Spraying in agriculture represents a societal challenge due to its negative impact in human and animal health and in environment. Increasing spraying efficiency towards the objective of "right time, right amount, right place", involves reduction of losses and, consequently, amount of phytopharmaceuticals used, water usage, and human and animal exposure to pesticides, and the increase of the spraying system availability while reducing labour costs. Furthermore, adoption of new ecological spraying treatments to increase both yield and treatment efficiency is desirable. Agriculture in rough terrain is also challenging, due to the steepness of some terrain, lack of space to manoeuvre, difficulties of communications due to natural obstacles and harsh atmospheric conditions associated. To cope with these challenges a consortium with complementary precision farming actors was formed for Slopebot project, bringing together steep slope vineyards associations (CERVIM and ADVID), robotics and agricultural machinery RTD institutions (INESC TEC, DFKI, and CNR - IMAMOTER), agrofood and vineyard RTD institutions (ceiA3 and IFV), robotics and agricultural machinery SMEs (TEKEVER-AS, IKNOWHOW, V.M.A., and KommTek Intelligente Lösungen), and an institution devoted to innovation in the sector (INOVISA). Slopebot's solution will be a safe and autonomous precision spraying tool integrated into a modular unmanned tractor (robotics platform). It will focus on steep slope vineyards but also looking for the applicability in other high-value permanent crops in rough terrain. Slopebot will bring the TRL of the technologies involved from 3 to 5. This increment is driven by five main RTD topics: localization and navigation system; advanced sprayer tool with Variable Rate Technology (VRT); safety systems; compliance and interoperability; and modularity. Slopebot will contribute to build up its market segment aligned to the European Strategic Robotics Agenda and create new business opportunities.
Autonomous precision spraying for high-value crops in rough outdoor terrain (SlopeBot)
Danilo Rabino;
2017
Abstract
Spraying in agriculture represents a societal challenge due to its negative impact in human and animal health and in environment. Increasing spraying efficiency towards the objective of "right time, right amount, right place", involves reduction of losses and, consequently, amount of phytopharmaceuticals used, water usage, and human and animal exposure to pesticides, and the increase of the spraying system availability while reducing labour costs. Furthermore, adoption of new ecological spraying treatments to increase both yield and treatment efficiency is desirable. Agriculture in rough terrain is also challenging, due to the steepness of some terrain, lack of space to manoeuvre, difficulties of communications due to natural obstacles and harsh atmospheric conditions associated. To cope with these challenges a consortium with complementary precision farming actors was formed for Slopebot project, bringing together steep slope vineyards associations (CERVIM and ADVID), robotics and agricultural machinery RTD institutions (INESC TEC, DFKI, and CNR - IMAMOTER), agrofood and vineyard RTD institutions (ceiA3 and IFV), robotics and agricultural machinery SMEs (TEKEVER-AS, IKNOWHOW, V.M.A., and KommTek Intelligente Lösungen), and an institution devoted to innovation in the sector (INOVISA). Slopebot's solution will be a safe and autonomous precision spraying tool integrated into a modular unmanned tractor (robotics platform). It will focus on steep slope vineyards but also looking for the applicability in other high-value permanent crops in rough terrain. Slopebot will bring the TRL of the technologies involved from 3 to 5. This increment is driven by five main RTD topics: localization and navigation system; advanced sprayer tool with Variable Rate Technology (VRT); safety systems; compliance and interoperability; and modularity. Slopebot will contribute to build up its market segment aligned to the European Strategic Robotics Agenda and create new business opportunities.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
