Design and Manufacturing of Seed Sowing Mechanism for Agri-Robot

Abstract

The agricultural sector plays an important role in the economy of Pakistan in terms of GDP, employment, export earnings, and food security. However, the sector has remained largely underdeveloped in terms of technological advances. The Agri Rover 2023 aims to tackle this issue by automating the critical process of seed sowing. It will do this by moving continuously to create a furrow, dispense seeds, and cover them with soil. This will result in reduced seed wastage, costs, and time while increasing revenue and productivity. The design of the rover was adapted from the Mars Perseverance rover owing to its ability to traverse uneven terrain and the stability of its six-wheeled design. For the design of the seed-sowing components, an extensive literature review was conducted to decide the optimal method of furrowing, dispensing, and leveling. The initial design was then proposed and further built upon to make the device more accurate, reliable, easy to use, and adaptable for different crops. The final design used a furrowing wheel, a seed dispensing mechanism, and a leveling plate to carry out automatic seed sowing. Calculations and parametric studies were carried out to finalize the design and material selection. After a market survey, initial manufacturing was started. Once the working prototype has been constructed, it will be tested in phases. The rover has immense potential to disrupt the market and be developed further. Additional features can be implemented such as fully autonomous rover operation, obstacle detection, and solar-powered charging.