Multipurpose Smart Agriculture Robot

Increasing population requires the food production to be increased which requires better cultivation in the form of proper utilization of seeds and fertilizers with minimum labour work. In recent years the development of the autonomous and smart vehicles in the agriculture has experienced increased

Project Title

Multipurpose Smart Agriculture Robot

Project Area of Specialization

Mechatronics Engineering

Project Summary

Increasing population requires the food production to be increased which requires better cultivation in the form of proper utilization of seeds and fertilizers with minimum labour work. In recent years the development of the autonomous and smart vehicles in the agriculture has experienced increased interest. The advantages of these vehicles are hands-free and fast input operations. In the field of agricultural smart vehicle, a concept is been developed to investigate if multi purpose smart agriculture robot could be more efficient than traditional large tractors and human force. The main  objective of Multipurpose Smart Agriculture Robot is efficient utilization of resources and to reduce labour work and do multiple tasks by single robot. The project aims to design, develop and the fabricate the robot which can dig a hole in soil by drilling mechanisms and plants seed and cover hole by soil again and spray water using spraying mechanisms, also some parameters like temperature, humidity and moisture level are measured of the particular fields by using respective sensors. Camera is also used in robot to observe the path of the robot and to avoid any hindrances and obstacles. All these tasks and  parameters are performed by using controller Raspberry pi model 3b. All the collected data from the field and performed tasks are shown in the user interface application on the mobile phone. It is a software application used to designed and runs on the mobile phone. The main aim of this project is to develop a solar operated Multipurpose Smart Agriculture Robot, which is solar powered. In this robot solar panel is used to capture and convert solar energy into electrical energy which to charges a 12v battery, and then gives the necessary power to DC motor. We will develop an electromechanical vehicle which is steered by DC motors to drive wheels, other motors are also used to do ploughing and seed sowing,  water pump is used for spraying and mud leveller for covering soil. The programming language will instruct the robot to perform multi tasks  The farm is cultivated by the automated system, depending on the crop considering particular row and specific columns. Multipurpose Smart Agriculture Robot is instructed once to cover particular area and then it  performs the tasks one by one.

Project Objectives

1. The main objective of Multipurpose Smart Agriculture Robot is to do ploughing, seed   sowing, mud levelling and spraying using motors and water pump.
2. To design the frame of robot with proper dimensions and geometrical  shape.
3. To write the code in python to program Raspberry pi by which robot is instructed to perform multiple tasks and calculate different parameters.
4. Controlling the speed of motors according to the tasks.
5. Utilization of renewable energy for powering robot..
6. To perform all 4 operations one by one accurately.
7. To complete large amount of work in less time.

Project Implementation Method

Steering mechanism:  

The wheel is coupled with the DC Motor, The power for motor  is supplied by a Battery, The direction of  motor  rotation can be controlled by toggle switches for steering the vehicle to either left or right side direction. 

Ploughing 

Ploughing Operation:

The power for motor is supplied by a Battery, A DC Motor shaft is welded to a bolt, & a lead screw is also welded to a bolt, by this arrangement the rotary motion of the motor is converted into linear motion of the lead screw. As the cultivator is welded to the lead screw, it is lowered down, soil is digged  to about 1 inch for one rotation since the lead screw pitch is of about 1 inch. The direction of motor rotation can be controlled by motor driver for up and down movement of the cultivator.

Seed Sowing:

A ladle is used for Seed storage, We have provided hole to the hallow cylinder which is coupled to the DC motor shaft, where the funnel is placed above it, The DC motor is powered by a battery. As the motor is switched on, the hallow cylinder tend to rotate which makes the seeds fall on the cultivated field making consistent gap between seeds. 

Levelling Operation:

Levelling operation A Sheet metal Plate is used as mud closer and leveller, The long bolt and nut is used for leveller up & down movement. The leveler is not powered, instead it is fixed to required level initially, The leveller closes the soil in the sowed soil & levels the land.

Water Spraying Operation:

A water container is used for water storage, A water pump is used for pumping water to the water sprayer. The water flows to the sprayer through pipe. The power for pump is supplied by the battery.

Benefits of the Project

1. Operation mechanism of this system is very simple.
2. It is multitasking robot.
3. Labour problem can be reduced. 
4. Wastage of seed is less.
5. It is easy to handle and don't require fuel or electricity.
6. It is solar energy based device.
7. Time efficient to perform the functions compared to traditional method.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

• The base frame is made for the robot with 4 wheels connected and driven the rear wheel is dc motor.
• One end of the frame, cultivator is fitted which is also driven by dc motor and design is made to dig the soil.
• Funnel is made by the sheet metal, to store the seeds and the seeds flow through the funnel through the drilled hole on the shaft to the digged soil. 
• On the end leveler is fitted to close the seeds to the soil, and water pump sprayer to spray the water.
• Controller Raspberry pi 3b is programmed in python to instruct the robot to perform multiple tasks and measure different surrounding parameters.
• Camera and IR sensor are installed to watch the field and avoid any obstacles.
• Solar panel is placed on top of the robot and is connected to the battery for charging the battery.
• Thus the max efficiency is utilized from the sun by the solar panel and to the battery.
• The whole robot requires the 12v battery to operate the system.
• All the collected data from the field and performed tasks are shown in the user interface application on the mobile phone

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Agriculture

Other Industries

Others

Core Technology

Robotics

Other Technologies

Internet of Things (IoT)

Sustainable Development Goals

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Required Resources

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