Smarter Robotic Sprayer System for Precision Agriculture

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Baltazar, AR (Author) Other; Filipe Neves Santos (Author) FEUP; António Paulo Moreira (Author) FEUP; Valente, A (Author) Other; Cunha, JB (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Electronics (Switzerland)

Vol. 83

Final page: 2061

ISSN: 2079-9292

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 2 Citations

Scopus - 2 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-CSS

DOI: 10.3390/electronics10172061

Abstract (EN): The automation of agricultural processes is expected to positively impact the environment by reducing waste and increasing food security, maximising resource use. Precision spraying is a method used to reduce the losses during pesticides application, reducing chemical residues in the soil. In this work, we developed a smart and novel electric sprayer that can be assembled on a robot. The sprayer has a crop perception system that calculates the leaf density based on a support vector machine (SVM) classifier using image histograms (local binary pattern (LBP), vegetation index, average, and hue). This density can then be used as a reference value to feed a controller that determines the air flow, the water rate, and the water density of the sprayer. This perception system was developed and tested with a created dataset available to the scientific community and represents a significant contribution. The results of the leaf density classifier show an accuracy score that varies between 80% and 85%. The conducted tests prove that the solution has the potential to increase the spraying accuracy and precision.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15