Farm Robots Robots
and the Environment
Farm Robot Images Robot Features About the Author Invest In Or Donate to Farm Robot project Scuba Diving Pictures Last site update: April 2009 : Box-Robot started. |
Uses for Farm Robots "Can do list": Identifies & eliminates harmful insects. Monitors soil moisture levels. Monitor crop growth. Monitor fungal infections thereby reducing its use by knowing about it sooner. Reduces the need to spray crops with pesticides. Reduces the need to genetically modify our food. Thus avoid GMO or Genetically Modified Organisms. |
The Original
Prototype
Conception:
While completing my diploma as a Robotics and Automation Technologist, I had been pursuing with the idea of using robots to process garbage so that less of it would end up in landfills by recycling more of it. While exploring the idea of these robots, it dawned on me that the same technology could be used to have robots remove pests from plants and even have them pull weeds; thus reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides. The chemicals sprayed on our food are well known agents that promote cancer, various health problems and deformities. (See Pesticide Health Issues) Development of these robots will be an on going process, to make them cheaper and more efficient, but the first steps must be taken by someone. What I'm proposing will take at least a year for the first Remotely Operated Vehicle [ROV] prototype for a small wheeled robot, assuming we had the funds, and then proceed to develop the ROV robot into a more independent robot. An independent robot that could work on its own or with the help of a human. Someone I know suggested having a person help a robot as a way to employ people. That would slightly defeat the purpose, BUT someone helping several robots to do their job would be a feasible scenario. Farm robots would not initially be directly profitable by selling them, due to the fact that our farmers can ill afford more expensive technology. Instead they would at first be leased to farmers to avoid the need for them to actually pay for their whole cost. The cost of the lease payments would be less than, or perhaps equivalent to, the same amount of money they would spend on purchasing pesticides. Plus, there are tax benefits from leasing. My original plan was to use an existing patent of mine to develop a company to help financially support the research, and use other patents that would arise to help fund their development. But product development from a patent has turned out to be more expensive than I anticipated. And my school debt is a barrier to my doing much on my own at this time. Including preventing me from filing for my next patent. My next patent will hopefully be for a more efficient pesticide sprayer that could be sold to the farm industry and make a difference soon. One person who contacted me suggested: "A good natural control for a small hobby farm might simply be - to own a few chickens and let them run around your garden. Low tech and very environmentally friendly." Of course, if we're talking about tall crops like corn, or if there are a local predators, or several acres then we're back to needing robots. They never get bored, systematically inspect every plant for insects and their eggs. And unlike chicken they would also know the difference between weeds and the crop seedlings. |
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Project 0: The Box-Robot for
testing and learning. I finally have enough parts to at least build a
simple robot, to start working with the electronics, and start learning
how to program a robot. This simple robot is just for me to learn more,
and actually build a robot. With my layoff from my last job, due to the
economic problems created by greety bankers and their , I took it as an
opportunity to cash in some of my RSPs with them and complete buying
enough parts for a simple robot. |
Project 1A: A small robot/rov about the
size of a kids go-cart, but as tall as a bike, with
a single arm that is designed to actually work with short plants in a
garden, and
whose basic principles could be applied to a larger robot/rov at a
later date. Would allow the team to work on image analysis and
programming the robot to
start catching insects and perhaps later to pull weeds. And of
course could consider one person helping several robots do their job as
an employment opportunity. Time would also be used for working on a more efficient pesticide sprayer to have a more immediate positive impact on the environment (1-2 yr.). |
Project 1B (Depending on level of funding): An Orchard Robot; shown here inspecting a tree for leaf eating insects and potentially for signs of diseases that affect trees. Note the use of counter-balancing mechanisms to reduce energy requirements, and solar cells for additional energy. Project one will allow the team to hone their skills in robotics and gain experience on all the major systems needed to carry on with other robot projects. |
Project 1C Build a robot for
personal gardens. To remove pests and remove weeds. Should really be a
Project 2B project. That is after we learn how to build something like
a robot described in Project 1A. But if someone wanted to fund that
directly or indirectly. |
Estimate of time for first ROV
[Remotely Operated Vehicle] prototype
around 1 year and $200,000 ($300,000 for 1B project). (See DevelopmentPlanPage
and BudgetPage
and PartsPage. [NOTE: Pages
being modified
from Orchard Robot requirements to small wheeled farm robot
requirements.] ) Most
of which is wages for three people, parts, machining costs and software
purchases. I have not selected any other people at this time so as long
as they have some technical training you could help me choose who to
hire. Would like to include some funds for an international patent for
a product for which a market already exists, or at least start by
filing for a patent in the USA. The ROV would then be converted to a
"real" robot over the following year. |
Project 2: Multi-legged farm robot insect hunter for working in fields for crops like potatoes, tobacco, ... Click on the concept drawing below or click on the following link: InsectHunterPage. For removing the harmful insects and leaving the good ones alone so that they can carryon doing the things they are best at like pollinating, aerating the soil and eating other insects. Pesticides on the other hand are indiscriminate killers that kill almost everything and make others sick. |
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Insect Hunting Robot Working on a new version. Click on it to go to page. |
Orchard wheeled farm robot. Robot for working on trees. |