ADVANCES IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES FOR AGRICULTURE Stuart Pocknee University of Georgia National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory

Autonomy Issues Labor costs & labor availability Labor costs & labor availability Continuity of operations Continuity of operations Weight & cost of vehicle Weight & cost of vehicle Operator issues - safety & fatigue Operator issues - safety & fatigue

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Approaches to autonomy Guidance with respect to previous pass (emulates human operator) Guidance with respect to previous pass (emulates human operator) Guidance with respect to pre-planned path (also emulates human operator?) Guidance with respect to pre-planned path (also emulates human operator?) J.N. Wilson :Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 25 (2000) 3–9

Sensor systems Internal Internal Machine status Machine status External External Position Position Local feature detection Local feature detection Approaches to autonomy

Mechanical feelers (ridge, furrow, crop) Mechanical feelers (ridge, furrow, crop) Buried wires/radio beacons Buried wires/radio beacons Machine vision Machine vision GPS GPS Compasses & “gyroscopes” Compasses & “gyroscopes” Sensor fusion Sensor fusion J.N. Wilson :Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 25 (2000) 3–9 External Sensors

Farm characteristics related to autonomy The operating areas are large. The operating areas are large. Ground surfaces may be uneven. Ground surfaces may be uneven. Depending on the operation, wheel slippage may be far from negligible. Depending on the operation, wheel slippage may be far from negligible. Cultivation operations may interfere with underground cables, etc. Cultivation operations may interfere with underground cables, etc. Environmental conditions (rain, fog, dust, etc.) may affect sensor observations. Environmental conditions (rain, fog, dust, etc.) may affect sensor observations. Low cost systems are required. Low cost systems are required. Hague etal. :Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 25 (2000) 11-28

Farm characteristics related to autonomy “Human tractor drivers perform many functions that are difficult for a smart machine to duplicate.” Merv Kizlyk. John Deere. (2001) Farm Industry News

Research Initiatives Carnegie-Mellon University Carnegie-Mellon University Stanford University Stanford University University of Illinois University of Illinois Texas A&M Texas A&M Michigan State University Michigan State University University of Kentucky University of Kentucky University of Florida University of Florida

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Autonomous Vehicle Enablers Precision Agriculture Precision Agriculture Wireless Networks & the Internet Wireless Networks & the Internet High precision “stand alone” GPS High precision “stand alone” GPS Vehicle cooperation logic Vehicle cooperation logic Improved machine vision Improved machine vision Decreased price and increased capabilities of electronics Decreased price and increased capabilities of electronics Vision/Imagination coupled with Research Vision/Imagination coupled with Research Demand Demand

Precision Agriculture “Precision agriculture has helped advance vehicle guidance firstly in terms of providing position information that is required for vehicle guidance. Secondly, precision agriculture has placed the notion of vehicle automation within the conceptual boundary of equipment manufacturers and agricultural producers.” J.F. Reid et al. :Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 25 (2000)

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Thanks for your attention! For more information contact: Stuart Pocknee NESPAL P. O. Box 748 Tifton, GA Voice FAX