Agricultural Robotics

A Technical Seminar
Report on

AGRICULTURAL ROBOTICS

Submitted
In the partial fulfillment of requirement for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
In
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
BY:
S.MANIDEEP
17W91A0457

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

MALLAREDDY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(Approved by A.I.C.T.E. - New Delhi, Affiliated to J.N.T.U. - Hyderabad)
Maisammaguda, Dhulapally (Post via Hakim pet)-500014.
2020-2021

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CERTIFICATE

This is to Certify that seminar work entitled “AGRICULTURAL ROBOTICS” that is

being submitted by “S.MANIDEEP”(17W91A0457) in partial fulfillment for the award
of Bachelor of Technology in ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
ENGINEERING from MALLA REDDY INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND
TECHNOLOGY during the
academic year 2021- 2022.

ACADAMIC COORDINATER HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

Dr. Zeeshan vakil Dr. Y. Rajasree rao
Head of the Department Department of ECE
MRIET MRIET

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express profound thanks to my Principal, Dr. M. ASHOK, for extending all the
college facilities for the completion of the project.

I would like to thank Dr.Y . Rajasree Rao, Ph.D, Professor and Head of the
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, for having provided the
freedom to use all the facilities available in the department, especially the laboratories
and the library, at any time.

I would like to thank academic Coordinator Dr. Zeeshan Vakil.

I sincerely thank all the staff of the Department, for their timely suggestions, healthy
criticism and motivation during the course of our study. I would also like to thank our
friends for always being there to provide required help or support. With great respect
and affection, thank my parents who were the backbone behind our deeds.

Finally, I express gratitude with pleasure to one and all who have either directly or
indirectly contributedto my need at the right time for the development and execution of
the seminar work.

S.Manideep 17W91A0457

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ABSTRACT

Current methods for off-road navigation using vehicle and terrain models
to predict future vehicle response are limited by the accuracy of the models they use and
can suffer if the world is unknown or if conditions change and the models become
inaccurate .In this paper, an adaptive approach is presented that closes the loop around
the vehicle predictions. This approach is applied to an autonomous vehicle known as
field robots used in agriculture. Agricultural Robotics is the logical proliferation of
automation technology into biosystems such as agriculture, forestry, green house,
horticulture etc. Presently a number of researchs are being done to increase their
applications. Some of the scientist contributions are mobile robot, flying robot, forester
robot, Demeter which are exclusively used for agriculture. A brief discussion is being
done about the types of robots which increase the accuracy and precision of the
agriculture. Experiments are being done on newly proposed world’s smallest,
weightless robot for using them as scouts in fields. Even in developing countries, such
as India and Brazil, farmers are interested in using robots to tend fields of crops, pick
fruit, or even maintain animal. At present time, agriculture robots must have human
interaction in order to compensate for programming complexity issues.

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CONTENTS
TOPICS: PAGE.NO

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT III

ABSTRACT IV

CONTENTS V

LIST OF FIGURES VI

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. TYPES OF ROBOTS 3

3. OPERATION OF AGRICULTURAL ROBOTS 4

3.1. DEMETER 4
3.2. WEEDCONTROLLER - 5
3.3. ROBOTS USED IN FOREST 6
3.3.1. TREEBOT 6
3.3.2. FORESTER ROBOT 7
3.4. ROBOT IN HORTICULTURE 7
3.5. FRUIT PICKING ROBOT 8
3.6. ROBOT FOR GREENHOUSE OPERATIONS 10

4. ROBITIOCS TECHNOLIGIES IN AGRICULTURE 11

5. DESIGNS 17
5.1 END EFFECTS 17
5.2 GRIPPER 18
5.3 MANIPULATOR 19

6. GREENHOUSE AUTOMATION 20
6.1. HAZARDS TO HUMANS 20

7. FLYING MICRO ROBOT 22

8. DEVELOPMENT 23
8.1 DEMANDS IN MARKET 24
8.2 CURRENT APPLICATION AND TRENDS 25

9. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 26

10. APPLICATIONS 27

11. CONCLUSION 28

12. REFERENCE 29

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LIST OF FIGURE:

FIGURE: PAGE.NO:

