Denavit-Hartenberg-based Analytic Kinematics and Modeling of 6R Degrees of Freedom Robotic Arm for Smart Farming
Authors: Ronnie S. Concepcion II, Sandy C. Lauguico, Ira C. Valenzuela, Argel A. Bandala, Elmer P. Dadios
Abstract
To mitigate the challenges in soilless agriculture especially the challenges in irrigation, advancement in robotics should be applied particularly in crop management. This study proposed the use of robotic arm in automatic detection of drought in plant systems and microspraying of water. A 6 revolute (6R) degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic arm was modeled and analyzed using inverse kinematics. The Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) convention was used to choose the reference frame and form the kinematical equation of the resultant robotic structure. The universal Robot 10 (UR10) robotic arm was instrumentalized to cross-verify the actual robot motion. The end-effector holding the water sprayer stops at the top of the coordinates of each plant, sprays water if needed, and transfers to the next plant coordinate. There are three methods used for the path planning, namely, circular, row-by-row and serpentine methods. Among these methods, both circular and serpentine methods provide the most time-efficient path of 22 seconds. Overall, the combination of DH convention and circular or serpentine method as proven reliable and efficient in spraying less-irrigated crops. Hence, it is essential to avoid agricultural malpractices.