Problem Statement
The goal of this project is to measure nitrate levels in a field of corn. This will be performed by a mobile robot navigating through a field, inserting a nitrate sensor into a selection of corn stalks to measure the level, and monitoring the sensor for maintenance.
This project is full-stack in nature and will involve mechanism design to grasp the cornstalk, insert the nitrate sensor, and clean the nitrate sensor before reinsertion. Electronics and sensing will be used to interface with the nitrate sensor and localize the cornstalk. Programming and controls will be used to manipulate the sensor so that it is properly inserted into the cornstalk.
Use Case
Farmer Dimi’s cornfield has matured to the right age and now requires a certain level of nitrate to thrive. Farmer Dimi decides to test his crop for current nitrate levels using NiMo. With this data, he can determine how much additional nitrate to supplement via fertilization.
Farmer Dimi brings the robot to the field and feeds in GPS coordinates that indicate testing locations. With this information inputted, Farmer Dimi starts the robot’s program and sits peacefully on his porch sipping on his glass of iced coffee – the robot has got it from here!
The robot reads in the GPS coordinates, autonomously moves to the indicated locations, and autonomously samples for nitrate levels in one cornstalk at each location.
Once the robot completes its sampling, Farmer Dimi retrieves the robot from the field. He is now equipped with adequate data on how well the autonomous nitrate testing process went, along with nitrate readings. Farmer Dimi is now ready to develop a fertilizer plan for his cornfield!