A robot which moves on a cable system could be effectively employed for automated tasks in greenhouses and urban agriculture, thanks to the work of Colombian scientists.
A team at the University of Ibagué set out to improve suspended cable-driven robots, which can be used for tasks such as crop planting, spraying, and inspection but have faced issues such as instability and loss of cable tension in tests to date, limiting their prospects.
Using mathematical models to analyse cable tension distribution, they devised a new approach for synchronous motion of a robot using improved anchor points.
On the back of their analysis, they developed a prototype of their own optimised robot, known as AgroCableBot, which uses four moving pulley systems to maximise its workspace. They then tested it in a series of simulations over a seed bed with potted plants, which underlined its promise.
“The key advantages lie in a system that efficiently carries out repetitive tasks with high precision, coupled with a design that prioritizes simplicity without compromising robustness,” the scientists wrote in the journal Robotics. “This enhancement further amplifies the merits and benefits of this robot type for agricultural applications.”
Useful addition to diverse ag-robotics picture
A range of different robot designs and means of movement are likely to be employed as ‘Agriculture 4.0’ moves towards the global mainstream. This will likely include models that move independently, without any guides, to robots attached to a tether to ensure stability and suspended models such as the one subject of the study. There will also be varying degrees of automation in robotic systems used on farms.
For use in greenhouses and urban growing setups, the improved cable-driven robot “offers a promising prospect for agricultural automation in large spaces, precision and robot payload capacity, facilitating different processes such as seeding, irrigation and harvesting,” the scientists noted.
Following the initial development of a successful prototype, they will now be putting the machine through its paces in real growing scenarios.
