Researchers from the Soft Robotics for Human Cooperation and Rehabilitation Lab at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia) in Genova have created a new robot capable of navigating and performing autonomous operations in vineyards.
Dubbed Frasky, the new robotic prototype is designed to address the challenges facing the agricultural sector such as environmental sustainability and labor shortages.
Source: IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
According to its developers, Frasky is equipped with a robotic arm and a hand for manipulating plants and fruit. The robotic arm features a camera that enables the system to precisely map its surroundings and detect obstacles as well as specific objects, like grape clusters.
The robot is mounted on a platform of four motorized wheels and includes IIT-developed software divided into three main modules: navigation, which allows the robot to orient itself in space and reach points of interest while avoiding obstacles; perception, which allows for environmental analysis and recognition of grape clusters; and manipulation, which controls the movements of the robotic arm as it performs its tasks.
The developers explained that Frasky offers more precise digital monitoring of crops as well as assisting farmers with repetitive tasks. Likewise, Frasky also offers greater accuracy in treatment application in vineyards, thereby reducing waste and limiting human exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
"We are currently working to make Frasky even more flexible, autonomous, and capable of adapting to various agricultural contexts, which present high complexity by their nature. Our goal is to expand the robot's perception and manipulation capabilities to other tasks beyond those already validated, so that it can operate alongside viticulturists, supporting them in production monitoring and in more repetitive and burdensome activities,” the researchers added.
