Small Robots for Agriculture Joseph L Jones Founder & CTO Harvest Automation, Inc. February 20-22, 2013 | Orlando World Marriott Center | Orlando, Florida USA Joseph Jones • MIT AI Lab research staff nine years • Author of robotics books • 15 years at iRobot—first full time employee • Co-inventor of Roomba • Co-founder/CTO Harvest Automation Harvest Automation • Founded 2007 by four iRobot alumni • Currently ~40 employees • Practical robots for agriculture • First product in Nursery & Greenhouse market • Product launch underway Harvest robots will feed the world by 2025 Topics • First mobile robot for N&G Industry • Motivation for this application • Principles for successful robots • Technological needs of future robots Nursery & Greenhouse Industry Behind the Scenes Manual Plant Spacing HV-100 (Harvey): Autonomous Mobile Robot Plant Spacing Concept Plant Spacing at Customer Site Plant Maintenance Concept Potted Plants… Really? “What would make anyone wake up one morning and decide they're going to make little robots that move potted plants?” – CNET How are Robots Like Sea Turtles? Checklist for Robotic Survival The Proposed Robot: Does something lots of people want done Can be built using existing technology Is cost competitive with current solutions Market Technology Cost Market: Large and Neglected $2.5 B $17 B Market: Customer Pain Help Wanted Result • Heavy lifting • Undesirable work • Repetitive motions • Scarce labor • Seasonal • 80% undocumented • Weather extremes • Unreliable • High injury rates • Inefficient practices • Low pay Technology: No Research Grants Needed • One degree of freedom manipulator • Photodiode-based boundary sensor • Off-the-shelf range sensor • Off-the-shelf batteries & charger • No inter-robot communication Technology: Re-imagine the Task Cost: Minimize • Small size • No RTK GPS (2 cm accuracy) • Simple manipulator and gripper • Simple UI minimal worker training • Nothing superfluous, every sub-system earns it keep GPS 6 dof arm Small is Beautiful Non-small robot Small/light advantages • Inherently safe • Works in confined spaces • Lower entry cost/scalable • System robust to unit failures Junior: A Robot for Outdoor Container Nurseries, H. Schempf, 2002 CMU, NASA, ANLA Unearthing New Robot Applications • Hard to find because: - Roboticists don’t know industry details - Potential customers don’t know robots can help • How to search -Brainstorm - Be opportunistic - Visit promising sites • Evaluate application - Market size/customer need - Technology -Cost Qualifying Applications • iRobot Roomba vacuum - On market 10+ years, >7M sold • Aethon hospital tug - 150 installations, 14 years in business • Kiva warehouse robot - Many installations, company sold for $750M • Precise Path golf greens mower - Beginning customer sales Many (Urgent) Opportunities in Agriculture By 2050 the world must increase food production 70%—but use no more water or land than is available today.* *UN/FAO report “How to Feed the World in 2050” Rome, 2009 Lavishing attention on crops produces impressive yields… …but attention lavishers are hard to find Robots can supply the missing labor Hexagonal planting 15% greater yield Polyculture • Reduce loss to pests • Improves soil Strategic Pruning • Less plant structure • More fruit Multiple Harvests • Take fruit only at peak • Immature fruit continues to ripen Robotic monitoring enables optimal application of: • Crop protection chemicals • Water • Fertilizer • Micro-nutrients Specific Advantages of Small Ag Robots Small robots can: • Eliminate soil compaction - Compaction degrades soil health and reduces yield • Operate under the canopy - Season-long access to measure soil, eliminate pests • Work safely alongside farm workers - Workers/robots can do the job most appropriate to each The Downside of Big Step 1: Build a robot able to cause tremendous damage Step 2: Keep adding sensors, writing code, and doing tests until you’re certain it never will Challenge Areas for New Tasks Application System HAI example • 1 DoF container manipulator • Sensor to identify containers Future applications • Weed detection (not necessarily vision-based) • Weed eradication mechanism • Pest sensing • Soil sensing • Crop health monitoring system • Harvesting mechanism for specific crop Navigation System HAI example • Laser ranger • Shaft encoders, gyroscope • Boundary sensor and tape • Dubins-based motion planner Future developments • Depth camera, sunlight resistant • Low-cost, high accuracy (non-GPS?) positioning system • Visual odometry • Kinodynamic planner that respects all robot constraints Mobility System HAI example • Differential drive and roller Future developments • New high mobility/low complexity and low cost • Soil/suspension research to avoid washboarding Hazard Detection System HAI example • Laser range finder Future developments • Detection of non-geometric hazards Power System HAI Example • Lithium-ion batteries Future developments • Practical fuel cells • High energy density power source Questions? Contact Information Joseph L Jones Founder & CTO Harvest Automation, Inc. 85 Rangeway Road Billerica, Massachusetts 01862 USA Phone: (978) 528-4351 Email: [email protected] Web: www.HarvestAI.com.