Automating orchards and vineyards

How Agricobots is driving Mobile Outdoor Automation

Applications for mobile machines are becoming increasingly widespread in the agricultural sector. Companies are finding it more and more difficult to find staff to work in environments that are often challenging and dangerous by nature. The demand for automation from companies in the sector is therefore growing, despite the need to keep investment expenses low. In addition to the initial cost, companies need vehicles that are ready to meet not only today's needs, but also those of the future.

The collaboration between SICK and Agricobots, an innovative start-up founded in the summer of 2022, has given rise to a new frontier in the technological development of Atomatika, a multi-tool tracked robot designed by Agricobots to tackle rough, hilly and sloping terrain thanks to its superior reliability and flexibility.

Atomatika: the Agricobots robot for safe and efficient automation in orchards

Agricobots, an industrial company based in the Apulian hub Finsea, has established itself as a hub of multidisciplinary expertise developed over more than twenty years of experience in the fields of advanced robotics and sustainable agriculture. The company is particularly active in the field of autonomous driving technologies, where it boasts prominent figures among its partners: pioneers of applied robotics in Italy, authors of innovative patents and winners of the prestigious 2024 John McCarthy Award for Artificial Intelligence.

At the end of 2023, the company was looking for computer vision technologies to develop an agricultural robot capable of responding to the challenges of the sector.

Atomatika, whose mechanics are the result of collaboration between the innovative start-up and HYMACH in Rovigo, was created for outdoor mobile robotics applications to meet the needs of agricultural operators and, more specifically, is designed to operate in orchards.

"Orchards and vineyards are particularly complex agricultural environments from an operational point of view. In addition to the growing difficulty in finding skilled labour, such as tractor drivers, these environments pose serious safety challenges, especially when working on slopes, where there is a high risk of vehicles overturning. Another crucial issue is exposure to agrochemicals, not only in open fields but also under greenhouses and tents, where poor ventilation can increase health risks for operators. This also exposes workers to the risk of occupational diseases", explains Roberto Guida, Robotic Systems Engineer at Agricobots.

High performance and low costs for a future-proof automation solution

Another key aspect for Agricobots was to ensure the competitiveness of the solution, both in terms of differentiation from competitors – by offering a mobile agricultural robot based on computer vision systems rather than traditional localization technologies – and in terms of affordability, ensuring sustainable costs that would not hinder the adoption of the proposed innovation.

The solution also had to be developed with the rapid pace of technological progress and market changes in mind, allowing companies to easily improve it as future needs arise.

“We have adopted a hardware oversizing approach for our machines so that they can be easily upgraded in the future to meet emerging industry needs”, explains Guida.

The start of the collaboration with SICK

These requirements led to the meeting with SICK, which was launching a new range of LiDAR sensors and 3D stereo cameras designed and developed to work in outdoor environments.

“This coincidence led to a fruitful collaboration: Agricobots was among the first to adopt SICK's new 3D LiDAR sensor multiScan100 and Visionary-B Two stereo camera, components that now feature in our flagship robot, Atomatika, and which work well with our advanced patent-pending navigation algorithms”, explains Guida.

The company was also looking for a partner with a strong presence in the Italian market and able to offer high-precision, reliable machine vision solutions while keeping hardware costs low.

“The quality of SICK's hardware was immediately apparent, but we trusted them even before we had the drivers for the new stereo camera, because the build quality and technical characteristics of the sensor were obvious”, he adds.

The advantages of machine vision in Mobile Outdoor Automation

Atomatika is a tracked vehicle with an unladen weight of 2300 kg. It is a multi-purpose machine capable of operating with a spray tank (capacity from 800 to 1000 litres) and can also be fitted with a three-point lifting attachment complete with mechanical PTO, which is a traditional mechanical interface for connecting other implements commonly used on farms.

From a software and electronic point of view, it stands out for its ability to guarantee autonomous navigation in real time with high accuracy, reacting and adapting to external stimuli.

SICK's 3D LiDAR sensor multiScan100 generates a three-dimensional model of the environment, which is essential for the robot's autonomous navigation in confined spaces and for accurate obstacle detection. The Visionary-B Two stereo camera allows multiple functions to be performed, including video streaming for remote monitoring, data integration with LiDAR for more detailed mapping and obstacle classification, further improving the robot's safety and operational effectiveness.

The vehicle can be used in a variety of applications, including:

• phytosanitary treatment with an atomiser for protection against fungal diseases;
• soil cultivation such as milling and shredding, both in open fields and in orchards/vineyards, using a three-point attachment;
• inter-row cultivation, a special mowing technique for thinning weeds between trees or rows.

A reliable partner for every innovation need

The collaboration with SICK has allowed Agricobots not only to count on local technical assistance on the Italian market, but also to have a partner capable of helping the company develop the solution.

"It was very important for us to have local points of reference that over time have also supported us in identifying drivers and finding solutions to specific market needs. SICK's solutions have enabled us to accelerate time to market, translating research and development activities into accessible solutions for the sector, without compromising on quality. The integration of SICK's advanced and economically sustainable technologies with Agricobots' know-how has created a model of responsible innovation that combines efficiency, inclusiveness and sustainability," explains Guida.

Agricobots views the future of its collaboration with SICK with great optimism and prospects for growth thanks to its partner's ability to constantly innovate, expanding beyond its traditional sectors to develop cutting-edge technologies geared towards next-generation robotics.

Agricobots plans to increasingly integrate SICK sensors into its products. The partnership will not only enable Agricobots to improve its existing range of automatic robots but could also facilitate the development of new product lines, thanks to the proven reliability of the supplier and the economies of scale that could make their vehicles even more competitive on the market.

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