Patent ID: 8666552

Claim:
A method for removing leaves from a crop plant, comprising: (a) providing a device comprising a camera, a means for stripping the leaves mounted to a mobile trolley, and a central processing unit, the device being connected with and controllable by the central processing unit; (b) visually observing the leaves of the plant from a position below the leaves with said camera; (c) identifying a first leaf to be removed, while differentiating between the leaf and other parts of the plant that will not be removed; and (d) removing said first leaf by said means for stripping the leaves, while leaving said other parts of the plant, wherein removing the leaf comprises: grasping the leaf or a stalk of the leaf, stripping the leaf from the central stem of the plant, and carrying the leaf away from the plant; and (e) repeating steps (b)-(d) to determine a subsequent leaf to be removed and removing said subsequent leaf.