Design and Development of a Robotic System for Agricultural Pesticide Spraying

Shalomi Shaileshkumar Parmar; Soni Sahil Chiragkumar; Patel Sujalkumar; Chauhan Harshkumar; Ms. Apexa Purohit; Mayur Chavda; Mayank Dev Singh; Jai Bahadur Balwanshi4

doi:10.69968/k2f00986

Authors

Shalomi Shaileshkumar Parmar UG Student, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Soni Sahil Chiragkumar UG Student, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Patel Sujalkumar UG Student, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Chauhan Harshkumar UG Student, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Ms. Apexa Purohit Assistant Professor, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Mayur Chavda Assistant Professor, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Mayank Dev Singh Associate Professor, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Jai Bahadur Balwanshi4 Dean, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, ITM Vocational University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69968/k2f00986

Keywords:

Precision Agriculture, 4WD Agribot, Autonomous Spraying, IoT Smart Farming, ESP32 Microcontroller, Mechatronics, Agricultural Robotics, Occupational Safety

Abstract

The global agricultural sector is facing an unprecedented convergence of challenges, driven by a rapidly expanding global population, acute labor shortages, and the pressing need for environmentally sustainable farming practices. Traditional pesticide application methods are notoriously inefficient, heavily reliant on manual labor, and expose farmworkers to severe acute and chronic health hazards due to continuous chemical exposure. To address these critical issues, this research presents the design, development, and rigorous field evaluation of a smart, autonomous, four-wheel-drive (4WD) robotic system engineered specifically for targeted agricultural pesticide spraying and real-time environmental monitoring. The proposed robotic platform integrates a high-torque 4WD locomotion architecture, controlled by an ESP32 microcontroller, ensuring robust navigation and maneuverability across uneven and muddy agricultural terrains. A comprehensive suite of environmental sensors including ultrasonic sensors for dynamic obstacle avoidance, and soil moisture, temperature, and humidity sensors for real-time crop health assessment is seamlessly integrated into the control loop. The primary actuation system features a highly optimized, relay-controlled 12V diaphragm pump linked to strategically positioned atomizing nozzles, enabling precision fluid distribution tailored to the specific spatial requirements of the crop canopy. Field testing and comprehensive empirical evaluations demonstrated exceptional performance metrics. The robotic system achieved an 85% operational efficiency rate compared to the 60% efficiency typical of conventional manual spraying operations. Furthermore, the implementation of this robotic solution drastically reduced labor dependency, compressing the requirement from an average of three to four manual workers down to a single supervisory operator. Crucially, the occupational safety index was substantially elevated from a baseline rating of 4 (indicative of high exposure risk) to a rating of 9, effectively neutralizing the risk of hazardous chemical exposure. Ultimately, this research delivers a highly scalable, cost-effective, and operationally viable technological intervention, directly contributing to the advancement of precision agriculture and the safeguarding of rural farming communities.

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