Design of an autonomous seed planting robot

Abstract

In this paper, a novel design for a mobile robot capable of sowing seeds autonomously on a prepared land is reported. The body of the proposed device is constructed using aluminium for efficient weight reduction and strength utilization. The drive is provided by caterpillar treads for traversal on undulating terrain. The robot navigates the land using the inputs from a magnetometer and the accuracy of direction is improved by feeding this input data to a Proportional Integral (PI) Controller. It further employs an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the end of the field. The seeds are sown by the robot in evenly spaced rows with each point where a seed has been dropped equidistant from the successive point. The seed metering mechanism is based upon a solenoid actuator assembly. The device consists of a modular structure providing ease for maintenance. Overall, the proposed device exhibits appreciable efficiency in power consumption, making it suitable for the field of agriculture.