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ABSTRACT
Current methods for off-road navigation using vehicle and terrain models to predict future vehicle response are limited by the accuracy of the models they use and can suffer if the world is unknown or if conditions change and the models become inaccurate .In this paper, an adaptive approach is presented that closes the loop around the vehicle predictions. This approach is applied to an autonomous vehicle known as field robots used in agriculture.
Agricultural Robotics is the logical proliferation of automation technology into biosystems such as agriculture, forestry, green house, horticulture etc. Presently a number of researchs are being done to increase their applications. Some of the scientist contributions are mobile robot, flying robot, forester robot, Demeter which are exclusively used for agriculture. A brief discussion is being done about the types of robots which increase the accuracy and precision of the agriculture.
Experiments are being done on newly proposed world’s smallest, weightless robot for using them as scouts in fields. Even in developing countries, such as India and Brazil, farmers are interested in using robots to tend fields of crops, pick fruit, or even maintain animal. At present time, agriculture robots must have human interaction in order to compensate for programming complexity issues.
CHAPTER: 1
Introduction:
The idea of applying robotics technology in agriculture is very new. In agriculture, the opportunities for robot-enhanced productivity are immense - and the robots are appearing on farms in various guises and in increasing numbers. We can expect the robots performing agricultural operations autonomously such as spraying and mechanical weed control, fruit picking, watching the farms day & night for an effective report, allowing farmers to reduce the environmental impact, increase precision and efficiency, and manage individual plants in novel ways.
The applications of instrumental robotics are spreading every day to cover further domains, as the opportunity of replacing human operators provides effective solutions with return on investment. This is specially important when the duties, that need be performed, are potentially harmful for the safety or the health of the workers, or when more conservative issues are granted by robotics.Heavy chemicals or drugs dispensers, manure or fertilizers spreaders, etc. are activities more and more concerned by the deployment of unmanned options.
How do conventional techniques differ with automized one?
Conventional techniques depend on human power for lifting, dragging, weed control, fruit picking. Humans are prone to work in hazardous environment while spraying chemicals and pesticides. The tractors compact the soil, as they are larger in weight. They cannot move in terrain conditions. These methods cannot identify the crop and soil in close proximity. In the case of automated agriculture (which uses field robots) is exemplified from above problems. Robots can work restlessly in all environments; all you have to do is set a program to perform the desired activities.
Although, large sized wheels are required in muddy soils, robots small sized wheels perform well. Robot scouts are employed to get detailed information about the crop such as the presence of diseases, weeds, insect infestations and other stress conditions. The lightweight of the robots is a major advantage, since they do not compact the soil as larger machinery does. Robo will Roam on fields to take care for plants.
CHAPTER: 2
TYPES OF ROBOTS USED IN AGRICULTURE:
 Demeter (used for harvesting).
 Robot for weed control.
 Forester robot.
 Robot in horticulture.
 Fruit picking robot.
 Micro-flying robot.
The robots mentioned here come under are Field robots and some are Mobile robots.
Field robots work with respect to environment and medium. They change themselves according to the required condition. Mobile robots are those which posses mobility withrespect a medium. The entire system moves with respect to environment.
2.1 GOALS AND PURPOSES:
 To provide access to hazard environment.
 Reduced operating costs due to lower cost of employing robots.
 Higher overall availability of robot workers (no lunch breaks or vacations)and many more.
 To complete large amount of work in less time.
CHAPTER: 3
OPERATION OF AGRICULTURAL ROBOTS:
3.1 DEMETER: Robot farmer:
"Labour requirements to grow and harvest the crops must be reduced through
automation". The main area of application of robots in agriculture is at the harvesting
stage. Demeter is a robot that can cut crops like wheat and alfalfa. It is named for the
Roman goddess of agriculture. Although, it may look like a normal harvester, Demetercan drive by itself without any human supervision. Unfortunately, people get tired and bored, and their productivity goes down. With a robotic harvester, however, it never getstired and can operate 24 hours a day.
Demeter has cameras on it that can detect the difference between thecrop that has been cut and crop that hasn’t. This information tells it where to drive, whereto put its cutter head, and when it has come to the end of a crop row so it can turn around.Demeter has a cruise control function. An operator can ride along with it. Demeter candrive, steer, and control the cutter head while the operator can focus on other tasks. TheDemeter robot can also be driven by remote control. Or, Demeter can be taught a path,and then follow that path using its on board sensors and computer control systems. It canfollow the path with an accuracy of up to 3 centimeters.