Unmanned Systems Technology 022 | XOcean XO-450 l Radar systems l Space vehicles insight l Small Robot l BMPower FCPS l Prismatic HALE UAV l InterDrone 2018 show report l UpVision l Navigation systems

54 ground. The chassis weighs 350 kg ±50 kg, a fraction of the 30 tonnes for a tractor, even with around 1 tonne of fertiliser for feeding the crops or seed for planting. The platform is the size of a small car when fully extended but would only be used for a couple of days when notified by the NOUS system. The Jack chassis includes GNSS/ RTK positioning along with stereoscopic cameras with depth perception on the boom to identify individual plants, whether they are crops or weeds, and is the underlying platform for several autonomous tools. Application options Dick is the variant used for weeding, feeding and watering the crops, depending on the modules that are used underneath the boom. This gives the flexibility to test out different technologies depending on the application. For weeding, one module includes a press that squashes the weeds into the ground, but the team is evaluating whether a laser system could be used close to the ground to burn through the stem of a weed. One advantage of regular collection of data by Tom is that an intervention can be made at the right time, such as when a weed is small enough to be zapped by a laser before it gets too big. The team is currently evaluating the combination of LED laser technology at the right frequencies to destroy the weeds effectively and the laser’s power requirement and the weight of batteries needed. At the moment, a physical system with a knife can demonstrate that the weeds can be removed physically without having to spray the crop with weedkiller. For fertilising and watering, the boom on Dick will have a precision nozzle that can direct a controlled amount of liquid fertiliser onto the crop. To do that, the module needs to know how high up the plant to spray, and that depends on the condition of the plant. This precision feeding dramatically reduces the amount of fertiliser required for a field, reducing costs and increasing the yield as the fertiliser is only used where needed. Using the nozzle for watering also reduces the amount of water that needs to be used, as the amount delivered depends on the condition of the plants. This reduces the amount of water that needs to be carried, reducing the compaction of the soil and avoiding the risk of over-watering the crop. As Dick will operate autonomously until the fields are watered, it can return several times to base to be refilled if necessary. October/November 2018 | Unmanned Systems Technology Harry can be folded up to fit in the back of a van for delivery to a field For weeding, one module includes a press that squashes the weeds into the ground, but a laser system could be used