FarmBot

The prototype robot
The electronics box and water supply. In the final version, these will be onboard.

Inspiration

While agriculture has been essential for human populations since the beginning of recorded history, current farming practices are still wasteful and inefficient. Considering current droughts and chemical runoff into water supplies, sustainable farming methods need to be found for a healthy population. Taking into account several issues, such as fossil fuel-powered farm equipment, inefficient methods of irrigation, widespread pesticide dispersion, and fertilizer being diverted from plants to reservoirs, we wanted to create a multi-faceted solution.

Our hopes are than our robot goes beyond routine agricultural use and is implemented in other fields. For farmland destroyed by fires or damaged by other ways, our robot can repopulate flora by planting seeds. In the hypothetical situations where human desire to inhabit another planet, an iteration of our robot can be used to set up an agricultural base for future human migration.

What it does

To help mitigate these issues, we designed FarmBot, a robot that improves upon modern practices and amalgamates utility into one robot. It will have the capability to dispense water and other chemicals equally to crops arranged in a row by using a method similar to drip irrigation, which specifically targets the base due to its small footprint. It will also detect the presence of water and chemicals and reduce output if needed. This will maximize absorption and drastically reduce water waste compared to traditional irrigation methods.

FarmBot is powered by electricity, not by burning fossil fuels like traditional farming machinery. Most of its components are designed from recyclable and renewable parts.

FarmBot also displays a status report for the farmer to track their crops. In essence, the farmer needs to only check on their crops each week to ensure normal operation of FarmBot and to refill the water and chemical tanks (if present). Otherwise, it can be placed in the field and left alone until it's time to harvest.

How we built it

Our early prototype consisted of an Arduino to to run the program, and two transistor circuits to power the motors. The robot is constructed primarily of duct tape connecting the motors and gear assembly, with a servo and water dispenser on top. The basic power plant has a motor driving a worm gear that controls the wheels, allowing for high torque and braking. It also has a servo motor rotating the water dispenser hose; water is supplied by an off-site pump and transferred by flexible tubing. In the final version, farmers can choose between the off-site pump or opt for an on-board tank.

Challenges we ran into

We were originally going to use two stepper motors for the motion of the robot, but we couldn't procure the electronic parts necessary to operate them. As such, we opted to use regular motors, but those would need to be geared down to produce the right balance of speed and torque. Because of the small size of the robot and the available parts, we could only put in one axle, preventing turning capability. We also initially planned for a movable base for the Arduino, but could not find a motor that supplied enough torque to do so. The resulting small size and light weight of the robot, along with stiff wire, prevented the robot from going in a perfectly straight line.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

It took a lot of work and repeated different attempts to construct the first prototype capable of water dispensing and straight motion. In the end, we found an efficient circuit configuration to power components the Arduino could not and wrote code which effectively matched our intentions.

What we learned

Most of the time, we only see robots in more industrial applications, such as factories, as well as in miscellaneous applications such as the military. However, we learned that agriculture is an industry with a significant need for efficiency and multi-function tools, where robots come in handy. We also learned about the methods of commercial agriculture and the shortcomings of current agriculture, and sought opportunities for improvement.

During this event, we learned to work with a team to design, execute, and troubleshoot a project. We learned to work within our constraints and within the timeframe to design our robot.

What's next for FarmBot

Better support for organic farms: from adding natural fertilizers to reducing plowing
Teaching the farmer about more sustainable methods of agriculture, through the status reports
- Lessons to teach the different agricultural techniques, such as polyculture, crop rotation, and agroforestry, to promote sustainability
- Feedback on how much the farmer is saving resources over their original methods of farming (e.g. percentage of water saved)
A movable base station, allowing the robot to attend to plants in rows and columns, in a technique similar to 3D printer motion
The ability to plant new plants both automatically and in a layout that promotes efficiency
- To automatically create polycultures, rotating crops, etc.
Touch and ultrasound sensors to detect the base of the plant, allowing for maximum absorption
Straight line motion with sensory feedback from tachometers, a gyro sensor, and obstacle sensors, to allow the robot to avoid obstacles and maintain the predetermined path
Shock absorbers, larger/heavier frame, and more durable parts for longevity
The ability to remove weeds and even harvest plants
Improve the charging station to also refill the robot’s water/chemical tanks
Onboard solar panels, to increase outdoor running time and reduce carbon footprint further