I sure have enjoyed watching your robot grow(pun intended), getting published, and now sporting the latest in cool ping mounting hardware.
Sorry I missed seeing you at UPEC this year. I had a funeral that day. Not sure if I will be able to make it to UPENE either we're looking at Sept 15 to start harvest. Are you going to UPENE?
Thanks for sharing the code, pictures and updates. I look forward to seeing your swarm of bots planting a field of corn one day.
Hey Tony, I'm sorry to hear you had to go to a funeral. There were quite a few people wondering if you were going to be there or at the next one. I'm hoping to be able to go to the UPENE (14 hr drive). Hopefully you'll be able to make it to that one, but harvest time is kind of a big deal in farming so I think we'll understand. I can't wait to see what you've been up to and how Four Paws is doing.
I've put together a short video that lays out the argument for and explains my concept of using swarms of robots for farming. Let me know what you think!
How many robots would it take to cover one acre ?
Do they keep track of seeds and fertilizer and replenish themselves ?
Hey Bamse, Prospero is the very first design that puts all of the different "planting" parts together. I would probably make 1-2 more major design-prototype cycles before I started calculating how much time it would take to plant an acre. Like the genesis of any new technology it's meant to prove that it can be done and that with further development that it could be useful.
To answer your second question, yes, the intention would be for each robot to "notice" when it started to run low and then start to walk back to a resupply robot and get resupplied.
Do you have ten of these already? Do they talk to a serve back at the shop, or just with each other?
Hey ProF_braino, I just have one, the rest were movie magic. I already have a major redesign in mind for the Prospero2. Regarding the communication, the plan is for them to only talk with the other robots that can "hear" them using IR singles, just like your tv remote control. I'm using IR because it's cheep and it's any easy way for the robots to adjust the "volume" that they're using while talking to anyone that can hear them. So the way the code is going to be structures is that everytime a seed is planted a value, call it: "ShouldOthersPlantHere?" has +1 added to it and if it detects a planted seed then -1 is added to it. The robot would then transmit "Come towards me" with the brightness "volume" of the single based on how positive the "ShouldOthersPlantHere?" variable is. This mimics the way some insects use behavioral pheromones to communicate food sources.
Regarding the communication, the plan is for them to only talk with the other robots that can "hear" them using IR singles, just like your tv remote control. I'm using IR because it's cheep and it's any easy way for the robots to adjust the "volume" that they're using while talking to anyone that can hear them. So the way the code is going to be structures is that everytime a seed is planted a value, call it: "ShouldOthersPlantHere?" has +1 added to it and if it detects a planted seed then -1 is added to it. The robot would then transmit "Come towards me" with the brightness "volume" of the single based on how positive the "ShouldOthersPlantHere?" variable is. This mimics the way some insects use behavioral pheromones to communicate food sources.
IR communication does not work in direct sunlight.
I had that unfortunate experience with my home made solar charge controller.
I've put together a short video that lays out the argument for and explains my concept of using swarms of robots for farming. Let me know what you think!
New Video: Future of Farming: Prospero Robot Farmer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReaedEF41w
I'm also thinking "farming on Mars..."
Swarms of autonomous robots will be extremely important to growing food on Mars in vast underground regulated habitats. These robots will need to be smaller, about the size of Prospero, to tend to hydroponic units that supply nutrients to the plants. Daily food picking and delivery is another function well served by robots.
Thanks William for the heads-up. I'm sure that you saved me a bunch of time trouble shooting. It's easy to switch to something else at this stage and there are lots of options. The basic idea is that the broadcast strength is very low so that only the robots nearby "hear" each other talking. Originally, I had thought about using different chirps, but decided against it because it would quickly get annoying.
Comments
I sure have enjoyed watching your robot grow(pun intended), getting published, and now sporting the latest in cool ping mounting hardware.
Sorry I missed seeing you at UPEC this year. I had a funeral that day. Not sure if I will be able to make it to UPENE either we're looking at Sept 15 to start harvest. Are you going to UPENE?
Thanks for sharing the code, pictures and updates. I look forward to seeing your swarm of bots planting a field of corn one day.
Tony
Matt, you guys are funny...
Dave
New Video: Future of Farming: Prospero Robot Farmer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReaedEF41w
How many robots would it take to cover one acre ?
Do they keep track of seeds and fertilizer and replenish themselves ?
Do you have ten of these already? Do they talk to a serve back at the shop, or just with each other?
I think I'll go work on the other side of the equation.....robotic population control.
Hey Bamse, Prospero is the very first design that puts all of the different "planting" parts together. I would probably make 1-2 more major design-prototype cycles before I started calculating how much time it would take to plant an acre.
To answer your second question, yes, the intention would be for each robot to "notice" when it started to run low and then start to walk back to a resupply robot and get resupplied.
Hey ProF_braino, I just have one, the rest were movie magic. I already have a major redesign in mind for the Prospero2.
Thanks mindrobots. Remind me to avoid you when you're doing math!
By the way, it's on Hack-A-Day:
http://hackaday.com/2011/10/20/robotic-farming-means-more-corn-for-everyone/
IR communication does not work in direct sunlight.
I had that unfortunate experience with my home made solar charge controller.
I'm also thinking "farming on Mars..."
Swarms of autonomous robots will be extremely important to growing food on Mars in vast underground regulated habitats. These robots will need to be smaller, about the size of Prospero, to tend to hydroponic units that supply nutrients to the plants. Daily food picking and delivery is another function well served by robots.
So planting will be done at night? Can you "listen in" on the bots from the farm house with a movie camera and a telescope?
Ha ha Yes, but you have to first ask them permission to eavesdrop.