1.1 CONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES 1

3.1 DEMETER HARVESTING 4
3.2 WEED CONTROLLER ROBOT 5
3.3 TREEBOT 6
3.4 FOREST ROBOT 7
3.5 FRIUT PICKING ROBOT 8
3.6 APPLES PICKING ROBOT 9
3.7 GREENHOUSE ROBOT 10
4.1 SEEDING IN AGRICULTURE 12
4.2 WEEDIND IN AGRICULTURE 14
4.3 SPRAYING 15
4.4 PICKING 16
5.1 END EFFECTOR 18
5.2 GRIPPER IN AGRICULTURE 18
5.3 MANIPULATOR 19
6.1 ROBOTS IN HUMAN AGRICULTURE 21
7.1 MICRO FLY ROBOT 22

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CHAPTER: 1

 INTRODUCTION

The idea of applying robotics technology in agriculture is very new. In

agriculture, the opportunities for robot-enhanced productivity are immense - and the
robots are appearing on farms in various guises and in increasing numbers. We can
expect the robots performing agricultural operations autonomously such as spraying and
mechanical weed control, fruit picking, watching the farms day & night for an effective
report, allowing farmers to reduce the environmental impact, increase precision and
efficiency, and manage individual plants in novel ways.

The applications of instrumental robotics are spreading every day to

cover further domains, as the opportunity of replacing human operators provides
effective solutions with return on investment. This is specially important when the
duties, that need be performed, are potentially harmful for the safety or the health of the
workers, or when more conservative issues are granted by robotics.Heavy chemicals or
drugs dispensers, manure or fertilizers spreaders, etc. are activities more and more
concerned by the deployment of unmanned options.

How do conventional techniques differ with atomized one?

1.1CONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES

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Conventional techniques depend on human power for lifting, dragging,

weed control, fruit picking. Humans are prone to work in hazardous environment while
spraying chemicals and pesticides. The tractors compact the soil, as they are larger in
weight. They cannot move in terrain conditions. These methods cannot identify the crop
and soil in close proximity. In the case of automated agriculture (which uses field
robots) is exemplified from above problems. Robots can work restlessly in all
environments; all you have to do is set a program to perform the desired activities.

Although, large sized wheels are required in muddy soils, robots small
sized wheels perform well. Robot scouts are employed to get detailed information about
the crop such as the presence of diseases, weeds, insect infestations and other stress
conditions. The lightweight of the robots is a major advantage, since they do not
compact the soil as larger machinery does. Robo will Roam on fields to take care for
plants.

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CHAPTER:2

 TYPES OS ROBOTS USED IN AGRICULTURE:

 Demeter (used for harvesting).

 Robot for weed control.
 Forester robot.
 Robot in horticulture.
 Fruit picking robot.
 Micro-flying robot.
The robots mentioned here come under are Field robots and some are Mobile robots. Field
robots work with respect to environment and medium. They change themselves
according to the required condition. Mobile robots are those
Which posses mobility with respect a medium. The entire system moves with respect to
environment.

GOALS AND PURPOSES:

 To provide access to hazard environment.

 Reduced operating costs due to lower cost of employing robots.
 Higher overall availability of robot workers (no lunch breaks or vacations)
and many more.
 To complete large amount of work in less time

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CHAPTER: 3

 OPERATION OF AGRICULTURAL ROBOTS:

3.1: DEMETER: Robot farmer:

"Labor requirements to grow and harvest the crops must be reduced

through automation". The main area of application of robots in agriculture is at the
harvesting stage. Demeter is a robot that can cut crops like wheat and alfalfa. It is named
for the Roman goddess of agriculture. Although, it may look like a normal harvester,
Demeter can drive by itself without any human supervision. Unfortunately, people get
tired and bored, and their productivity goes down. With a robotic harvester, however, it
never get stired and can operate 24 hours a day.

Demeter has cameras on it that can detect the difference between the
crop that has been cut and crop that hasn’t. This information tells it where to drive,
where to put its cutter head, and when it has come to the end of a crop row so it can turn
around. Demeter has a cruise control function. An operator can ride along with it.
Demeter can drive, steer, and control the cutter head while the operator can focus on
other tasks. The Demeter robot can also be driven by remote control. Or, Demeter can
be taught a path, and then follow that path using its on board sensors and computer
control systems. It can follow the path with an accuracy of up to 3 centimeters.

3.1 DEMETER HARVESTING

The Demeter system strives to provide three levels of automation to harvesters, and
eventually to tractors and combines. First, a “cruise control” feature, which will
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automatically steer, drive and control the harvesting header, will be provided to
harvesteroperators. This feature will allow the operator to focus on other in-cab controls
andharvest conditions, and to better handle contingency situations. Secondly, a
“drone”feature will be provided, allowing one operator to remotely control several
harvesters. Thirdly, a fully autonomous machine will be developed that will allow a
harvester to completely harvest a field with no human supervision. Benefits: The first
two levels of the Demeter system allow fewer, lesser-skilled operatorsto provide
performance equal to or better than the current harvester performance on the average
farm. At the final level of automation, performance will be maintained with no human
supervision.

3.2: WEED CONTROLLER:

Farm working usually involves a harsh environment such as limited work space and soft,
unstable or uneven surfaces. The development of novel weeding technologies that can
reduce manual effort by 50% to 100% in organically grown sugar beets and vegetable
and herbicide usage by 75-100% in high value crops. They can also be used in plants,
which are widely separated. This techniques use robots in the field, to replace operators
on steerage hoes.

3.2: WEED CONTROLLER ROBOT

A four-wheel-drive weed-seeking robot was developed by the Danish Farm Research

Authority. The task of the weed-removing device is to remove or destroy the weed.
Crops that are grown in rows can be weeded by running a hoe between the crop rows.
Labour consuming systems that involve an operator driving the tractor, with a second
person controlling the hoe. An intelligent hoe uses vision systems to identify the rows of
crops, and Steer itself accurately between them, considerably reducing the need for
herbicides Weed identification is based on color photography. The equipped robot helps

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production of weed maps identifying plant.

Vision-guidedintra-row cultivator, able to perform mechanical weed control within the row
of sugar beets plants, thus totally eliminating the need for chemical weed control. An
Autonomous mobile robot for agriculture operations is driven by its two wheels at the
back, each independently driven with a DC-servo motor equipped with encoder,
tachometer and brakes. The steering mechanism is an Ackerman-steering controlled
with a DC-servo motor.The electrical power is provided by batteries or by a fuel-driven
generator the systems looks at a certain environment containing several plants. Knowing
that the sugar beet plants are sown in rows and with a certain constant distance among
them, it is possible to classify the sugar plant from the weed plant. It could be saving
farmers money right from the starting. For safe night work, field obstacles can be
programmed into each field map so the tractor can automatically take avoidance action.

3.3: ROBOTS USED IN FOREST:

3.3.1: TREEBOT:

A fearless mobile robot is helping scientists monitor environmental changes

in forests. The hi-tech Tarzan of the robot world, nicknamed Treebot, is the first of its
kind to combine networked sensors, a web cam, and a wireless net link. It is solar-
powered and moves up and down special cables to take samples and measurements for
vital analysis.

3.3: TREEBOT

Treebot has been developed by scientists at the US Center for Embedded Network Sensing
in California. Pinpoint precision Programmed with open-source computercode, Linux,
the Treebot is a vital addition to researchers' environmental monitoring kit, according to
one of the project leaders, Professor William Kaiser. "One of the objectives is to make

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use of distributed sensors to acquire information about the environment," he said. "It is
very important in the biology community to understand the interaction between the
atmosphere and the forest environment." Understanding subtle changes in light,
humidity, and carbon dioxide levels give scientists crucial indications and predictions
about environmental change. But 90% of all interaction between the environment and
atmospheric conditions happens high up in the forest canopy, and it is a challenge taking
detailed measurements and monitoring conditions over a period of time.The Treebot,
which in scientific terms is a node in a Networked Info mechanical System(Nims), helps
by being stealthy enough to travel through the forest canopy along specially constructed
cabling, night and day.

3.3.2: FORESTER ROBOT:

This is a special type of robot used for cutting up of wood, tending trees, and pruning of X-
mas tree and for harvesting pulp and hard wood and in the forests. It employs a special
jaws and axes for chopping the branch. The forester robot with six legged moves in the
forest. The picture shows the robot moving wood out of the forest.

3.4: FOREST ROBOT

The leg coordination is automated but still the navigation is done by the human operator on
the robot.

3.4: ROBOT IN HORTICULTURE:

Robo is used in lawns to cut the grass the grass in lawns. This type of robo was already

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released in the market. What all is to be done is to lay a wire along the garden and
connect it to the perimeter switch. The Robomower's patented technology allows it to
negotiate and move around obstacles. And because it moves in a triangular pattern from
many different directions, it'll cut any lawn, regardless of its geometric shape. In
automatic mode, a fully charged Robo-mower can typically mow a lawn of 2500 to
3200 sq. ft., depending on the number of obstacles in its path, slopes, height of grass,
humidity, etc. It operates electrically on rechargeable batteries, mulching blades and
whisper quiet operation. No fumes or oil leaks. No pollution. Whisper quiet
operation.About as quiet as a hair blower.

