scholarly journals Application of Robots and Robotic Systems in Agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-442
Author(s):  
Domagoj Zimmer ◽  
Mladen Jurišić ◽  
Ivan Plaščak ◽  
Željko Barač ◽  
Dorijan Radočaj
Keyword(s):  
Intelligent Systems ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Agricultural Robots ◽  
Arable Farming ◽  
Fast Development ◽  
Agricultural Areas

The paper depicts agricultural robots that can perform complex tasks. Fast development and application of agricultural robotics is a result of increased development of agricultural machinery. Robots are complex and intelligent systems with a significant role in agriculture that are becoming an integral part of both the technological and scientific progress. The paper presents some important roles of robots and robotic systems in various agricultural areas and explains the deployment of new technologies supported by the examples of their application in arable farming, horticulture, and forestry. Robotics application decreases the deployment of human resources, enables significant production cost savings, and increases production capacity. The application of robotic systems facilitates high precision levels and repetition speed regarding time and space, which cannot be replicated by farmers

scholarly journals Determining the energy efficiency of an agrorobot

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (30) ◽  
pp. 73-78
Author(s):  
Ivan Mitkov ◽  
◽  
Veselin Harizanov ◽  
Georgi Komitov ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Recovery ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Continuous Cultivation ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Agricultural Robots ◽  
Autonomous Operation ◽  
The World ◽  
Trained Staff ◽  
Energy Aspects

The problem of feeding the population and the lack of trained staff for growing crops is increasing all over the world. This inevitably leads to a change in technology for growing crops. These new technologies rely on autonomous robotic systems for the continuous cultivation of crops without human personnel. Robots are small, smart, interconnected, lightweight machines that aim to release the person from the basic everyday pursuits. Globally, there is a trend in agriculture to automate the hard manual labor with continued increases in yields to feed the population. This article discusses the problems of determining the main energy aspects of agricultural robots. Guidelines are given for determining the energy saving of the robot, depending on the time for its long autonomous operation, the terrain to be cultivated and a number of other factors. Exemplary values of the energy required to drive the agricultural robot and the time for energy recovery through renewable energy sources have been determined.

Mineral/microfibrillated cellulose composite materials: High performance products, applications, and product forms

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (09) ◽  
pp. 507-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Skuse ◽  
Mark Windebank ◽  
Tafadzwa Motsi ◽  
Guillaume Tellier
Keyword(s):  
Composite Materials ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Aqueous Suspension ◽  
Production Capacity ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Wet Strength ◽  
Product Forms ◽  
Cellulose Composite

When pulp and minerals are co-processed in aqueous suspension, the mineral acts as a grinding aid, facilitating the cost-effective production of fibrils. Furthermore, this processing allows the utilization of robust industrial milling equipment. There are 40000 dry metric tons of mineral/microfbrillated (MFC) cellulose composite production capacity in operation across three continents. These mineral/MFC products have been cleared by the FDA for use as a dry and wet strength agent in coated and uncoated food contact paper and paperboard applications. We have previously reported that use of these mineral/MFC composite materials in fiber-based applications allows generally improved wet and dry mechanical properties with concomitant opportunities for cost savings, property improvements, or grade developments and that the materials can be prepared using a range of fibers and minerals. Here, we: (1) report the development of new products that offer improved performance, (2) compare the performance of these new materials with that of a range of other nanocellulosic material types, (3) illustrate the performance of these new materials in reinforcement (paper and board) and viscosification applications, and (4) discuss product form requirements for different applications.

New Technologies to Combat Herbicide Resistance

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-92
Author(s):  
Rob Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Herbicide Resistance ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Green Revolution ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Cultural Control ◽  
Arable Farming ◽  
The Uk

Herbicide resistance in problem weeds is now a major threat to global food production, being particularly widespread in wild grasses affecting cereal crops. In the UK, black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides) holds the title of number one agronomic problem in winter wheat, with the loss of production associated with herbicide resistance now estimated to cost the farming sector at least £0.5 billion p.a. Black-grass presents us with many of the characteristic traits of a problem weed; being highly competitive, genetically diverse and obligately out-crossing, with a growth habit that matches winter wheat. With the UK’s limited arable crop rotations and the reliance on the repeated use of a very limited range of selective herbicides we have been continuously performing a classic Darwinian selection for resistance traits in weeds that possess great genetic diversity and plasticity in their growth habits. The result has been inevitable; the steady rise of herbicide resistance across the UK, which now affects over 2.1 million hectares of some of our best arable land. Once the resistance genie is out of the bottle, it has proven difficult to prevent its establishment and spread. With the selective herbicide option being no longer effective, the options are to revert to cultural control; changing rotations and cover crops, manual rogueing of weeds, deep ploughing and chemical mulching with total herbicides such as glyphosate. While new precision weeding technologies are being developed, their cost and scalability in arable farming remains unproven. As an agricultural scientist who has spent a working lifetime researching selective weed control, we seem to be giving up on a technology that has been a foundation stone of the green revolution. For me it begs the question, are we really unable to use modern chemical and biological technology to counter resistance? I would argue the answer to that question is most patently no; solutions are around the corner if we choose to develop them.

