Overview
Autonomous Mobile Robot for Agriculture (AMRA) is a new 4th year capstone project working to design and build a robot capable of harvesting apples, in Ontario orchards, without the need for human operators. Removing the human aspect of apple picking will help to address skilled worker labour shortages, reduce operating costs for orchards, and boost productivity, efficiency, and quality of apple harvesting.
The team’s goal for this year is to design and build a functional half scale prototype of the robot’s chassis and steering assembly, configure and begin testing the vision and navigation sub-systems, and 3D print a model of the robot’s 3-fingered gripper design. The AMRA team has a variety of aspects to consider during the design of the robot. For instance, the vision sub-system is comprised of a stereo camera to simulate human eyes, that will be used to identify and locate ripe apples on a branch, as well as potential obstacles in the way.
The Background
Our cause is to progress autonomous technology that may address issues within the industry. By developing autonomous technology to operate in agricultural settings, we can increase the productivity and efficiency within the orchard, address labour shortages currently affecting the farming and agriculture industries, as well as contribute to cost reducing measures.
The Rollout
The funds raised will be used to further develop the AMRA project by purchasing the remaining materials and equipment needed to build and test our prototype chassis, steering system, and vision and navigation systems.
The Impact
Autonomous vehicles are becoming more and more prevalent in research and development. With this capstone, we are contributing to the future of autonomous technology in farming and agricultural industry. For the students involved in this project, we gain essential hands-on experience in robotics and applying our skills in engineering design. This project will also benefit the community through furthering the research into potential autonomous solutions for agriculture.