The use of agricultural robots in crop spraying/fertilizer applications

Publication date: 29/06/2019
Extent: 28 pages

Contributions by: Ron Berenstein, University of California-Berkeley, USA

Chapter synopsis: Spraying pesticides is a main element of agriculture worldwide, since 30% to 35% of crop losses can be prevented when harmful insects and diseases are eliminated by applying pesticides. A robotic sprayer can help reduce pesticide application while removing the human operator from the hazardous pesticide environment. This chapter provides an introduction to robotic sprayers and describes in detail a case study of the development of a smart robotic sprayer with its key components. The chapter also describes the operational framework developed for such a robot that supports human-robot collaboration. Finally, the chapter looks ahead to future research trends in this area.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0056.10