Projects
ASuBot is currently utilized in a research project focusing on weeding in organic orchards. Today this is a quite tedious proces as herbicides are not allowed and weeding are therefore typically carried out using either a mechanical process or weed burning. Weed at a closer distance than half a meter to the fruit trees compete about the nutrients, therefore the amount of weed within that distance needs to be kept at a very low level. Under normal circumstances weeding has to take place every week.
In the research project we focus on organic weeding using a gass burner and an autonomous garden tractor. The tractor navigates autonomously through the entire orchard ensuring that the gas burners are not damaging the trees. Navigation is accomplished without a GPS because of problems with the trees shading the GPS antenna sometimes. Since RTK-GPS receivers are still quite expensive this also lowers the price of the robot.
Partners
Thorsen Teknik www.thorsen-teknik.dk
Topcon www.topconpa.com
SICK www.sick.com
Description
ASuBot is based upon a Massey Fergusson 38-15 garden tractor retrofitted with a Topcon AES-25 steering system. The ASuBot robotics computer FroboBox features the FroboMind architecture implemented in Robot Operating System ROS.org