About the project “Development and implementation of Automated nursery plant thinning and weeding technology
Project name:
Development of automated tree nursery thinning and weeding technology
Project nr.
24-00-C0LA1601-000018
Partners:
- Rigas Tehnical University
- SIA “AgroRobot”
- SIA “Rīgas meži”
Project development time:
10/2024 – 03/2027
Project goal:
The aim of the project is to develop technology for thinning tree seedlings growing in greenhouses and for weeding using robotic systems to increase the level of automation in tree nurseries. Weeding tree seedlings is a time-consuming process, and the availability of the necessary human resources decreases every year. The developed technical solution will allow to automate the process of weeding and thinning.
Project description:
Project will develop a technology for thinning greenhouse tree saplings and weeding. New technology will use robotics, mechatronics and artificial intelligence technologies for performing automated thinning and weeding process. Developed solution will be integrated with the seedling monitoring system which identifies and predicts health status of tree saplings, relative soil moisture levels, overly dense growing tree saplings and weeds between them. The data collected by the monitoring information system will be uploaded into the greenhouse GIS system and based on the results, will be used for automated/robotic thinning of tree saplings and weeding, without human intervention. This will contribute to a healthier and more competitive sapling production, with a corresponding impact on quality of future forests and healthier tree growth. It will create a direct economic impact on the forestry sector, exports of which accounts on average for 20% of Latvia's total exports. The development of the integrated system will contribute significantly to the efficiency of production, cost reduction and will allow significantly increase the production of tree seedlings, while improving their quality.
Expected result:
As a result of the implementation of the project, a technology prototype will be developed, which will be a hardware and a set of software. The prototype will be integrated into the tree seedling greenhouse and its infrastructure. With its help, it will be it is possible to perform thinning of tree seedlings and weeding in an automated way. The project will also prepare scientific article for publication in scientific journals on the construction of the technology, possibilities and its approbation, providing the availability of information about the conclusions reached during the project also for other representatives of the industry. It is expected that the development of the technology planned as part of the project will significantly contribute to the production of nursery products automation will allow more efficient use of existing human resources, as a result of which it will be possible to increase production production volumes, offering higher quality products.
The implementation of the project is supported by the Rural Support Service and the Ministry of Agriculture. More information about the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development is available on the European Commission's website:
European Commission website
