Robotics Plus has launched Prospr, an autonomous, multi-use, hybrid vehicle designed to carry out a variety of orchard and vineyard crop tasks more efficiently and sustainably while reducing reliance on labor.
The New Zealand company’s Prospr uses multiple swappable tools being developed, including tower sprayers for grapes, apples or tree crops. The right tool for the job is attached to the vehicle depending on the day’s work, and multiple Prosprs can collaborate in a fleet. The vehicle uses a combination of perception systems to sense the environment, enabling data-driven insights.
“Prospr is a robust autonomous vehicle, with all-day running, that adapts to the jobs growers need to do while reducing emissions, inputs and reliance on increasingly hard-to-find machine operators,” said Steve Saunders, co-founder and chief executive of Robotics Plus. “We’ve focused on utilization and flexibility with a unique modular architecture, allowing different tools for various crop types and applications year-round to maximize return on investment.”
PIC: Robotics Plus
The vehicle has an all-electric drive system that uses a Tier 4 diesel generator for onboard power generation, enabling the vehicle to operate for extended periods without charging or refueling. Regenerative braking and high-capacity batteries extend range and its intelligent all-wheel-drive system features independent wheel motors.
“We’ve put our hybrid power and drive system through its paces and can achieve over 70% reduction in fuel consumption compared to traditional diesel tractors doing the same job,” said Alistair Scarfe, co-founder and chief engineering officer at the company.
The company says that Prospr has a small footprint and unique steering configuration, incorporating electric steering and independent motors. The vehicle turns on its rear axle with a minimum headland requirement of 7.1m/23ft for row-to-row turning. Minimum row spacing is 1.85m/6.07ft, giving growers options to deploy automation in a greater variety of applications in various crop types. This means ground is covered faster, maximizing productivity and spray time compared to machines that turn on every second row or greater.
“We’ve delivered a highly adaptable modular vehicle and are partnering with industry leaders to deliver various technologies for our tools,” said Saunders. “The first of these partnerships is with Croplands, a leader in sprayer technology. Our ongoing partnership with Yamaha Motor Company is helping us refine and productize our vehicle for scale. This significantly increases the robustness and support for Propsr in demanding and ever-changing agricultural environments.”
Q Series sprayers, developed by Robotics Plus in conjunction with Croplands, enable growers to deploy a range of spray configurations, adapting to various crop types, growing formats, heights and the day’s job. The Q4/Q6 sprayers have two or three fans on either side and are best suited to grape, apple or tree crops. The Q8 sprayer comprises eight fans, four on each side, and is best suited to apple crops. Spray rates and air speed are dynamic and controlled per fan to maximize spray efficacy through electric drive and control systems.
To implement Prospr, a mesh network is installed to give a more consistent connection and interaction with the machine, improving operational efficiencies and user safety. Operators can manage and streamline the day’s work with a new organizational tool with an interface. Coordination is enabled between team members with multi-language support across various desktop and mobile devices and jobs can be logged in advance and viewed in real time while completed or in-progress jobs are mapped and recorded digitally. Multiple machines can be managed simultaneously by one or two operators from a single remote control via a fixed or mobile console.
“We’ve made multiple technology advances for Prospr, including a remodelled platform for tools, new spraying attachments, and a new user interface to aid management and planning,” said Scarfe. “We’ve also improved machine connectivity, control, safety and localization. Prospr has its own wireless network, keeping vehicles online and enabling software updates for new features. We’re really proud to release another world-leading robotic innovation to market, thanks to the expertise of our outstanding team and partners.”
Prospr will make its debut at FIRA 2023, an event in California dedicated to autonomous agriculture and agricultural robotics solutions.
