Automated Seed Sowing Robot

摘要

Automation is the next revolution that will affect every industry in some way or other in this century. The shift from hunting to farming is regarded as one of the most significant steps in the evolution of human species. There has been large number of advancements in the agricultural sector over many millennia; from using sticks to create holes in the soil to using advanced robots to plant seeds, humans have come a long way. Automation in farming sector, especially in developing countries, is currently a less accepted and applied concept. The present work focuses on developing an Automated Seed Sowing Robot (ASSR) that will reduce human intervention and fatigue, while reducing current investment costs. The characteristic tasks performed by this ASSR are shearing a plot of well ploughed land, controlled and timed seed sowing in the created separation, and covering the soil. The design can perform efficiently on actual farmlands. The targeted crops include legumes like soybean and peas. Electrical energy, required for running the various mechanical components like motors and sensors of the system, is supplied with the help of rechargeable batteries. The robot can traverse the field by itself using a closed loop system relying on digital encoders among other sensors which are controlled by a microcontroller. Thus, the present work involves the efficient designing and fabrication of ASSR and the successful testing of the same.