Robotic Research Platform for Agricultural Environment: Unmanned Ground Vehicle for Oil Palm Plantation

Abstract

Automation in agriculture has vast potential to enhance productivity in the industry. Incorporating agricultural robotics can significantly improve work efficiency, enhance product quality, reduce expenses, and minimize manual labor. Despite significant advancements in robotic and sensing technologies, their practical implementation in agriculture, particularly in the palm oil sector, remains limited primarily to laboratories and spin-off companies. The utilization of robots in the palm oil complex agricultural environment presents more significant challenges than conventional flat agricultural landscapes, primarily due to the unstructured nature of agricultural settings. Complex coordination is required to address the need for collaboration with human workers, establish long-distance communication networks, and enable autonomous navigation in areas far from power sources. This article explores the various environmental challenges in oil palm plantation estates and in-field operations and proposes a robot built from an all-terrain vehicle into an agricultural robot.