Unmanned Systems Technology 042 | Mayflower Autonomous Ship | Embedded Computing | ElevonX Sierra VTOL | UUVs insight | Flygas Engineering GAS418S | Ocean Business 2021 report | Electric motors | Priva Kompano

105 much the robot has done over different courses of time, and so on.” The selection of Azure has also been driven by the extensive security measures and engineering personnel Microsoft devotes to keeping cloud- connected assets safe. This, along with annual testing of Priva’s cloud applications by ethical hackers from Onvio, is intended to ensure there are no vulnerabilities in the software systems and by extension no chance of Kompano’s settings and high-level orders being altered by hostile agents. In the greenhouse The Kompano has naturally been designed with cost-effectiveness, time efficiency, ease of maintenance and space efficiency in mind. This last one is particularly key, as the robot must be able to fit between trellises without knocking any of them over or getting entangled by vines. To ensure such security of growers’ vine crops, the Kompano moves on a rail when going between trellises, in a similar way to automated carts and guided vehicles in warehouses and factories. However, Coen adds that the Kompano does not technically need a rail to move around; it can do so autonomously on its own wheels – indeed, it is routinely programmed to follow hallways and floorplans between different greenhouses’ rails – and comes with a proprietary suite of sensors to detect possible sense & avoid collisions with people or machinery along its non-railed routes. The LED indicators also serve as a warning for people nearby. When working in a greenhouse, the vine crops are first observed from below by a vision camera on the central structure of the robot. A stereo camera system is the current sensor of choice, as its depth- sensing capabilities enable embedded computer vision software to determine the positions and distances of each leaf. That software identifies the ideal next leaf to be removed with each subsequent cut – typically the lowest remaining leaf is preferred, for the reasons discussed above. It also allows leaves from different stems to be cut if they happen to be close by, for more efficient work (something not always possible with past attempts at horticultural robots). To reach leaves, the end-effector arm (which sits just above the camera) extends telescopically outwards from the Kompano’s central structure. As fitting actuators onto the effector for turning would be problematic for the telescopic action (which is linear), the system holding the effector pans vertically up and down, while the entire structure rotates horizontally, thus achieving two key degrees of freedom to extend the arm towards a set of coordinates as calculated by the camera. The end of the arm features a structure shaped like a tuning fork. Inside it are two opposing electromechanically actuated rollers, each of a semicircular shape. Once the arm has extended to ‘grasp’ either side of a leaf’s stalk, the rollers hold the stalk tightly in place, then a guillotine-like blade in the structure is triggered to slice through the stalk. Each Kompano can cut about one leaf every 7 seconds, and maintains about a hectare of vine crops, moving at a speed that is rarely above 1 kph. Maintenance At the moment, the 5 kWh battery is charged manually between jobs, although in the future Priva plans to upgrade to an automated charging system such as wireless recharging, to allow the Kompano to perform its own charging cycles. “The Kompano can last for at least 14 hours if it is working at its hardest, for whatever reason, and we anticipate an uptime of up to 20 hours per day between charges,” Coen says. Users are encouraged to clean their robots using similar cloths and chemicals to most agricultural machinery, but for targeted disinfection a UV-C lamp sits atop the Kompano, pointing downwards for cleaning the end-effector. In the case of damage or wear, batches of some parts are delivered with each robot (such as extra blades and UV-C lamps) as replacements. For all other parts, a global support network is being developed, and that will have stocks of parts at regional dealerships for quick distribution. “It’s important though to recognise that customisation, not standardisation, is going to be the way forward in this business,” Coen adds. “For instance, if a user has an interesting third-party implement they want to put on our robot, that will certainly be an option. “There’s a lot we can manufacture and configure at our end, but making all- new infrastructure and parts from blank sheets are where we draw the line. Plenty of other companies can supply those parts, and we’re happy to make any number of medium-level modifications to accommodate different growers’ needs.” Future plans While Priva’s current focus is on its pilot customers in Belgium and the Netherlands, the group is in contact with growers around the world, and expects to start delivering the Kompano across western Europe, North America and elsewhere once demand and suitable working partnerships are identified. And as discussed, the company intends to expand its supply networks, as well as its range of models of horticultural and agricultural robots. More challenging tasks and varieties of crops, which are key to helping feed humankind, are expected to be tackled through Priva’s autonomy r&d in the years to come. Unmanned Systems Technology | February/March 2022 Kompano UGV Size: 191 x 180 x 88 cm Weight: 425 kg Battery capacity: 5 kWh Maximum endurance: 20 hours Minimum endurance: 14 hours Key specifications