RIPPA and VIIPA, ground vehicles, Australian Centre for Field Robotics, Sydney, Australia

[Administrator]

Developer - Australian Centre for Field Robotics

sydney.edu.au/acfr/agriculture

 

[Administrator]

First Outdoor Test of RIPPA and VIIPA

Published on Oct 8, 2015

This video shows the first outdoor test of our new precision ground vehicle RIPPA (Robot for Intelligent Perception and Precision Application). VIIPA (Variable Injection Intelligent Precision Applicator) is shown autonomously shooting weeds at high speed using a directed micro dose of liquid. The first on-farm trial will be in Cowra late October, 2015!

 

[Administrator]

RIPPA endurance trial, Cowra

Published on Apr 12, 2016

RIPPA completes over 21 hours of continuous operation using only solar and battery power in Cowra, NSW. The run began at 0530, 1 hour before sunrise and completed at 0317 the next morning, 9 hours after sunset. For the duration, RIPPA roved autonomously up and down the spinach crop rows imaging the leaves. RIPPA then waited until solar sufficiently charged the batteries and at 1000 it began where it left off and continued roving up and down the rows again. The irrigation created muddy and uneven terrain at the row ends, which was no problem for RIPPA as you can see in the video. RIPPA (Robot for Intelligent Perception and Precision Application) is an omni-directional solar-electric robot designed to aid the crop farmer.

 

[Administrator]

RIPPA demonstrating autonomous crop interaction

Published on Oct 30, 2016

This video shows the RIPPA robot working on several commercial vegetable farms around Australia. Various experimental autonomous crop interaction tasks are demonstrated including:

- autonomous row following
- deep learning and 3D image reconstruction
- autonomous real time mechanical weeding
- autonomous real time variable rate fluid dispensing using VIIPA
- autonomous soil sampling and mapping

 

[Administrator]

Orchard autonomy and precision targeting using RIPPA and VIIPA

Published on May 12, 2017

This video shows the RIPPA robot working on an apple orchard in Three Bridges, Victoria, Australia. Various experimental autonomous tasks are demonstrated including:

- autonomous row following and changing rows
- autonomous real time apple detection and targeted variable rate fluid dispensing using VIIPA

These early experiments targeted fruits with water. Future experiments will target other parts of the tree with various fluids and at different stages. Applications include precision pest management, pruning, thinning and pollinating.

 

[Administrator]

RIPPA functionality and industry update 2018

Published on Jun 24, 2018

Created through the Horticulture Innovation Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems at the University of Sydney's internationally-recognised Australian Centre for Field Robotics, RIPPA is a production prototype robot for the vegetable industry. This video provides an update on RIPPA’s functionality and future research and development work.