On the design of a low-cost, light-weight, and highly versatile agricultural robot

Abstract

This paper describes the development and the main considerations for designing the Thorvald platform, a versatile robot for operation in agricultural fields. The main objective is to develop a robot that can perform all operations, from seeding, to weeding and harvesting. This requires the robot to be able to carry a wide variety of tools. In addition, we require the robot to be lightweight so that it can operate during wet periods without getting stuck or damaging the soil structure. We focus on keeping the overall costs of the robot at a level which makes it economically viable compared to conventional solutions. We obtain this by constructing the frame so that it flexes, which reduces complexity and makes the frame cheap to build, but at the same time guarantees that all wheels are in contact with the ground. We also describe the development of tools to be attached to the platform, and discuss the implications of the flexible design on the robot and tool control.