Planting and Harvesting

Using Robots
October 9, 2016
Eric Poly
Abstract
Farmers are responsible for many of the beneficial foods we eat today.
Foods such as; corn, tomatoes, lettuce are all fresh picked and harvested
by local farmers. However, work is a huge drawback in their effort for
producing these foods and so to minimize their endeavor; using robots
can be their best possible solution.

GOALS
1. To present and educate the idea of using

robots in the agricultural industry for harvesting and planting.

SPECIFICATIONS
Engineers are responsible for making changes in the world through their
inventions, but robots, however, is considered by many as one of their
greatest. They have engineered and designed these machines to follow
through with tasks that people have never been able to even imagine.
Focusing mainly on the agricultural industry these robots are capable of
performing impeccable task such as harvesting corn and planting seeds
and thus removing the burden from farmers in the agricultural industry.

Robot Design
Navigation and Terrain:
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Not every human being can wake up at 5:00 in the morning to get working
on a farm, but, a robot can. For crop farming, robots need to be
engineered to navigate through the environment while also performing
actions at distinct locations, meaning they have to be able to complete
their task and then be able to navigate their way back for their next one.
Robots need to be engineered to get through any terrain and have the
desired inputs to be able to pick and harvest fruits and vegetables. Robots
working in a glasshouse farm might have an easier load compared to that
of one working outdoor; due to the fact that glasshouse farms are more
aligned. In the case of outdoor farming, robots will have set locations on
the field where they can work and by using a GPS; robots can make sure
they stay on the programmed track and not wander off.

Planting and Harvesting

Recommendations:
Planting:
Inputting attachments to the robot such as drills can allow the robot to
plant seeds in set areas. Instead of going out on your own to dig out holes
and plant seeds, all you have to do is script the time and location. These
machines can also be affixed with watering cans so they can water the
seeds as well.

Harvesting:
Color sensors and metal baskets attached to engineer designed robotic
arms, can revolutionize the agricultural industry. Gifting these machines
with the power to harvest fruits and vegetables can help farmers all
around the world.

These machines will be equipped with long

extendable arms allowing them to pick fruits and vegetables in hard to

reach places. Giving the robots rotatable arms will also help them to
complete tasks efficiently and precisely. Also equipping the robots with
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multiple metal baskets will allow them to harvest a prodigious amount of

fruits and vegetables before returning for the second trip.
Graph 1: The Growth and Decays of the Agricultural Industry

Analysis:
As shown by the graph the agricultural industry had an overwhelming start
at around 23% GDP and then it began to decay as mankind became more
modernized. The GDP then started to slowly grow back at around the year
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2000 and it made its way up until it crashed again at the year 2011. This
chart highlights the significance of how these robots can bring back the
agricultural industry by reducing the work on farmers.

Sources:
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(ICFAI), Prableen Bajpai CFA. "What's Behind Thailand's GDP
Rollercoaster?" Investopedia. N.p., 18 Aug. 2015. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.
Casa, Douglas J., Lawrence E. Armstrong, Susan K. Hillman, Scott J.
Montain, Ralph V. Reiff, Brent S. E. Rich, William O. Roberts, and Jennifer
A. Stone. "National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Fluid
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Library of Medicine, 2000. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.