GROPERBOT

Who is the project aimed at?

Researchers, professionals and companies in the agricultural and agri-food sectors interested in the efficient management of water resources, as well as public policy-makers and institutions committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. It may also be of interest to technology centres and universities involved in applied research in robotics, geophysics and precision agriculture.

Project objective

To demonstrate the applicability of autonomous electromagnetic detection systems for identifying agricultural soil properties, with particular emphasis on detecting soil moisture at different depths, in order to improve irrigation water-use efficiency and promote more sustainable and technologically advanced agriculture.

Project description

Developed jointly by the Centre for Industrial Equipment Design (CDEI) and the Geophysics and Seismic Engineering (GiES) research group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), the project involves designing and building an autonomous robot capable of surveying agricultural land using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). This system will provide detailed information on soil moisture conditions by analysing electromagnetic properties, combined with machine learning techniques and autonomous decision-making.

CDEI will be responsible for integrating the GPR with the robotic platform, as well as for developing the mechanical and electronic components and the software required to operate the system. The result will be a functional prototype capable of detecting soil moisture without the need for destructive sampling, reducing costs and minimising environmental impact.

The project will make a significant contribution to the digitalisation of the agricultural sector and the implementation of innovative technologies in precision agriculture. The system is also expected to have complementary applications, such as detecting the maturity of tubers, identifying contaminants in the subsoil and mapping root networks to optimise resource use.