Phenoliner: A multi-sensor field phenotyping platform

Because of the perennial nature and size of grapevine, the acquisition of phenotypic data is mostly restricted to the vineyard. The Phenoliner, presented here, is a new type of ground-based, robust, field phenotyping platform. Following the concept of a movable tunnel, the vehicle is based on a grape harvester. It is equipped with different sensor systems within the tunnel (multi-camera system, hyperspectral cameras) and on top of the vehicle (RTK-GPS, orientation and speed sensors). Through an artificial light source in the tunnel, it is independent of external light conditions. In combination with the artificial background, the Phenoliner allows standardized acquisition of high-quality, geo-referenced sensor data. The multi-camera system is used for the automated acquisition of coloured 3D data of multiple vine rows for the automated calculation of yield parameters that can be used for yield prediction. The hyperspectral cameras are used to detect spectral data in a broad range of spectral bands covering a spectrum from 400 to 2500 nm to evaluate, for example, the health status. The Phenoliner allows fast, robust, and precise screening of grapevines for several traits. The platform described can be extended by additional sensors at any given time.