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Advances in AI and Robotics have accelerated significant initiatives in agriculture, particularly in the areas of robot navigation and 3D digital twin creation. A significant bottleneck impeding this progress is the critical lack of…
In-network machine learning enables real-time classification directly on network hardware, offering consistently low inference latency. However, current solutions are limited by strict hardware constraints, scarce on-device resources, and…
The Array Camera for Optical to Near-IR Spectrophotometry, or ARCONS, is a camera based on Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs), a new technology that has the potential for broad application in astronomy. Using an array of MKIDs,…
We describe a flexible, simple to build, low-cost, and computer-controlled optical mirror actuator system we developed for undergraduate research laboratories. Geared motors for hobby robotics are controlled by an Arduino microcontroller…
Phased arrays have enabled advances in communications, sensing, imaging, and wireless power transfer. In all these applications, large apertures enable higher power, higher data rates, higher resolution, and complex functionalities, but are…
Conventional linear crop layouts, optimised for tractors, hinder robotic navigation with tight turns, long travel distances, and perceptual aliasing. We propose a robot-centric square spiral layout with a central tramline, enabling simpler…
This paper describes dynamic system identification, and full control of a cost-effective vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) multi-rotor micro-aerial vehicle (MAV) --- DJI Matrice 100. The dynamics of the vehicle and autopilot controllers…
A novel toolbox named FLOreS is presented for intuitive design of fractional order controllers (FOC) using industry standard loop shaping technique. This will allow control engineers to use frequency response data (FRD) of the plant to…
OpenPodcar2 is a robust, ROS2-interfaced, low-cost, open source hardware and software, autonomous vehicle platform based on an off-the-shelf, hard-canopy, mobility scooter donor vehicle. It is a modification of the previous OpenPodcar…
There is an intrinsic value in higher integration of multi-carrier energy systems (especially gas and electricity), to increase operational flexibility in the electricity system and to improve allocation of resources in gas and electricity…
In automated warehouses, teams of mobile robots fulfill the packaging process by transferring inventory pods to designated workstations while navigating narrow aisles formed by tightly packed pods. This problem is typically modeled as a…
Accurate crop yield prediction relies on diverse data streams, including satellite, meteorological, soil, and topographic information. However, despite rapid advances in machine learning, existing approaches remain crop- or region-specific…
This paper presents AlphaGarden: an autonomous polyculture garden that prunes and irrigates living plants in a 1.5m x 3.0m physical testbed. AlphaGarden uses an overhead camera and sensors to track the plant distribution and soil moisture.…
Tasks in outdoor open world environments are now ripe for automation with mobile manipulators. The dynamic, unstructured and unknown environments associated with such tasks -- a prime example would be collecting roadside trash -- makes them…
This paper describes an approach to building a cost-effective and research grade visual-inertial odometry aided vertical taking-off and landing (VTOL) platform. We utilize an off-the-shelf visual-inertial sensor, an onboard computer, and a…
Manual pruning is labor intensive and represents up to 25% of annual labor costs in fruit production, notably in apple orchards and vineyards where operational challenges and cost constraints limit the adoption of large-scale machinery. In…
Motorized rotation mounts and stages are versatile instruments that introduce computer control to optical systems, enabling automation and scanning actions. They can be used for intensity control and position adjustments, etc. However,…
Autonomous agricultural vehicles (AAVs), including field robots and autonomous tractors, are becoming essential in modern farming by improving efficiency and reducing labor costs. A critical task in AAV operations is headland turning…
Agriculture is the foundation of human civilization. However, the rapid increase of the global population poses a challenge on this cornerstone by demanding more food. Modern autonomous greenhouses, equipped with sensors and actuators,…
Small robots that can operate under the plant canopy can enable new possibilities in agriculture. However, unlike larger autonomous tractors, autonomous navigation for such under canopy robots remains an open challenge because Global…