Autonomous Spraying
Application



The tractor executes a turn at the end of the row while spraying

The Problem
Crop spraying is inherently hazardous for the operators that drive spraying equipment. Removing the driver from the machine would lead to increased safety and reductions in health insurance costs. Furthermore, if a system can support nighttime operations less chemical needs to be sprayed for the same effect, due to increased bug activity. This results in higher quality crops and reduced spraying expenses.

The Solution
The NREC developed an unmanned tractor that can be used for several agricultural operations, including spraying. The system uses a GPS receiver, wheel encoders, a ground speed radar unit and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) in order to precisely record and track a path through a field or an orchard. The NREC team mounted two color cameras on the vehicle, to enable the use of color and range based obstacle detection.

The teach/playback system was tested in a Florida orange grove, and it sprayed autonomously while following a path of 7km at speeds ranging between 5 and 8 km/h.