Robotics comes to farming
Article Type: Mini features From: Industrial Robot: An International Journal, Volume 39, Issue 4
Robots have been around for over half a century and now they turn to farming. Kinze Manufacturing, a Williamsburg, Iowa farm equipment company, has introduced an autonomous farm tractor. A partnership with Jaybridge Robotics has resulted in a multipurpose tractor that can plow, plant, maintain and harvest crops with minimal direct human input (Figure 3). Freeing the famer to address other tasks while the robotic tractor working the fields.
Key to the development is the Jaybridge control package with a global positioning system which steers, controls speed, brakes and detects obstacles in the path of the tractor. The on-board computer accepts the farmer’s digital input of a field map, field boundaries, any non-field areas such as a stream or waterway and farming task instructions (plow, harvest, etc.). The controller then creates an autonomous farming pattern to be followed. The controller then activates servos for steering, speed, braking and accessory operation.
Figure 3 Kinze robotic farm tractor towing a harvest cart which can carry up to 27,000 kg
Figure 3 Kinze robotic farm tractor towing a harvest cart which can carry up to 27,000 kg
The farmer can create the field map by driving around the field with a GPS system and recording or downloading satellite images of the field. Then he would annotate the file, noting creeks, gates, off-loading truck location (for harvesting) and other obstacles in the field.
The computer then creates an autonomous plan to complete the desired farming task. The system also has two front of tractor sensors, a radar and a lidar(light detection and ranging) laser-based scanner. The radar system detects solid obstacles such as metal fence posts, people or animals while the lidar can detect objects of wood or plastic. Other sensors include a video camera that can transmit a view of the area in front of the tractor.
Two-way communication with the farmer (human operator) and remote control functions are provide by both a Wi-Fi system for short range and a cell phone link for long range control. The communication system also connects to the operator of the harvesting combine for his commands to the robotic tractor/trailer for grain unloading tasks. The video cameras transmit live views of operations to the remote operator/farmer as the process proceeds. Should the system detect an unrecoverable obstacle, the farmer can see and take over operation.
Other features include an incline meter which can detect if the tractor is approaching a tip over point as well as a scale in the trailer to monitor when the load is approaching capacity. For unloading a grain harvesting combine, the combine operator signals the robot tractor to drive up to the combine unload position so grain can be transferred. Then the combine operator signals the loaded robot tractor trailer to drive to the designated location of the over-the-road tractor trailer rig. Then the grain load is transferred for transport it off the farm. The combine operator then signals for the robot tractor to stand by for the next load.
Richard Bloss
