PREVENTBot

Target audience

Professionals in the agri-food sector, particularly farmers, agricultural engineers, agricultural cooperatives, research centres, public institutions and technology companies interested in the digitalisation of the agricultural sector, efficient water use and environmental sustainability.

Project objective

To demonstrate the applicability of autonomous robotic systems capable of monitoring and measuring plant health and growth indicators in situ and in real time. The project aims to promote precision agriculture by reducing labour requirements, improving water and nutrient management, and increasing agricultural production efficiency.

Project description

This project builds on the AgroMOBY project and addresses current challenges in the agricultural sector: growing demand for high-quality food, a shortage of younger generations entering the profession, and the need to optimise water resources, particularly in Catalonia, where irrigation accounts for 70% of water consumption.

Led by the Centre for Industrial Equipment Design (CDEI-UPC), the project proposes the use of lightweight mobile robots to perform agricultural monitoring tasks autonomously. These robots incorporate thermal and NDVI sensors to detect water stress and assess the health and growth of crops such as tomato plants and brassicas. The data will be calibrated using neural networks during a one-year trial at UPC's Agròpolis facilities in Viladecans, taking different climatic conditions into account.

The system will also generate detailed agronomic maps combining topographic and crop data to identify anomalies and support management decision-making. PREVENTBot is based on the agroMOBY platform, an all-terrain version of MOBY technology developed by UPC and validated in logistics environments through the spin-off Steering Machines.

This project aims to promote sustainability, digitalisation and competitiveness in the Catalan agricultural sector.