Strawberry season may be getting streamlined thanks to new robot coworkers developed at UC Davis. 

Using an innovative prediction and scheduling system, Fragile cRop hArvest-aIding mobiLe robots, or FRAIL-bots, track the picking process of each worker so when they’re finished filling a tray with strawberries, a FRAIL-bot is already nearby to take it back to the collection station for them. 

Efficiency during strawberry season is key for both workers and producers, as workers are typically paid by how much they pick in a day, and producers regularly deal with labor shortages.  

Of course, walking is healthy — but, in this case, workers often need to walk hundreds of feet to and from the edge of the field every time they’re done harvesting. The team’s initial studies showed that having FRAIL-bots do this can lead to a 25% time savings, which would lead to greater pay and higher yield each season.

Read the complete story by Noah Pflueger-Peters of the College of Engineering’s marketing and communications team.

Campus safety

Facebook: Looking for problems with lights

UC Davis Police Department: Thank you to everyone that helped Facilities light up the night on Tuesday [Jan. 24]. Because of you, our 2023 Campus Safety Lighting Walk was a success!

Thanks to your assistance, we were able to go through the campus and identify new areas for improved lighting, which will be looked into further for everyone's safety.

The answer is ...

Searchers on Google want to know: Does UC Davis really smell like cows? Do you really need a bike on campus? Students looked at some of the Internet’s most-asked questions about the university and shared their own answers.

Submit a love story by Valentine’s Day

Facebook: Looking for love stories

UC Davis: Did you find love in Davis? Maybe you found your person, your favorite something, or a place that you're smitten with on campus or in the Davis area. If you have a love story to share, we'd love to hear it! Share your #AggiesInLove story with us by clicking this link: https://ucdav.is/aggiesinlove