RootBot

Target audience

Companies in the agri-food sector, farmers specialising in fruit tree cultivation, research groups in agricultural technology, agri-livestock sector clusters, and institutions interested in precision agriculture, sustainability and the efficient management of natural resources.

Project objective

To demonstrate the applicability of autonomous electromagnetic sensing systems for identifying subsurface properties in agricultural fields, particularly the location of root systems. The proposed measurement system must not only provide information about the soil, but also operate autonomously and quickly, without affecting the soil under study or the crops.

Project description

This is an autonomous robotic system designed to navigate agricultural fields intelligently and collect subsurface data through the integration of ground-penetrating radar (GPR), mobile robotics, pattern recognition algorithms and artificial intelligence. The robot generates detailed maps of tree root systems and soil moisture distribution, supporting precise decision-making on irrigation and crop management. These multilayer maps provide useful visual information to maximise agricultural productivity and minimise resource consumption.

The development process includes laboratory tests and trials under real-world conditions at the UPC's Agròpolis facility, with the aim of calibrating and adapting the system to different types of crops. RootBot saves time and resources by operating autonomously, freeing farmers to focus on other tasks. It also promotes the digitalisation and modernisation of the agricultural sector.

The project is led by the Centre for Industrial Equipment Design – Machine Dynamics (CDEI DM) and the Geophysics and Seismic Engineering group (GiES) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), in collaboration with companies and clusters such as Verdcamp Fruits, Catalan Water Partnership, FEMAC, ADV Ecològica de Ponent, INNOVI and Ametller Origen, which support technology transfer and its practical application in the sector.

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