KisaanMitra: An Autonomous Farm Vehicle with Dual-Axis Solar Tracking

The agricultural revolution has been a significant factor in driving the modern world’s working economy. Although various robotic and technological advancements are present in this field, no such technology is aimed at poor farmers in developing economies such as the Indian subcontinent. This article proposes a low-cost autonomous vehicle to automate the process sowing the seeds of Maize. The processes that went into the development of the vehicle are comprehensively discussed: First of all, following the standard seed rate and plant geometry for a Maize sample, the seed container and seeder were designed in SolidWorks with efficient design principles. A dual-axis solar tracker was developed for a solar panel that was after extensive energy calculations. A vehicle model was developed to ergonomically accommodate the subsystems mentioned above, as well as the electronic hardware. The frame and other components were statically and dynamically tested for operational stresses using FEA. The electronic hardware, including motors for vehicle propulsion, solar tracking, and the seeder mechanism, all controlled using an Arduino microcontroller, are also discussed comprehensively. This article also discusses the difference in solar panel layouts with experimental data. The vehicle discussed in this article aims to bridge the gap between the field of agriculture and automation by proposing a low-cost solution through efficient designing and manufacturing.