Interactive sensors are an important component of robotic systems but often require manual replacement due to wear and tear. Automating this process can enhance system autonomy and facilitate long-term deployment. We developed an autonomous sensor exchange and calibration system for an agriculture crop monitoring robot that inserts a nitrate sensor into cornstalks. A novel gripper and replacement mechanism, featuring a reliable funneling design, were developed to enable efficient and reliable sensor exchanges. To maintain consistent nitrate sensor measurement, an on-board sensor calibration station was integrated to provide in-field sensor cleaning and calibration. The system was deployed at the Ames Curtis Farm in June 2024, where it successfully inserted nitrate sensors with high accuracy into 30 cornstalks with a 77% success rate.
@article{arxiv.2411.10585,
title = {Autonomous Sensor Exchange and Calibration for Cornstalk Nitrate Monitoring Robot},
author = {Janice Seungyeon Lee and Thomas Detlefsen and Shara Lawande and Saudamini Ghatge and Shrudhi Ramesh Shanthi and Sruthi Mukkamala and George Kantor and Oliver Kroemer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2411.10585},
year = {2024}
}