GPS-guided modular design mobile robot platform for agricultural applications

This paper outlines the development of a modular mobile robot platform that is designed to provide agricultural industries with improved capabilities around managing land and the plants/animals that are held on it. The system was designed to operate within a range of environmental conditions, as well as the idea of a modular system that could provide a range of capabilities while remaining small enough to minimize the impact on the land through soil compacting. A primary component of this robot is the navigation system, with an augmented GPS implemented to provide the local positioning for the robot. A range of on board sensors is required to provide the robot with an accurate description of its operating environment, as well as to prevent collisions with objects. To test the underlying navigation capabilities of this system, a prototype was developed using a Navman GPS module. The results of this testing indicated that the system was capable of recording a travelled path within a field and then re-navigating that path within the specified accuracies of the GPS module. Future prototype development will aid in proving the capabilities of the system, with the possibility for significant improvements within agricultural industries.