Development of Autonomous Robotic Platform for Orchard and Vineyard Operations

This book contributes to the navigation algorithm development for an autonomous mobile orchard robot in a GNSS denied environment. In this book, an approach is provided for path planning in an orchard using an aerial view of the environment by creating Binary Occupancy Grid Maps. The path planning is further implemented by the Probabilistic Road Maps Method (PRM) over the developed Binary Occupancy Grid Maps. For robot’s navigation, a navigation model is developed using kinematic equations of the robot. Further, the navigation module is used in conjunction with the path-planning module. The robot was tested successfully both in simulation as well as in the real environment.