ForestBots

Contact Person (Coordinator)

Prof. Dr. Andreas Ligocki

Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften
Salzdahlumer Straße 46/48
38302 Wolfenbüttel

a.ligocki@ostfalia.de

What the project is about

A small swarm consisting of two fully electric, all-terrain autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) is intended to replicate exemplary forestry work processes in the forest in an automated or semi-autonomous manner. The focus here, as the first use case, is on planting seedlings in the forest. The AMR1 is manually navigated by an operator via radio control across the area to be cultivated in order to conduct an initial reconnaissance of the complex driving environment for the AMR2. The AMR1 is additionally equipped with a modified collaborative industrial robot serving as a universal handling system, as well as a special tool for planting seedlings. The AMR1 also features sensors for self-localization and continuously transmits information—including its position, magazine fill level, planting depth, planting position, and soil conditions—to a central communication hub.

The task of the AMR2 is to continuously and semi-autonomously supply the AMR1’s planting magazine with planting material from a central storage area at the edge of the field, where an employee manually assembles and places the planting containers. The AMR2 is also equipped with extensive sensor technology and uses, among other things, prior knowledge from the AMR1 as well as methods for autonomous localization and mapping currently under development for navigation. Upon arrival, the industrial robot on the AMR1 takes the full plant containers from the AMR2, moves empty containers, and supplies the planting unit with seedlings—thus handling all platform operations for the AMR1.

Thus, the ForestBots project represents a unique combination of existing electric AMRs from various manufacturers that will operate collaboratively as a swarm in a robot-hostile environment.

Visit the Projectwebsite