We present a general framework for accurate positioning of sensors and end effectors in farm settings using a camera mounted on a robotic manipulator.

Our main contribution is a visual servoing approach based on a new and robust feature tracking algorithm. Results from field experiments performed at an apple orchard demonstrate that our approach converges to a given termination criterion even under environmental influences such as strong winds, varying illumination conditions and partial occlusion, of up to 50%, of the target object. Further, we show experimentally that the system converges to the desired view for a wide range of initial conditions.

This approach opens possibilities for new applications such as automated fruit inspection, fruit picking or precise pesticide application.