Australian engineers are working with Indonesian farmers to see how agricultural robots and 'data farming' can take the guesswork out of critical farming decision-making including optimal sowing and harvesting times.
“Small to medium size farms in Indonesia, with a shrinking labour force are putting increasing pressure on family farming practices," said Muhammad Esa Attia from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics at the University of Sydney.
"To combat this we needed to design a more sustainable operations model, which is why the Di-Wheel agribot was created.”
The team’s aim was to develop a cost effective robot that was easy to maintain and would assist farmers in gaining more insight into the state of their crops to maximise harvest yields.
The Di-Wheel consists of two powered wheel modules joined by an expandable central shaft. The track width can be adjusted to fit different crop widths. The flexible modular nature of the system allows it to be assembled in six minutes and easily transported. The field trials were conducted in Bandung, Indonesia.
“The objective of the trip was to investigate how robotics could be utilised in a farming context within a developing country. As part of our investigation a community of local farmers were interviewed to gain a better understanding of their requirements and their situation,” said Attia.
“The Di-Wheel robot is a low cost robotic system that can be put together in minutes. Its design includes sensors and cameras which can be attached to the central shaft to monitor plant health and growth. Additionally it has a differential drive system to make tight turns, which is crucial for smaller-scale farming."
He said, another challenge in developing countries is a steady decline in family farm labourers, as children move into the cities seeking more lucrative jobs.
“By ensuring the robot is easy to deploy and operate, we hope that this new age of agriculture will entice younger generations to stay on the farm and learn about innovative farming techniques,” he added.
[The Di-Wheel robot being trialled in Bandung, Indonesia. Photo: University of Sydney]