Autonomous driving algorithm for robot using lidar shows promise with high-bed cultivation methods.
Autonomous driving algorithm for robot using lidar shows promise with high-bed cultivation methods.
Strawberry fields forever will exist for the in-demand fruit, but the laborers who do the backbreaking work of harvesting them might continue to dwindle. While raised, high-bed cultivation somewhat eases the manual labor, the need for robots to help harvest strawberries, tomatoes, and other such produce is apparent.
As a first step, Osaka Metropolitan University Assistant Professor Takuya Fujinaga has developed an algorithm for robots to autonomously drive in two modes: moving to a pre-designated destination and moving alongside raised cultivation beds. The Graduate School of Engineering researcher experimented with an agricultural robot that utilizes lidar point cloud data to map the environment.
Lidar, available on some high-end, pro-level smartphones and used by autonomous vehicles, uses light in laser pulses as a remote sensing method. The farming robot can thus move accurately while maintaining a constant distance from the cultivation bed, with its effectiveness verified in virtual and actual environments.
Read more at Osaka Metropolitan University
Image: A farm robot using lidar shows it can harvest strawberries from a high-bed cultivation field. (Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University)
