Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Smart Tea Harvester

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide and has great economic and cultural importance, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. In Turkey, tea cultivation is concentrated in the Eastern Black Sea Region, with Rize being the main production center. However, tea farming faces challenges such as labor dependency, rugged terrain and inefficiency of traditional harvesting methods. This study proposes an AI-powered autonomous smart tea picking machine suitable for the steep and hilly geography of the Black Sea region. The machine is equipped with a double rail system for stability, GPS-assisted navigation for precise movement, a vacuum picking mechanism that preserves tea quality, and an automatic fertilization system. With these technologies, productivity can be increased, labor dependency can be reduced and tea quality can be maintained. It also addresses the main problems identified by the survey results - high labor costs ($53.7 \%$) and transportation difficulties ($35.8 \%$). The proposed system not only increases productivity but also supports sustainable agriculture by minimizing chemical use and optimizing resource management. $91.7 \%$ of tea producers surveyed indicated that they are open to using smart machines. Therefore, this innovation has great potential for the modernization of tea farming in Turkey. The study highlights the advantages of the machine, such as its ability to operate on rough terrain and reduce the need for labor, while acknowledging the challenges of high initial cost and the need for technical training. In conclusion, this smart harvesting system is a transformative step towards efficient and sustainable tea production.