A Robotic Platform for Autonomous Plant Identification and Monitoring for Orchards

Integrating robotics as remote sensing technologies presents a promising solution to enhance crop yields, reduce resource wastage, and promote sustainable farming practices. This paper introduces a novel modular, track-based robotic system that autonomously navigates and monitors vineyards and orchards. The rover collects detailed plant health and growth data using the equipped advanced sensors and a custom multi-spectral camera. Experimental validation was conducted in a vineyard and a kiwifruit orchard, demonstrating the system's efficacy in different agricultural settings. The results indicate high accuracy in plant detection and mapping, underscoring the potential of autonomous robotics to transform modern agriculture.