Ladybug: An Automated Cultivation Robot for Addressing the Manpower Shortage in the Agricultural Industry

Abstract

The agricultural sector is projected to need more labor as a result of declining interest in careers within this domain. Despite the escalating demand for agricultural goods, previous endeavors to mitigate this challenge through the deployment of robotic prototypes have encountered hindrances such as issues pertaining to automation, adaptability to varying tasks, and the financial burdens associated with development. To address this exigency, we have developed an automated cultivation robot utilizing advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT), Image Processing, and artificial Intelligence (AI) for seeding in pots. The robot demonstrates the capacity to sow seeds in 257 pots per hour, accomplish a mission within 12.53 minutes, traverse at a velocity of 360 meters per hour, and seed pots at a rate of 13.37 seconds per pot. It possesses an operational duration of approximately two hours, completing nine cycles and seeding 486 pots on a single charge. Notably, the robot exhibits a mission success rate of 1.00 and a seeding accuracy 0.78. Moreover, it features an adaptable workspace and a lightweight frame weighing 20 kg, rendering it a cost-effective solution for mass production.