Mobile Robotic Field Server for Field-scale and Fruit-scale Crop Monitoring

• Fukatsu Tokihiro

  Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

• Endo Gen

  Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology

• Ito Yuta

  Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology

• Kobayashi Kazuki

  Institute of Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Academic Assembly, Shinshu University

• Saito Yasunori

  Institute of Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Academic Assembly, Shinshu University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 広域・精細モニタリングのための移動作業型フィールドサーバの開発

Abstract

To achieve both broad and close monitoring of crop growth in fields, we propose a robotic Field Server consisting of a conventional Field Server with sensors and a wireless interface for remote monitoring, a locomotion unit, and a manipulator. It is designed to be controlled via the Internet and to interact with other Field Servers. It is intended to monitor crop growth both broadly and closely as needed, to monitor many targets flexibly, to approach targets from different directions and avoid obstacles, and to carry sensitive sensors. We have developed a prototype robotic Field Server mounted on a pair of three-legged platform which can stay level while walking on rough fields, with a light-weight, low-power, spring-balanced sensor arm with three degrees of freedom that offers a wide work space. We evaluated the prototype in a pear orchard. It was able to collect detailed data on many target fruits within the orchard under remote control. The results demonstrate the system’s potential and reveal how it can be improved.

Journal

• Agricultural Information Research

  Agricultural Information Research 23 (4), 140-153, 2014

  Japanese Society of Agricultural Informatics

Keywords

• sensor network
• crop monitoring
• light duty arm
• walking robot
• Field Server

Details

• CRID: 1390001204460525312
• NII Article ID: 130004848818
• DOI: 10.3173/air.23.140
• ISSN: 18815219
• ISSN: 09169482
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed