Robots to fight pests and diseases in agriculture presented at AgroGlobal 2016

Robotic platforms showcased at largest agriculture fair in Portugal

INESC TEC has developed two robotic platforms for research in various aspects of precision agriculture, particularly for fighting pests and diseases in agriculture in a more economical and ecological way. The technologies were presented between 7 and 9 September at the largest national agriculture fair, the AgroGlobal, held in Valada do Ribatejo, Portugal. It was also at AgroGlobal that INESC TEC and the National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research, I.P. (INIAV) signed a cooperation agreement in order to jointly promote actions addressing the following activities: research and innovation projects, advanced consulting and research collaboration and supervision of master’s/doctoral thesis.

What do the INESC TEC robots do?

The robotic platforms developed by INESC TEC, showcased at the “AgroInov” Technology Pavilion at AgroGlobal 2016, can measure variability (data acquisition/sensing/monitoring) and act with variable rate technology covering two crucial stages of the precision agriculture cycle.

These technologies will continuously and accurately collect data, and using decision support systems, it will be possible to make strict plans, namely when it comes to applying plant protection products, and reduce wastes. In the end, in the case of the control of pests and diseases, a report is created which shows when and how the land needs to be treated, with robots acting accordingly.

“Using robots will reduce operation times, improve the efficiency of the application of pesticides, reduce exposure of human resources to adverse conditions and use steep areas for agriculture. The intelligent systems, in particular the robots, can apply pesticides in a more precise way, at the right place and at the right time. This way it will be possible to eliminate waste and reduce the risk of chemical contamination in the soil”, explains Filipe Neves dos Santos, researcher at INESC TEC’s Centre for Industrial Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS).

Robots are also resistant to high temperatures, hence allowing better working conditions for farmers, which is extremely important as temperatures in operating scenarios can reach 40 degrees Celcius.

The platforms AGROB V14 and AGROB V16

Before being presented, the platforms were tested in the Douro region.

The AGROB V14 platform is used for measuring the variability (data acquisition/sensing/monitoring), in particular in vineyard slopes. Among other innovative aspects, this robotic platform is designed with a low center of gravity to easily adapt to uneven terrain. Moreover, it is equipped with an advanced navigation system, which makes it possible to estimate location even when GPS is not fully available.

The second robotic platform showcased by INESC TEC, the AGROB V16, is being developed in a modular fashion. In addition to measuring variability, in the near future the robot will be used with variable rate technology (eg.: precision spraying) and/or robotic manipulators for pruning/harvesting operations.

Filipe Neves dos Santos predicts that platforms will be available to the general public in about a year and a half.

Other INESC TEC skills in Precision Agriculture

With regard to precision agriculture, in addition to Industrial Robotics and Intelligent Systems, INESC TEC has been acquiring other skills, experiences and resources, for instance in the field of Telecommunications and Multimedia, more specifically in communications and image processing and analysis, and Enterprise Systems Engineering, more specifically in operations planning and control. Moreover, in Information Systems and Computer Graphics, INESC TEC has been working in geographic information systems, which also play a very important role in this area.

All these skills were showcased by a group of researchers from various INESC TEC Centres at AgroGlobal 2016.

CRIIS was represented by Filipe Neves dos Santos and Jorge Mendes, CTM was represented by Carlos Leocádio, Eurico Carrapatoso, Filipe Ribeiro, Luís Corte-Real and Pedro Carvalho. The CESE and CSIG teams were represented by Alexandra Marques and Lino Oliveira, respectively.

The participation in this event was led by SAPE (Industry Partnership Service), represented in AgroGlobal by André Sá and Nuno Campos.

INESC TEC and INIAV sign protocol at AgroGlobal

In the last day of the fair, September 9, INESC TEC and INIAV signed a cooperation agreement in order to jointly promote actions addressing the following activities: research and innovation projects, advanced consulting and research collaboration and supervision of master’s/doctoral thesis.

The signing ceremony was attended by different participants, including the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Luís Capoulas Santos, and Secretary of the National Assembly, Idália Serrão.

In total, 35,000 people visited the AgroGlobal, a three-day event dedicated to innovation and business.