 Runs on rechargeable power

 pack--no need for oil and gas.
 Press one button and mover starts working, you are not needed on thelawn
while it operates
 An excellent mulcher, so you won't need to collect and bag any grass
clippings.
 Loaded with built-in safety features to protect children and pets.
 No need to worry about theft with the new theft deterrent system.

3.5: FRUIT PICKING ROBOT:

The principles of fruit picking robots have been developed since the early 1980's.
These principles have opened up new approaches to the harvesting of crops. However,
to fully develop the fruit picking robotics technology, contributions from high-tech
industry, agricultural commodity groups and farm equipment manufacturers must be
sought.

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3.5: FRIUT PICKING ROBOT

To start with, the fruit picking robots need to pick ripe fruit without damaging the
branches or leaves of the tree. Mobility is a priority, and the robots must be able to
access all areas of the tree being harvested. It goes then without saying that the robots
must be intelligent, and have a human-like interaction with their surroundings through
senses of touch, sight, and image processing. The fundamental blocks of these robots are
shown in the (fig.5).

The robot can distinguish between fruit and leaves by usingvideo image capturing. The
camera is mounted on the robot arm, and the colours detected are compared with
properties stored in memory. If a match is obtained, the fruit is picked. If fruit is hidden
by leaves, an air jet can be used to blow leaves out the way so a clearer view and access
can be obtained. The robot arm itself is coated in rubber to minimize any damage to the
tree. It has 5degrees of freedom, allowing it to move, in, out, up, down, and in
cylindrical and spherical motion patterns. The pressure applied to the fruit is sufficient
for removal from the tree, but not enough to crush the fruit. This is accomplished by a
feedback process from the gripper mechanism, which is driven by motors, hydraulics, or
a pneumatic system. The shape of th gripper depends on the fruit being picked, as some
fruits, such as plums, crush very easily, while others, like oranges are not so susceptible
to bruising. The robots should have access to all areas of the orchard in order to reach all
of the fruit. Significant work has been done in the production of end effectors in France.

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They are capable of harvesting apples and citrus

3.6: APPLES PICKING ROBOT

The limitations of these systems were mainly in their inability of picking the fruits, which
were covered by the branches. This resulted in robots being in capable of harvesting
morethan 75%.

3.6: ROBOT FOR GREENHOUSE OPERATIONS:

Robotics in agriculture has experienced a significant development in the last decade.

Inparticular, research has been devoted to plant inspection, transportation, grafting and
especially, harvesting of fruits and vegetables in horticulture. Research has also been
carried out in the field of mobile robot that carry devices for agricultural operation.

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3.7: GREENHOUSE ROBOT

GRoW (Greenhouse Robotic Worker) is a multipurpose robotic system for labor-intensive

tasks in greenhouses. GRoW‘s first application is selective robotic harvesting of
greenhouse tomatoes. GRoW is designed for simple operation and smooth integration
into existing greenhouse infrastructure and practices. Grow easily adapts to perform a
range of greenhouse tasks, including harvesting of additional vegetables, pruning,
monitoring, pollinating, and more.METOMOTION estimates a reduction of up to 50%
in harvest-related labor costs, with a predicted ROI in under three years for the grower.

CHAPTER: 4

 ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES IN AGRICULTURE

A few technological advances in recent years have led to the development of

many of the robots listed below. Many agricultural robotic advancements use machine

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vision technology to avoid hazards, identify crops, and even determine if they are ready
to be harvested. Machine or computer vision typically involves a camera or multiple
cameras feeding information to the robot that allows it to locate and access the crops
around it.
Machine vision makes it possible for robots to perform tasks like weed picking, growth
monitoring, harvesting, sorting, and packing.

Satellite location systems like GPS have also made many of the advances in agricultural
robotics possible. Robotic farm equipment often relies on GPS information to position
and locate themselves on farms. Autonomous field plowing, seeding, or navigating
tractors and equipment may use a combination of computer vision sensors and GPS to
navigate and act as the driver in robotic plowing trucks.

Another technology employed in agricultural robots is machine learning. Machine learning

provides an advanced method of identifying collision paths that can help autonomous
vehicles learn to adapt and avoid new or unexpected hazards in their paths. It also
enables picking and quality control robots to learn as they go, and to develop the best
methods for identifying and executing their tasks.

ROBOTS IN FIELDS:

Self Driving

In the case of autonomous farm equipment, machine vision and movement

sensors work hand in hand to avoid obstacles while navigating the field. The robots
create a virtual 3D model of the surface, and with the help of high-resolution cameras,
they’re able to navigate freely. Movement is, however, not automatic as it depends on
what parameters they are programmed to avoid or maneuver through.

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John Deere tractors have standardized the autonomous features of their tractors. AutoTrac,
the company’s self-driving technology, is based on GPS, satellite corrected technology,
and comes standard with self driving technology and a modem for all units sold in the
US. The next step? Integrating computer vision and machine learning to help the tractors
identify new obstacles or animals in their paths.

SEEDING

Automated drone seeders are mostly used in forestry industries right now, but the
potential for more widespread use is on the horizon. Planting with drones means very
hard to reach areas can be replanted without endangering workers. They are also able to
plant much more efficiently with a team of two operators and ten drones capable of
planting 400,000 trees a day.

Autonomous precision seeding is a relatively new technology that combines robotics

and GIS mapping. By generating a map of a field and including information about soil
properties such as density and soil quality, autonomous seeders are able to seed more
accurately than traditional broadcast spreading seeders or drone seeders.

4.1: SEEDING IN AGRICULTURE

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WEEDING

Combatting weeds and making sure crops have room to grow is a constant
struggle for farmers. Recently, FarmWise, a San Francisco startup, raised close to $20
million to develop an agricultural robot that deals with weeds, using a 100% organic
method, by picking them. Using computer vision and a variety of mechanical tools, the
robot plucks out individual weeds instead of using chemicals. “A single FarmWise robot
can weed outcrops to feed a medium-sized town of approximately 400,000 people,” said
Sebastian Boyer, the company’s CEO.

In Australia, Engineers and researchers from the University of Western Australia

(UWA) and the University of Sydney have developed a mechanical weeding machine of
their own, to combat high rates of herbicide resistant weeds across the continent. Their
six metre wide “weed-chipper” uses tines to till out weeds that are detected using
commercially available weeding cameras such as the weed seeker.

In the case of the weed chipper, the weedseeker sensors detect the weeds, but
rather than applying a spray, the weed-chipper tines activate to mechanically remove the
weeds from the earth. The company Naio Technologies has had a similar weeding robot
on the market since 2017 and many more competitors will continue to emerge as the
technology improves.

People who choose to work in the agriculture industry often feel called to it. This
occupation is a labor of love and not for the faint of heart. From spacing the plants for
optimal growth to preparing the land for harvest, farming requires a great deal of
physical exertion and heavy lifting.

Agriculture technology companies have taken note and continue to work toward
ways to ease the strain on human workers. The solution? Automating some of the
industry’s most labor-intensive tasks. One such task near the top of the list is weeding,
and the technology is catching on. Below are examples of three robotics companies that
have developed state-of- the-art weeding technology that help farmers protect their
crops.
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4.2: WEEDING IN AGRICULTURE

SPRAYING

Similar to manual weeding robots, smart sprayers are typically paired with

computer vision cameras to identify weeds for targeted herbicide applications.

Sophisticated systems can even identify specific plants and activate only the relevant

application nozzles. This

means less waste, reduced herbicide resistance, and more efficient application across
fields.

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4.3: SPRAYING IN AGRICULTURE

PICKING
Strawberries, like many berries and tender fruits/veggies, demand a very
intensive harvesting program. Harvesting these crops require a lot of labour and time,
both of which are often in short supply. If a farmer is unable to harvest in time the crop
will go to waste. The harvest process is quite intense, and farmers often run short of
workers due to the backbreaking nature of the harvest.

The strawberry market in particular is currently estimated at $16 billion, and it’s no
surprise that tech companies have already developed and used robots designed explicitly
for strawberry harvesting, with an eye to expand into other hard to handle crops. Perhaps
the most common agribot an agri-tech firm currently developing a wide range of robots
to help solve farmers’ harvesting challenges.

One of Agrobot’s flagship projects is a 24-arm robotic harvester, designed to pick

strawberries. Agrobot uses machine learning technology to identify and measure the
ripeness of the berries. Once identified, the robot cuts the fruit just above the calyx and
then grips the stems to transfer them to harvest containers. In this way, the harvester
never actually makes contact with the strawberries, minimizing the risk of damage or

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bruising.

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4.4: PICKING

In Canada and the US, where the farm labor crisis is hitting hard, Agrobot could
harvest close to 20 acres in three days, as estimated in a report by CNBC. Agrobot is not
the only strawberry picker; firms like Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT) and Harvest
Croo Robotics have developed similar agri-robots that are already servicing some farms
in California. As these machines prove their worth, more versatility in which crops they
can handle will follow fast.

