Three%Million%and%Coun/ng% How%Real%Robots%are%Revolu/onizing% - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Three%Million%and%Coun/ng% How%Real%Robots%are%Revolu/onizing% Real%Nurseries% 1%

Topics% • Applica/on%area% • Implementa/on% • Principles%behind%task%choice% • Future%concepts% 2%

Nursery%&%Greenhouse%Industry% 3%

Wholesale% Growers% 4%

Ground%Truth% 5%

Manual%Spacing% 6%

Constraints% • Outdoor%environment%–%sun,%rain,%dust,%mud% • Farm%equipment%–%must%be%tough/reliable% • Users%have%liSle%educa/on%–%must%be%intui/ve% • Can’t%be%more%trouble%than%it’s%worth% 7%

Implementa/on% • %%Small,%autonomous%mobile%robots% • %%Differen/al%drive%mobility%system% • %%One%DoF%manipulator%plus%gripper% • %%RobotXiden/fiable%bedXedge%reference%mark% • %%Laser%ranger%finds%pots%and%obstacles% % A%–%SICK%laser%ranger% B%–%BedXedge%sensors% C%–%Gripper% D%–%EStop%flag% E%–%Electronics%box% F%–%Balancing%roller% 8%

Spacing%Strategy% A%–%Iden/fy%pot%to%pickup% B%–%Find%boundary%marker% C%–%Select%des/na/on%for%pot% 9%

Boundary%System% • Special%rope%–%retroreflec/ve% • Sunlight%challenge% • Works%as%designed%but%small%FoV% • Working%to%replace%with%a%camera% 10%

Laser%Ranger% • Must%iden/fy%pot%to%pick%up% • Must%recognize%paSern%of%pots%for%putdown% 11%

Teaming% • Robots%can%operate%in% teams% • No%interXrobot% communica/on% • Laser%ranger%detects% retroreflec/ve%tape%on% teammates%by%signal% strength.% • Robots%pause%when% teammate%ahead% 12%

Simple%User%Interface% Controls%select:% %%%%Task%–%Spacing,%Consolida/on,%Collec/on% %%%%PaSern%–%Hex%or%Rectangular% %%%%PlantXtoXplant%spacing%distance% %%%%Bed%width% %%%%Boundary%rela/ve%to%robot%(arrows)% 13%

Where%Have%All%the%Robots%Gone?% 14%

Checklist%for%Robo/c%Survival% The$Proposed$Robot:$ ! %%Does%something%lots%of%people%want%done% ! %%Can%be%built%using%exis/ng%technology% ! %%Is%cost%compe//ve%with%current%solu/ons% Market% Technology% Cost% 15%

Market:%Large%and%Neglected% $17$B % $2.5$B $ 16%

Market: Workforce is not Sustainable Dec 2012 Salinas Valley, California Hit by Farm Worker Shortage Plaguing Rest of U.S. Oct 2011 Labor Worries Rise As Planting Season Nears In Alabama Jan 2013 We’re running out of farm workers. Immigration reform won’t help Aug 2012 California Farmers Leaving Crops Unpicked Amid Labor Shortage 17%

Technology:%No%Research%Grants%Needed% • One%degree%of%freedom%manipulator% • PhotodiodeXbased%boundary%sensor% • OffXtheXshelf%range%sensor% • OffXtheXshelf%baSeries%&%charger% • No%interXrobot%communica/on% 18%

Cost:%Minimize% • Small%size% • No%RTK%GPS%%( ± 2%cm%accuracy)% • Simple%manipulator%and%gripper% • Simple%UI% ⇒ %minimal%worker%training% • Nothing%superfluous,%every%subXsystem%earns%it%keep% GPS% 6%dof%arm% 19%

The%Downside%of%Big% Step$1:$ Build%a%robot%able%to%cause%tremendous%damage% Step$2:$ Keep%adding%sensors,%wri/ng%code,%and%doing%tests%un/l% you’re%certain%it%never%will% 20%

Future%Concepts% Crop%Scout% Maintenance%Sta/on% 21%

Technology/Market%Dilemma% • Applica/on%favorable%for%robo/c%development% • Market%size%doesn’t%jus/fy%investment% • E.g.%Asparagus%harves/ng%robot% – No%obscuring%foliage% – Maturity%=%height% – Not%squishy% – Hard%to%find%labor% – But,%US%Market%only%$90M% 22%

Thank%you% joe.jones@HarvestAI.com% 23%