Enhancing Orchard Management with Photogrammetry and AI 

RMIT University, with support from Food Agility CRC, is developing a digital twin model to help Australian stonefruit growers adapt to climate variability. The project uses photogrammetry to convert high-resolution 2D drone imagery into photorealistic 3D replicas of orchards. These models enable detailed light radiation simulations, helping optimise canopy structures for improved photosynthetic efficiency. Work is also underway to integrate computer vision and AI techniques for fruit yield and quality assessment. As the project progresses, we aim to demonstrate how these technologies can provide growers with real-time insights, supporting data-driven decision-making for more sustainable and productive orchard management. 

Key Learnings

1. How photogrammetry enables the creation of digital orchard replicas for enhanced visualisation and analysis.
2. The potential of light radiation simulations to optimise orchard structure for improved photosynthetic efficiency.
3. Emerging applications of computer vision and AI for fruit yield and quality assessment, with ongoing developments in the project. 

About Chi-Tsun (Ben) 

Dr Chi-Tsun Cheng (Ben) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Mechatronic Engineering at the School of Engineering at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.  Dr Cheng is currently the Academic Lead—Research Development at the School of Engineering and one of the leads of the RMIT Digitalisation Network under the RMIT Enabling Impact Platforms. He has been the academic supervisor of the RMIT Space Rover Team since 2019 and has been RMIT's representative in the Executive Council of IoT Alliance Australia since 2023.

Dr Cheng has recently been appointed as a Distinguished Lecturer by the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS) for the 2025–2026 term. He has served as an editor or associate editor for several international journals, including the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems Parts I and II, IEEE Access, IEEE Open Journal of Circuits and Systems (OJCAS), and IEEE Journal on Emerging and Selected Topics in Circuits and Systems (JETCAS). Dr Cheng's research interests include Wireless Sensor Networks, Internet of Things, Industry 4.0/5.0 Technologies, and Advanced Manufacturing.