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CHAPTER: 5
 DESIGNS

5.1 END EFFECTORS:

An end effectors in an agricultural robot is the device found at the end of the robotic
arm, used for various agricultural operations. Several different kinds of end effectors
have been developed. In an agricultural operation involving grapes in Japan, end
effectors are used for harvesting, berry-thinning, spraying, and bagging. Each was
designed according to the nature of the task and the shape and size of the target fruit. For
instance, the end effectors used for harvesting were designed to grasp, cut, and push the
bunches of grapes.

Berry thinning is another operation performed on the grapes, and is used to enhance
the market value of the grapes, increase the grapes' size, and facilitate the bunching
process. For berry thinning, an end effector consists of an upper, middle, and lower part.
The upper part has two plates and a rubber that can open and close. The two plates
compress the grapes to cut off the rachis branches and extract the bunch of grapes. The
middle part contains a plate of needles, a compression spring, and another plate which
has holes spread across its surface. When the two plates compress, the needles punch
holes through the grapes. Next, the lower part has a cutting device which can cut the
bunch to standardize its length.

For spraying, the end effector consists of a spray nozzle that is attached to a
manipulator. In practice, producers want to ensure that the chemical liquid is evenly
distributed across the bunch. Thus, the design allows for an even distribution of the
chemical by making the nozzle to move at a constant speed while keeping distance from
the target.

The final step in grape production is the bagging process. The bagging end effector is
designed with a bag feeder and two mechanical fingers. In the bagging process, the bag
feeder is composed of slits which continuously supply bags to the fingers in an up and
down motion. While the bag is being fed to the fingers, two leaf springs that are located
on the upper end of the bag hold the bag open. The bags are produced to contain the
grapes in bunches. Once the bagging process is complete, the fingers open and release
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the bag. This shuts the leaf springs, which seals the bag and prevents it from opening
again.

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5.1: END EFFECTOR

5.2:
Gri
ppe
r

The gripper is a grasping device that is used for harvesting the target crop. Design of the
gripper is based on simplicity, low cost, and effectiveness. Thus, the design usually
consists of two mechanical fingers that are able to move in synchrony when performing
their task.
Specifics of the design depend on the task that is being performed. For example, in a
procedure that required plants to be cut for harvesting, the gripper was equipped with a
sharp blade.

5.2: GRIPPER IN AGRICULTURE ROBOTICS

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5.3: MANIPULATOR:

The manipulator allows the gripper and end effector to navigate through their
environment. The manipulator consists of four-bar parallel links that maintain the
gripper's position and height. The manipulator also can utilize one, two, or three
pneumatic actuators. Pneumatic actuators are motors which produce linear and rotary
motion by
converting compressed air into energy. The pneumatic actuator is the most effective
actuator for agricultural robots because of its high power-weight ratio. The most cost
efficient design for the manipulator is the single actuator configuration, yet this is the
least flexible option.

5.3 MANIPULATOR

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CHAPTER: 6

 WHY GREEN HOUSE SHOULD BE AUTOMATED:

Greenhouses are translucent glass or plastic buildings for rearing or hastening

the growth of plants. The distribution of plants inside greenhouses usually consists of an
alternation of double rows of plants and narrow corridors for human operation. This
kind of agricultural technique is massively used for intensive production of horticultural
products in regions with otherwise adverse natural climatic conditions, since it allows an
improved use of water and daylight. The favorable atmosphere created inside
greenhouses for plant growth causes pests and undesirable organisms t o

thrive as well, making necessary the use of pesticides and other chemical products that
must be sprayed directly on the plants.

6.1 HAZARDS TO HUMANS:

Recent studies have reported evidence that spraying operations have hazardous
effects on the health of knapsack sprayer human operators, who are specially exposed
when working inside greenhouses, in conditions of high temperature and poor
ventilation. Therefore, the automation of spraying, as well as other greenhouse
operations like measurement and control of environmental conditions, harvest support,
plant inspection.

The multi grasping system proposed aims at picking single leaves from a plant;
the operation, actually, is performed by men using two hands one to hold the stem and
the other to tear the leaf .The fixture has two pickers; when they approach the leaf to be
detached, the connecting link of the lower picker keeps the leaf against the upper one,
until the carried blade cuts the sample.