Site specific agricultural soil management with the use of new technologies

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Digital Interface ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Soil Variation ◽  
Soil Information ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Agricultural Areas

<p>The Soil Science Institute of Thessaloniki produces new digitized Soil Maps that provide a useful electronic database for the spatial representation of the soil variation within a region, based on in situ soil sampling, laboratory analyses, GIS techniques and plant nutrition mathematical models, coupled with the local land cadastre. The novelty of these studies is that local agronomists have immediate access to a wide range of soil information by clicking on a field parcel shown in this digital interface and, therefore, can suggest an appropriate treatment (e.g. liming, manure incorporation, desalination, application of proper type and quantity of fertilizer) depending on the field conditions and cultivated crops. A specific case study is presented in the current work with regards to the construction of the digitized Soil Map of the regional unit of Kastoria. The potential of this map can easily be realized by the fact that the mapping of the physicochemical properties of the soils in this region provided delineation zones for differential fertilization management. An experiment was also conducted using remote sensing techniques for the enhancement of the fertilization advisory software database, which is a component of the digitized map, and the optimization of nitrogen management in agricultural areas.</p>

Ambient Assisted Living Systems: The Scope of Research and Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Ashish D Patel ◽  
Jigarkumar H. Shah
Keyword(s):  
Assisted Living ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Intelligent Systems ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Ambient Assisted Living ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Aged Population ◽  
The People ◽  
Living Person

The aged population of the world is increasing by a large factor due to the availability of medical and other facilities. As the number grows rapidly, requirements of this segment of age (65+) are increasing rapidly as well as the percentage of aged persons living alone is also increasing with the same rate due to the inevitable socio-economic changes. This situation demands the solution of many problems like loneliness, chronic conditions, social interaction, transportation, day-to-day life and many more for independent living person. A large part of aged population may not be able to interact directly with new technologies. This sought some serious development towards the use of intelligent systems i.e. smart devices which helps the people with their inability to use the available as well future solutions. Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is the answer to these problems. In this paper, issues related to AAL systems are studied. Study of challenges and limitations of this comparatively new field will help the designers to remove the barriers of AAL systems.

POTENTIAL OF INTRODUCING DIGITAL AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS IN ELECTRICITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
F.F. Khabirov ◽  
V.S. Vokhmin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Distributed Generation ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Intelligent Systems ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Electric Power Industry ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Environmental Friendliness

The article considers the possibility of introducing digital and intelligent systems in the electric power industry, including the analysis of the consequences after the introduction of new technologies on the economic, social and technological side. Currently, the concept of distributed generation is being used more and more often in the global energy arena. This is certainly a trend in the energy sector. The current level of technological development in the energy sector is quite high, but in order to continue to increase competitiveness, we need a further transition to digital and intelligent energy systems that will increase the reliability, quality, environmental friendliness and automation of energy supply.

The Multi-Relationship Evaluation Design Framework: Designing Testing Plans to Comprehensively Assess Advanced and Intelligent Technologies

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Weiss ◽  
Linda C. Schmidt ◽  
Harry A. Scott ◽  
Craig I. Schlenoff
Keyword(s):  
Intelligent Systems ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Evaluation Design ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Summative Assessments ◽  
Extensive Evaluation ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Key Terms

As new technologies develop and mature, it becomes critical to provide both formative and summative assessments on their performance. Performance assessment events range in form from a few simple tests of key elements of the technology to highly complex and extensive evaluation exercises targeting specific levels and capabilities of the system under scrutiny. Typically the more advanced the system, the more often performance evaluations are warranted, and the more complex the evaluation planning becomes. Numerous evaluation frameworks have been developed to generate evaluation designs intent on characterizing the performance of intelligent systems. Many of these frameworks enable the design of extensive evaluations, but each has its own focused objectives within an inherent set of known boundaries. This paper introduces the Multi-Relationship Evaluation Design (MRED) framework whose ultimate goal is to automatically generate an evaluation design based upon multiple inputs. The MRED framework takes input goal data and outputs an evaluation blueprint complete with specific evaluation elements including level of technology to be tested, metric type, user type, and, evaluation environment. Some of MRED’s unique features are that it characterizes these relationships and manages their uncertainties along with those associated with evaluation input. The authors will introduce MRED by first presenting relationships between four main evaluation design elements. These evaluation elements are defined and the relationships between them are established including the connections between evaluation personnel (not just the users), their level of knowledge, and decision-making authority. This will be further supported through the definition of key terms. An example will be presented in which these terms and relationships are applied to the evaluation design of an automobile technology. An initial validation step follows where MRED is applied to the speech translation technology whose evaluation design was inspired by the successful use of a pre-existing evaluation framework. It is important to note that MRED is still in its early stages of development where this paper presents numerous MRED outputs. Future publications will present the remaining outputs, the uncertain inputs, and MRED’s implementation steps that produce the detailed evaluation blueprints.

