151. Rabbit feeding robot: Autonomous navigation and precision feeding.
- Author
-
Jiang, Wei, Hao, Hongyun, Fan, Jiayu, Wang, Liangju, and Wang, Hongying
- Subjects
- *
AUTONOMOUS robots , *ANIMAL feeds , *RABBITS , *MOBILE robots , *DISEASE prevalence , *LIVESTOCK breeding - Abstract
Feeding remains a critical component in rabbit farming. In rabbit production, precise feeding is imperative, given its significant role in augmenting feed efficiency, curtailing farming expenses, reducing disease prevalence and mortality rates, and lessening environmental pollution. This study presents the design and development of a rabbit feeding robot that synergises mobile robotics and mechanical arm technology, aiming for exact feed dispensation within rabbit hutches through a mechanism that precisely quantifies feed volume. The robot developed for this purpose notably minimises feed fragmentation and mitigates stress responses in rabbits, thus facilitating unsupervised, precise feeding tailored to varied dietary needs. Experimental outcomes, garnered within a rabbit hutch, reveal that the mobile robot operated at velocities between 0.05 and 0.20 m s−1. Its navigation and positioning accuracy showed a speed deviation of 1.2 %, a lateral deviation of 5.3 mm, a longitudinal deviation of 7.6 mm, and an angular deviation of 1.1°. The rabbit feeding robot demonstrated a feed quantitative error of 4.3%. At a designated feeding point, the time cycles for dispensing feed across three boxes were recorded as 40.6 s, 50.1 s, and 24.3 s, achieving success rates of 96.3 %, 98.8 %, and 100.0 %, respectively. These results substantiate the practical applicability of the rabbit feeding robot in farming production, thus fostering the progression of intelligent agricultural practices. • The design and development of an unsupervised rabbit feeding robot have been presented. • The robot developed achieves a quantitative error of 4.3% and a low breakage rate. • The feasibility has been validated in a real farming environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF