AGROBV14 - Robots for Steep Slope Vineyards

Project information
The project AGROBV14 aims to answer a need identified by the European Steep Slope Viticulturalists/wine makers (more about this reality can be found at http://www.dourovalley.eu/en/). These associations are asking for automated solutions that: reduce the losses, and consequently the amount of phytopharmaceutical used during the spraying (pesticides mitigation challenge); reduce the exposition of the human worker to pesticides during spraying; increase the spraying system availability to 24 h/365 days; reduce cost, reduce water usage; and, reduce human direct intervention in the extreme conditions of steep slope viticulture (Harsh terrain conditions, Safety issues, Very difficult access etc.). AGROBV14 addresses this challenge by Researching and Developing advanced algorithms for localization, mapping, path-planning and image processing techniques, which should be work in harsh conditions imposed by the steep slope vineyards. Based in these robotics components, it will be possible to build modular and reliable small robots, for monitoring, spraying, pruning and harvesting actions. This will make possible to reach the steep slope Agricultural Machinery market that is unexplored by robotics that worth’s nearly 900 million Euros; and compete in the global Agricultural Machinery market which reached a value of $61.7 billion (where tractors under 50 brake horsepower remain dominant, accounting for 61.5% of the sales).
Project partners: 
INESCTEC
Project dates: 
June 2014 to May 2019
Contact
Contact person: 
Filipe Neves dos Santos
Contact email: 
Funding
Funding agency: 
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

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