scholarly journals Artificial Intelligence-Driven Autonomous Robot for Precision Agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-54
Author(s):  
Ivan Beloev ◽  
Diyana Kinaneva ◽  
Georgi Georgiev ◽  
Georgi Hristov ◽  
Plamen Zahariev
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
End User ◽  
Agricultural Robots ◽  
Agricultural Enterprises ◽  
Human Labour

AbstractIn the recent years, robotic systems became more advanced and more accessible. This has led to their slow, but stable integration and use in different processes and applications, including in the agricultural domain. Nowadays, agricultural robots are developed with the aim to replace the human labour in the otherwise exhausting, time-consuming or dangerous activities. Agricultural robotic systems provide many advantages, which can differ based on the type of the robot and its sensors, actuators and communication systems. This paper presents the design, the construction process, the main characteristics and the evaluation of a prototype of a small-scale agricultural robot that can be used for some of the simplest activities in agricultural enterprises. The robot is designed as an end-user autonomous mobile system, which is capable of self-localization and can map or inspect a specific farming area. The decision-making capabilities of the robot are based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, which allow it to perform specific actions in accordance to the situation and the surrounding environment. The presented prototype is in its early development and evaluation stages and the paper concludes with discussions on the possible further improvements of the platform.

scholarly journals Specificity of the network model of innovation activity in biomedical sector in the context of protection of intellectual property

2021 ◽  
pp. 58-83
Author(s):  
Ksenia Michailovna Belikova
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Network Model ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Innovation Activity ◽  
Dialectical Logic

This article aims to prove the working hypothesis, as well as determine and analyze the peculiarities of the network model of open innovation activity in biomedical sector in the context of protection of intellectual property in Russia and abroad, based on examination of the real projects implemented within the framework of this strategy by the organizations (for example, Structural Genomics Consortium) and companies (Bayer, AstraZeneca, FabRx, Biogen, Vertex Pharmaceuticals). The article employs the methods of induction and deduction, formal and dialectical logic for revealing the benefits of network cooperation and open innovation strategy, which substantiates the objective need for the business strategies, methods and mechanisms for the production and protection of scientific information and results of intellectual property in the context of development of new technologies (such, blockchain), which are discussed in the article. The relevance, theoretical and practical importance of the conducted research lie in the fact that the network &ldquo;open&rdquo; and traditional &ldquo;closed&rdquo; methods of production of the new scientific knowledge have their merits and flaws that may influence the scientific progress and innovation-driven growth. The experience of foreign institutes, scientific centers, and companies can be valuable in seeking the answers to the analogous questions associated with the development, substantiation, and recognition of collaborations based on the open innovations of the Russian Federation. The results acquired by the author are also reflected in the ideas that in the sphere of biotechnologies, the projects implemented in within the open innovations strategy may have different configurations (domestic and supranational), however pursuing a single goal &ndash; &nbsp;to create a more effective specific therapy for various diseases, which would promote network collaboration, and by common consent, can be achieved via three vectors of research, while legal certainty and security can be ensured by blockchain technology.

scholarly journals Medicine Between Ethics and Scientific Progress: How Much Ethics Needs Medicine, how much ethics can it afford? Some Considerations from Patent Law Perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-76
Author(s):  
Joseph Straus
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Patent Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Legal Situation ◽  
Risky Investment

The progress of medicine is heavily dependent on the progress of science and technology, which in turn depend on costly and risky investment in research and development. In this contribution, based on some concrete examples, new scientific achievements are presented as basis of modern medicine and source of ethical concerns. Addressed are also the role of scientists in coping with safety in ethical concerns as regards hazards of new technologies, costs of R&D investment in drug development and the role of patents in this context. In some detail the legal situation existing at an international and European level as regards exclusions from patentability based on reasons of ethics and morals is presented. A critical appraisal of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union as regards patentability of embryonic stem cells is offered.

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