An electrically driven, computer controlled robotics platform for orchard use

As automation in agriculture progresses, more automation systems will be placed into farms & orchards.

Systems that service the crops directly are likely to have positioning requirements that make traditional tractor-trailer units unsuitable.

This paper introduces a platform built for transporting robotics modules through a kiwifruit orchard.

Performance figures, design considerations and a general hardware overview are presented.

The platform is controlled either by remote or computer generated drive commands - facilitating autonomous navigation.

In-orchard testing shows the system is well suited for the target application, achieving stable speed control and repeatable positioning.