ROBOT TILLING ▶▶▶
distance between the rows, the width of the crop, the number of processes that are to be carried out, whether the robot needs to turn right or left at the end of a process, and where the outer rows are. In the latter case, there is after all one row of crops on one side against which the course is set. The desired speed of travel must also be set. The basic speed is 1.5 km/h, which can be increased in 10% increments. The Oz contains only as many components as a tool with a fuel-powered motor: it has an elec- tric motor on each wheel, two lithium-polymer batteries and a computer unit. The batteries on the Oz have enough capacity to keep it work- ing for eight hours. The device itself weighs 110 kg, exclusive of any tools.
Useful and fast So what can you use the Oz440 for? Practice has already shown that it can be used for grub- bing and weeding, but also transporting and planting. The device can carry a load of around 90 kg and pull 300 kg. Steenpoorte has already been using the robot for transporting canes (to support crops) and for planting work. A wheel planter is attached to the back of the machine
If there are no crops, or when plants are at an early growth stage, the robot must be controlled remotely using the joystick.
to make holes in the soil. “I had intended to at- tach another wheel planter behind it, so two people could plant into the planting holes dur- ing the same process. Unfortunately, that plan didn’t go ahead due to lack of time. So we end- ed up with a problem that this robot still faces: there are still barely any or no tools on the market except for weeding.” He continues: “I see other opportunities such as automatic crop monitoring, spreading organic crop pro- tection products, and the automated use of UV-c to kill fungi.”
The key question remains: do the benefits out- weigh the investment (guide price of € 30,000 at Reesink Agri)? “I don’t yet have an overview of the finances, but grubbing is now done in three rows at once instead of manually doing one row per process. For planting lettuce, we used to make planting holes by hand using a grid. We needed another four people for the planting work, and we covered 1000 m2
in a
day. Now we can do it with two people with minimum effort. Like I said, it seems to me that this robot is here to stay.”
The lifting equipment at the rear has two 3-prong cultivators attached to it: they are lifted automatically at the end of the pass.
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The robot orientates itself between the plant rows using two cameras or a laser beam. ▶ FUTURE FARMING | 1 November 2018
PHOTO: JOOST STALLEN
PHOTO: JOOST STALLEN
PHOTO: JOOST STALLEN
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