IIT Kharagpur Unveils Smart FarmBot to Combat Crop Diseases with Precision
In a remarkable step toward revolutionising Indian agriculture, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has developed a pioneering robotic system called FarmBot, designed to detect crop diseases and ensure safe, precise pesticide application. The innovation stems from the persistent need to assist farmers in combating plant diseases and managing pesticide use with accuracy and safety. By automating the complex tasks of disease detection and pesticide spraying, this intelligent robotic system seeks to address long-standing challenges that have often compromised crop yield, farmer health, and environmental sustainability.
The project, led by Professor Dilip Kumar Pratihar of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is a culmination of collaborative efforts involving PhD and project students. The result is a Semi-Automatic Tracked Mobile Manipulator cum Agricultural Robotic System, which has also earned an Indian patent. This ground-breaking system integrates cutting-edge technologies to identify plant diseases in real-time using image processing techniques, followed by the precise application of pesticides in affected areas. Its ability to deliver site-specific treatment not only enhances crop protection but also reduces the excessive use of chemicals, promoting eco-friendly farming.
While drone-based agricultural robots have gained attention in recent years, they face significant limitations when it comes to disease detection. The downward airflow generated by flying drones often causes leaf movement, resulting in blurry or noisy images that hinder accurate analysis. To counter this drawback, IIT Kharagpur’s ground-based robot employs a stable tracked platform equipped with high-resolution cameras. This allows it to perform meticulous image analysis from close proximity, offering higher accuracy in detecting diseases and targeting pesticide application without disturbing the crops.
The concept of the Tracked Mobile Manipulator was first introduced by Prof. Pratihar in 2018 during a National Seminar organized by CDAC Kolkata, titled “Trends and Applications of ICT in Agriculture (TRACT).” Recognising the varying terrain conditions in agricultural fields—neither uniformly flat nor rugged—he proposed a tracked robot that mimics human hand-like movements through a serial manipulator mounted on a mobile base. This configuration ensures smooth navigation across fields and enables delicate operations, such as picking or spraying, with high precision.
Funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, this innovation not only promotes the mechanisation of Indian agriculture but also prioritises the health and safety of farmers. By minimizing direct exposure to toxic chemicals and reducing crop losses due to late disease detection, the FarmBot supports improved productivity, better quality food production, and cost-effective farming practices. In the broader picture, such advancements contribute to national goals by strengthening food security, uplifting rural livelihoods, and positively impacting the country’s GDP.
#IITKharagpur#FarmBot#AgriTech#printpublication #modernagriculturetimes
#modernagricultureindia
