Androver II robot moves autonomously between vineyard rows

July 16, 2019  |  Development

We tested our autonomous navigation in a vineyard for the first time on the Androver II robot in March 2019. After modifications in the sensor system, the robot can now more accurately segment the rows of vine and move autonomously between them. Such an algorithm could be used for a device that would mow the grass in a vineyard, spray it or cultivate the soil around the roots.

Sensor system modification

We returned to testing in the vineyard after more than four months. We replaced the configuration using a 2D laser scanner on the robot with a 3D scanner. We have also improved the sensor system with a camera, the image of which is processed by a neural network and it marks rows of vines in the image.

Autonomous robot navigation is more accurate in the vineyard now. The robot moves independently in the rows of vine and passes between them without human help. The goal is to deploy algorithms from previous development on the robot, such as object detection and bypassing an obstacles or path segmentation. Thus the robot would be able to avoid a collision or autonomously get to the starting point in the vineyard.