Robotics Plus Unveils Unmanned Ground Vehicle for Agricultural Operations
The vehicle is compactly designed to easily maneuver between the tight row crops common in orchard, vineyard and other similar agricultural applications. Use of electric steering and independent motors enables the UGV to make turns on its rear axle requiring a minimum headland of 6.4 m (21 ft.) for row-to-row turning.
Use of a hybrid electric diesel power system helps to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while ensuring there is enough power for a full work day. The system is comprised of electric drive motors and a Tier 4 diesel generator. "Fuel consumption is minimized by electrically driving all systems, including tools. Regenerative braking and high-capacity batteries also extend efficiency and range," said Dr Alistair Scarfe, Co-founder and CTO of Robotics Plus, in the company's press release announcing the launch of the UGV.
The company said in its press release servicing the autonomous vehicle is made to be easy as there are no hydraulic, gearbox or differential fluids to be managed. Parts which do fail can easily be swapped out as needed to help reduce downtime for farmers.
With this UGV, Robotics Plus aims to help overcome the labor shortage facing the agricultural industry. Like many other sectors, there is a lack of skilled labor entering the market. And for those in it, they need to be as productive and efficient as possible; this is particularly true for agriculture which is tasked with feeding a growing global population.
By having the UGV complete tasks on the farm, workers can be freed up to focus their attention on other tasks.
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"To adapt and thrive in a changing world and create a sustainable and competitive future in the agricultural and speciality tree crop sector - growers and orchardists need automation that solves real-world problems, reduces reliance on increasingly costly and hard-to-find machine operators and provides data-driven insights for informed decision-making," said Steve Saunders, Co-founder and CEO of Robotics Plus, in the company's press release.
"Our multi-purpose vehicle replaces tractors and other tools. But, it does much more than just replacing labor – it’s loaded with intelligence to improve efficiencies,” he added.
