Mobile Robotic Platforms to Support Smart Farming Efforts at UMES

Experiential learning and research effort titled AIRSPACES: Autonomous Instrumented Robotic Sensory Platforms to Advance Creativity and Engage Students has been ongoing at University Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) campus for the past several years with support from Maryland Space Grant Consortium (MDSGC). The project has provided a multidisciplinary platform for a team of faculty, students and staff from across the Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics (STEAM) disciplines to explore exciting and innovative ideas that promote the core values of the land grant mission of UMES and engage students. Synergy with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported project(s) provided additional impetus and breadth to these endeavors. While the field based efforts pertaining to environmental robotics and agricultural automation have been the dominant focus, in the past year the project investigators have also initiated laboratory based education, experiential learning, and research activities involving manufacturing automation and mobile robotics. These efforts have been integrated with ongoing activities involving remote sensing using small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and development of aquatic robot and ground robot platforms for water quality monitoring and field data collection largely related to environmentally friendly smart farming endeavors. This paper will provide an overview of the past efforts and future plans for smart farming efforts at UMES with particular emphases on mechatronics and embedded systems.