Agricultural robot collects data on grass quality
Farmers in northern Sweden often have access to large areas of land. About 70 percent of the arable land here consists of grassland, that is, a mixture of grass and clover, which after harvesting becomes animal feed in the form of silage. In this project, Luleå University of Technology and SLU are collaborating to investigate how sensors on a ground-going agricultural robot can make it easier for farmers to quickly and easily get information about how the grass grows, without the farmer himself having to be in the field.
A generic mobile robot has been equipped with various sensors that collect data. Jakub Haluška, a researcher in robotics and AI, has been working on developing the algorithms needed for the sensors to collect and send data.
- The idea is that you, the farmer, place the robot in the field and set a schedule for it, just like a vacuum cleaner robot at home. The robot will send data, images and video to you so that you can assess when is the right time to harvest," he says.
The farmer's challenge in harvesting is to find the exact day when the balance between quality and quantity is optimal. The nutrient content should be high while the mass should be as large as possible. If the grass is allowed to grow too long, it begins to lose quality.
Luleå University of Technology has contributed with technical expertise to develop the algorithms needed to use the various sensors, while SLU can analyse the data collected through its expertise in agriculture.
Among the sensors tested on the robot are a camera that takes images that can be displayed in 3D and a GPS that provides coordinators. The robot has also been equipped with a spectrometer, a device that uses light and analyses how the light is reflected in the grass. This makes it possible to collect information such as the amount of biomass and nutritional value.
A basic idea of the project is that a properly equipped ground robot can provide clearer information and be more reliable than, for example, a drone or satellite images. The robot is not weather-sensitive and provides higher resolution than a drone because it is on the ground.
The goal of the project is not to present a finished product, but to develop a functional prototype that demonstrates the concept and its possibilities for farmers and the market. The next step is to get in touch with farmers who can test the robot.
In this video, some of the researchers in the project tell us more about the agricultural robot.
In collaboration with
Prof. David Parsons
Professor at the Department of Plant Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
Dr. Julianne Oliveira
Researcher at the Department of Plant Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
Dr. Julien Morel
Researcher at the European Commission, Joint Research Center, Ispra, Italy
Would you like to know more about the robot or take part in testing it?
Get in touch with:
- Jakub Haluska, Senior Research Engineer
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