An innovative robotic platform for integrated precise orchard management

With the global population surpassing 8 billion people, the need for food production has become increasingly pressing. Thus, it is imperative to enhance the efficiency of agricultural operations by increasing mechanization and automation, especially within orchards which are labour intensive. This research paper describes a research project from the University of Bologna, that integrated an advanced robotic platform developed by the engineering automation group with the agricultural expertise of the tree ecophysiology group. Specifically, the project focused on the development of the robotic platform for use in a dedicated planar orchard established at the university's experimental farm. The platform exhibits complete electric locomotion and incorporates drive and autonomous navigation functionalities, applicable in various settings such as open fields, orchards, or vineyards. The in-row navigation technique was implemented without relying on GNSS information, as its accuracy was compromised by the presence of tall poles supporting anti-hail nets and potentially dense canopy. Row-change manoeuvres are also executed automatically. This goal was achieved by estimating lines corresponding to the tree rows, by exploiting LiDAR data. Experimental results are shown during a real-world testing campaign.