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6.1:ROBOTS TO REPLACE IN HUMAN AGRICULTURE

The sprinklers or nebulisers are other rigs required for the

specialized delivering of chemicals; a tip clamp is endowed with a nozzle, so that
administration is localized (with proper dose), while holding the piece to be vaporized.
The different mechanicalcomponents, due to dust and dirty scattered into the
glasshouses surrounding, are protected by tyre hulls, that can be tided with compressed
air at beginning of the duty cycles or whenever required.

The ‘Rubion’ bot, developed by a research and development company specialising in

providing robotic solutions to agriculture and food called Octinion, can pick and
package ripe strawberries, bruise-free, every five seconds with its delicate clasping
mechanism, and has the ability to deliver up to 360kg every single day.

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CHAPTER-7

 FLYING MICRO ROBOT:

Flying micro robot: (a newly proposed robot): Scientists from around the world are
reverse- engineering the mechanics of insects as they design midget robots to scout
battlefields, search for victims trapped in rubble, and record images in agricultural fields

7.1: MICRO-FLY ROBOT

The world’s smallest micro robot was placed in the geniuses book o world record.
The experiments have been conducted so as to know the fields of operation.. The micro
robot consists of propeller by which it can fly to heights these features include the
ability to zero in and land precisely on a potato chip and then flap their wings to buzz off
with blazing speed. It is expected that it can be used in agriculture for the control of
weed and insects.

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CHAPTER: 8

 DEVLOPMENT

The first development of robotics in agriculture can be dated as early as the 1920s, with
research to incorporate automatic vehicle guidance into agriculture beginning to take
shape. This research led to the advancements between the 1950s and 60s of autonomous
agricultural vehicles. The concept was not perfect however, with the vehicles still
needing a cable system to guide their path. Robots in agriculture continued to develop as
technologies in other sectors began to develop as well. It was not until the 1980s,
following the development of the computer, that machine vision guidance became
possible.

Other developments over the years included the harvesting of oranges using a robot both
in France and the US.

While robots have been incorporated in indoor industrial settings for decades, outdoor
robots for the use of agriculture are considered more complex and difficult to develop.
This is due to concerns over safety, but also over the complexity of picking crops
subject to different environmental factors and unpredictability.

8.1: DEMAND IN MARKET:

There are concerns over the amount of labor the agricultural sector needs. With
an aging population, Japan is unable to meet the demands of the agricultural labor
market. Similarly, the United States currently depends on a large number of immigrant
workers, but between the decrease in seasonal farmworkers and increased efforts to stop
immigration by the government, they too are unable to meet the demand. Businesses are
often forced to let crops rot due to an inability to pick them all by the end of the
season. Additionally, there are concerns over the growing population that will need to be
fed over the next years. Because of this, there is a large desire to improve agricultural
machinery to make it more cost efficient and viable for continued use.

There are concerns over the amount of labor the agricultural sector needs. With
an aging population, Japan is unable to meet the demands of the agricultural labor
market. Similarly, the United States currently depends on a large number of immigrant

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workers, but between the decrease in seasonal farmworkers and increased efforts to stop
immigration by the government, they too are unable to meet the demand. Businesses are
often forced to let crops rot due to an inability to pick them all by the end of the
season. Additionally, there are concerns over the growing population that will need to be
fed over the next years. Because of this, there is a large desire to improve agricultural
machinery to make it more cost efficient and viable for continued use.

8.2: CURRENT APPLICATIONS AND TRENDS:

Much of the current research continues to work towards autonomous agricultural

vehicles. This research is based on the advancements made in driver-assist systems and
self- driving cars.

While robots have already been incorporated in many areas of agricultural farm
work, they are still largely missing in the harvest of various crops. This has started to
change as companies begin to develop robots that complete more specific tasks on the
farm. The biggest concern over robots harvesting crops comes from harvesting soft
crops such as strawberries which can easily be damaged or missed entirely. Despite
these concerns, progress in this area is being made. According to Gary Wishnatzki, the
co-founder of Harvest Croo Robotics, one of their strawberry pickers currently being
tested in Florida can "pick a 25-acre field in just three days and replace a crew of about
30 farm workers". Similar progress is being made in harvesting apples, grapes, and other
crops. In the case of apple harvesting robots, current developments have been too slow
to be commercially viable. Modern robots are able to harvest apples at a rate of one
every five to ten seconds while the average human harvests at a rate of one per second.

Another goal being set by agricultural companies involves the collection of data.
There are rising concerns over the growing population and the decreasing labor
available to feed them. Data collection is being developed as a way to increase
productivity on farms. AgriData is currently developing new technology to do just this
and help farmers better determine the best time to harvest their crops by scanning fruit
trees.

