Revolutionizing Areca Nut Harvesting: Electric-Powered Robotic Solution for Sustainable Agriculture

Robotics and automation is a nascent industry that is expanding exponentially. Transportation, manufacturing operations, medical robotics, and agrotech are just a handful of the numerous sectors robotics has impacted. Today, the primary use of robots in agriculture is during the harvesting stage in the form of agricultural robots. The areca nut industry in India is one such agriculture sector that is the topic of our study. Many rural farmers lack convenient access to technology in more sophisticated farms and elsewhere. As a result, they rely on antiquated procedures that are inefficient and dangerous, requiring specialised and costly human labour. The study presents a robust design and fabrication of a robotic areca nut harvester for plucking and pesticide spraying to provide a user-friendly, electric-powered alternative to existing market solutions and empower farmers to be self-sufficient without relying on expensive human resources or logistics. Competing directly with Agrimate, the present market solution for areca nut harvesting, our proposed areca nut harvester is superior in multiple product classification categories. Weighing a mere 12kg contrasts Agrimate’s 27kg counterpart while requiring only a single operator, presenting a more cost-effective alternative. Powered by batteries, our solution eliminates harmful emissions and allows for precise speed control and smooth horizontal motion around trees. The pyramidal climbing mechanism design enables easy installation on the tree trunk. The adaptive drive system conforms to variations in the tree trunk size to maintain traction and execute effective traversal. An integrated sprayer and cutter, mounted on a movable assembly on the top, eliminates the requirement for separate equipment for harvesting and spraying operations. The design prioritises safety, minimising the risk of failures during testing and ensuring no harm to tree trunks.