GrassBots

Project information
Lowland areas and other marginal areas form a huge and currently unused resource of biomass for the biogas and bio refinery industry. Alone for Denmark, it has been estimated that 160-180.000 hectares of unused lowland could be harvested if the appropriate technology was available. This project will develop a novel lightweight, autonomous machine concept for economically and environmentally sound harvest of grass on lowland. The project will adapt an existing commercial mower into an autonomous robot platform, develop implements for cutting, collecting and transporting the harvested material out of the field and develop software to plan, schedule, document and visualize the harvest operation. Additional, the concept will be demonstrated in three countries under realistic field conditions, but following all current safety regulations. Finally, the project is seen as a stepping-stone towards future autonomous work units coupled with efficient management systems.
Project partners: 
Department of Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
Harper Adams University College
Department of Automation and Systems Technology
Agro Business Park
Agro Intelligence ApS
Conpleks Innovation ApS
Lynex
Crop Production Technogy
Project dates: 
March 2013 to February 2015
Contact
Contact person: 
Claus Grøn Sørensen
Contact email: 
Contact organisation: 
Department of Engineering
Funding
Funding agency: 
ICT and robotics for sustainable agriculture