Released to the world on Jan 21, 2024
About
As part of my Major Qualifying Project (MQP) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), I collaborated with a team of 8 students to develop the Solar Agribot - an autonomous agricultural robot designed to address critical challenges in corn farming. Our project focused on creating a solution to combat rising production costs and the declining agricultural workforce while promoting sustainable farming practices. The Solar Agribot features a specialized rocker suspension system for navigating uneven terrain, integrated soil monitoring capabilities, and a solar charging system for sustainable operation. We developed comprehensive control systems including a user-friendly dashboard for robot operation and data visualization, enabling farmers to efficiently monitor soil conditions and optimize fertilizer application. The robot’s ability to collect soil viability data and selectively administer fertilizer represents a significant step toward precision agriculture, helping farmers reduce costs while maintaining optimal crop yields.
Through this project, we successfully demonstrated the potential for autonomous robotics to revolutionize traditional farming practices, particularly in the corn industry which is crucial to the United States’ agricultural sector. Our work addresses the pressing need for innovative solutions to meet growing global food demands, projected to increase by 70% by 2050.
This work was completed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and can be found in their digital library.
The Paper
The paper can be accessed at the WPI online library here or below.