Jia
Published in
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). Volume 26. Issue 20. Oct 12, 2026. Epub Oct 12, 2026.
Abstract
Orchard variable-rate spraying increasingly depends on the coordinated conversion of heterogeneous perception outputs into spatially and temporally matched actuator commands, yet the evidence linking sensing improvements to measurable spray-performance gains remains fragmented. Rather than reviewing canopy perception technologies in isolation, this review focuses on the complete perception-to-actuation chain for coordinated orchard spraying and identifies which perception outputs are sufficiently actionable for regulation of liquid flow, airflow, nozzle timing, and spray trajectory. A structured narrative review of the peer-reviewed literature published up to August 2026 was organized by perception object, sensing modality, platform type, orchard system, and control relevance; representative studies were retained when they reported a clear linkage between sensed information and spraying decisions or provided transferable evidence for that linkage. Four perception-information classes are distinguished: canopy geometric profile, internal canopy structure, crop/plant-protection status, and spatial-geographic/operational context. LiDAR, RGB/RGB-D and binocular vision, multispectral/hyperspectral sensing, positioning, and multimodal fusion are compared according to the information they provide and their suitability for real-time control. Cross-study synthesis shows that the strongest evidence currently concerns canopy-volume- or density-based liquid-flow-rate regulation, while robust mappings for airflow demand, disease-severity-based dosage, and cross-season transfer remain less mature. Reported benefits include substantial pesticide savings in selected field or prototype studies, but the evidence is heterogeneous and often species-, platform-, and scenario-specific. The central research need is, therefore, not higher perception accuracy alone, but physically interpretable, latency-aware, spatially registered mappings from heterogeneous perception outputs to executable nozzle, liquid-flow, airflow, and trajectory commands. Concrete priorities include standardized structural descriptors, end-to-end delay compensation, transferable dose models, and benchmark field protocols for closed-loop validation.
PMID:
42944294
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Oct 2026.
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