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CHAPTER: 9

 ADVANTAGES:

 The Robo does not get sick or tired and does not need time off.
 It can operate with closer tolerances (so every round is at full field
 capacity), Fewer errors and at higher speeds
 Because machines can be made lighter and cheaper if the drivers seat,
 controls and cab can be eliminated.
 It can be used in various fields like agriculture, medicine, mining, and Space
research .
 It can be sent to another planet to study their environmental conditions.
 The machines could easily work around trees, rocks, ponds and other obstacles.
 Small suburban fields could be worked almost as efficiently as large tracts of land.

DISADVANTAGES:

 One of the key disadvantages of driverless machines for agriculture is liability.

 Access to the technology.
 Not currently scale neutral.
 Better sensors would help. Improved scouting programs would be
essential. Nevertheless, a periodic human presence in the field is likely to be necessary
for the near future.
 Robots could change the culture /emotional appeal of agriculture.
 Energy issues, costly.

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CHAPTER: 10

 APPLICATIONS

Robots have many fields of application in agriculture. Some examples and

prototypes of robots include the Merlin Robot Milker, Rosphere, Harvest Automation,
Orange Harvester, lettuce bot, and weeder. One case of a large scale use of robots in
farming is the milk bot. It is widespread among British dairy farms because of its
efficiency and nonrequirement to move. According to David Gardner (chief executive of
the Royal Agricultural Society of England), a robot can complete a complicated task if
its repetitive and the robot is allowed to sit in a single place. Furthermore, robots that
work on repetitive tasks (e.g. milking) fulfill their role to a consistent and particular
standard.

Another field of application is horticulture. One horticultural application is the

development of RV100 by Harvest Automation Inc. RV 100 is designed to transport
potted plants in
a greenhouse or outdoor setting. The functions of RV100 in handling and organizing
potted plants include spacing capabilities, collection, and consolidation. The benefits of
using RV100 for this task include high placement accuracy, autonomous outdoor and
indoor function, and reduced production costs.

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CONCLUSION

In agriculture, the opportunities for robot-enhanced productivity are immense – and the
robots are appearing on farms in various guises and in increasing numbers. The other
problems associated with autonomous farm equipment can probably be overcome with
technology. This equipment may be in our future, but there are important reasons for
thinking that it may not be just replacing the human driver with a computer. It may
mean a rethinking of how crop production is done. Crop production may be done better
and cheaper with a swarm of small machines than with a few large ones. One of the
advantages of the smaller machines is that they may be more acceptable to the non-farm
community. The jobs in agriculture are a drag, dangerous, require intelligence and
quick, though highly repetitive decisions hence robots can be rightly substituted with
human operator. The higher quality products can be sensed by machines
(colour.firmness, weight, density, ripeness, size, shape) accurately. Robots can improve
the quality of ourlives but there are downsides.

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FUTURE SCOPE

Agricultural robots are the fastest growing technology developed to perform various
complex tasks that are difficult for humans to achieve. Recent news claims that the
Japanese government has taken an initiative to use robotic operators in lands swamped
by March 2011 tsunami. This “Dream project” was planned to involve unmanned
tractors working in the farm on the disaster site. The robotic farmers are capable of
cultivating vegetables, fruits, soybeans, wheat and rice, which are then packed in boxes
and shipped across the country by this robotic technology. This process is accompanied
by recycling of carbon dioxide using machinery in an attempt to reduce the use of
fertilizers.

Future of Farms with fully-automated farms in the future, robots can perform all the
tasks like mowing, fertilizing, monitoring of pests and diseases, harvesting, tilling, etc.
This also enables the farmers to just supervise the robots without the need to operate
them. The key aspects of automated farms are the following:

 It facilitates 24/7 operation in the farm

 It improves safety
 It allows selective harvesting
 It sustains domestic agriculture
 It reduces chemical usage and labor needs
 It enables plant-level management
 It assists in precision pest management
 It helps small family farmers by enabling small farms to compete globally.

The following video by David Dorhout is a graduate of Iowa State University with a
B.S. in Insect Biology & Behavior and a M.S. in Insect Ecology summarises the future
of farming and discusses the concenpt of applying swarm robots in agriculture and talks
about Prospero, a robotic farmer.

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REFERENCES:

 robotics and mechatronics for agriculture by dan zhang, bin wei

 push button agriculture: robotics, drones, satellite-guided soil and crop management
by k. r. Krishna
 agricultural drones by k. r.krishna

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