R150 2020

What Is an Unmanned Ground Vehicle?

An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) operates autonomously, devoid of onboard human presence, facilitating tasks where human operators are impractical or unsafe. This four-wheel drive UGV is equipped with sensors that observe surroundings and autonomously decide actions or relay data for remote control. In large-scale farming, UGVs play a vital role, requiring efficient functionality to execute diverse operations.
Two main approaches are considered: retrofitting conventional vehicles for automation and developing purpose-built mobile platforms. These platforms, encompassing wheeled and wheel-legged robots, undergo analysis for adaptability to varying terrains and crops.

Automation of conventional vehicles

For the longest time, the tractor has been the central vehicle for executing most of the work required in a crop field. Equipped with the proper accessories, this machine can till, plant, fertilise, spray, haul, mow, and even harvest. A fully autonomous farm vehicle can adapt to different tasks, making tractors a prime target for automation, enabling productivity increases, improving safety, and reducing operational costs.

Commercial Applications in Agriculture

Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) represent a type of agricultural robot with various civilian applications, particularly in manufacturing and production environments. For instance, they enable round-the-clock operations for tasks like harvesting, spraying, and thinning. UGVs, like our 150 kg load capacity unmanned ground vehicle, can monitor crop and livestock health and autonomously perform fertilising, planting, and spraying tasks when equipped appropriately. However, manual intervention is still required for tasks like refilling, refuelling, attaching implements, unloading crops, and offloading harvested yields when collectors are full.

XAG’s R150 Unmanned Ground Vehicle

When equipped with XAG JetSprayer™ System, R150 can conduct fully autonomous crop spraying operation with maximum efficiency* of 5 hectares per hour.  

Nevertheless, UGVs suitable for agriculture remain far from commercialisation, although many intermediate results have been incorporated into agricultural equipment—from harvesting to precise herbicide application. Essentially, these systems are installed on tractors owned by farmers and generally consist of a computer (the controller), a device for steering control, a localisation system (primarily based on RTK-GPS), and a safety system (primarily based on LIDAR).