** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DELICATE FRUITS SUCH AS STRAWBERRIES ARE, MOST COMMONLY, HARVESTED BY HUMANS REQUIRING THE AVAILABILITY OF EXTENSIVE SEASONAL FARMWORKERS. THE INCREASING LABOR SHORTAGE STRAINS THE U.S. FRUIT SUPPLY CHAINS. ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN AGRICULTURE TO HELP HUMANS WITH FRUIT HARVESTING. HOWEVER, EXISTING FRUIT HARVESTING ROBOTS SUFFER FROM LIMITED SENSING CAPABILITY - BEING INCAPABLE OF SENSING THE QUALITY AND FIRMNESS OF FRUITS. FURTHERMORE, EXISTING FRUIT HARVESTING ROBOTS MOSTLY RELIED ON BULKY WHEELED MOBILE PLATFORMS, BEING LACK OF THE AGILITY TO TRAVEL ACROSS DYNAMIC AND UNEVEN TERRAIN IN AGRICULTURAL FIELD ENVIRONMENTS. THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED TO DEVELOP AN INTELLIGENT ROBOTIC SYSTEM WITH RICH SENSING CAPABILITY AND SAFE AND VERSATILE LOCOMOTION FOR AUTONOMOUS DELICATE FRUIT HARVESTING. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE AIM TO DEVELOP AN INTELLIGENT LEGGED MANIPULATION PLATFORM FOR HARVESTING STRAWBERRIES TO HELP FARMERS AND FARMWORKERS PERFORM REPETITIVE, TEDIOUS, AND PHYSICALLY DEMANDING DELICATE FRUIT HARVESTING TASKS. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL (I) DESIGN AN ADAPTIVE ROBOTIC GRIPPER WITH EMBEDDED VISION SENSORS FOR MULTI-MODAL SENSING, INCLUDING FOR TOUCH, VISION, SHAPE SENSING, AND PROXIMITY; (II) DEVELOP PERCEPTION ALGORITHMS FOR STATE ESTIMATION OF STRAWBERRIES, AND DESIGN A TACTILE REACTIVE CONTROLLER FOR ROBUST STRAWBERRY GRASPING; (III) SYNTHESIZE NONLINEAR LOCOMOTION CONTROLLERS THAT ENSURE PROVABLE SAFETY AND VERSATILITY FOR OUR LEGGED MANIPULATION PLATFORM TO TRAVERSE VARIOUS UNCERTAIN TERRAINS, AND (IV) EVALUATE THE PROPOSED ROBOTIC HARVESTING SYSTEM IN BOTH LAB ENVIRONMENT AND COMMERCIAL FIELDS IN CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ALLEVIATE THE LABOR SHORTAGES IN FARMING AND AGRICULTURE. ?