Rockerbot

Rover Kinematics for Maize Farming

Abstract

Crop inspection plays a significant role in modern agricultural practices as it enables farmers to evaluate the condition of their fields and make informed decisions regarding crop management. However, existing methods of crop inspection are often labor-intensive, leading to slow and costly processes. Therefore, there is a pressing need for more efficient and cost-effective approaches to crop inspection to improve agricultural productivity, sustainability, and to deal with labor shortage. In this study, we present Rockerbot, a novel agricultural robot designed as a compact rover capable of navigating and surveying maize fields in their early growth stages. This technology is essential for timely landscape adjustments to ensure optimal crop production. The document offers a comprehensive review of the decisions made during the hardware and software development stages. The hardware section is centered around design choices influenced by the rover’s kinematics, while the software section outlines the tasks that Rockerbot can perform using mobile perception, such as mapping, sensing, and detection.