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Palm oil (PO) is a crucial ingredient in many products, encompassing food, cosmetics, and biodiesel. Southeast Asia is the main contributor, accounting for 87% of global palm oil production. Specifically, Indonesia holds the largest share at 56%, followed by Malaysia at 28% and Thailand at 3% (Malaysian Oil Scientists and Technologists, 2019). Consequently, any improvement in these countries’ agricultural operations would undoubtedly substantially influence the worldwide supply of palm oil.
Malaysia, known for its RM67.74 billion palm oil industry, heavily relies on foreign labor, particularly in infield plantation operations. However, the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent implementation of movement control restrictions have caused a labor shortage in the estates. Consequently, both the production output and export of palm oil have been significantly affected.
Harvesting and evacuating fresh fruit bunches (FFB) are labor-intensive tasks in oil palm estates, comprising approximately 60% of the overall work operation and contributing 15% of the fruit production cost (Deraman et al., 2013). Introducing mechanization and automation in these areas can enhance production output and reduce reliance on foreign labor.
Compared to other agricultural practices such as vineyard, paddy, tomato, or fruit plantations, oil palm cultivation poses unique challenges. A typical large oil palm estate spans 2,413 hectares and encompasses 236,727 trees, averaging around 98 per hectare (MySpatial Sdn. Bhd., n.d.). The vast size of the plantation necessitates robust machinery capable of enduring long operational hours. Additionally, the harsh land surface, uneven terrain, and treacherous obstacles within the oil palm plantation (OPP) present significant obstacles for mechanized vehicles (Jayaselan & Anusia, 2011).
Based on our survey, existing commercially available robots are unsuitable for utilization in oil palm environments (Ismail et al., 2022). The rugged nature of the unique oil palm environment renders these robots ineffective for field operations. Consequently, we have constructed a robot designed to further our research in robotics studies in oil palm estate.
The main goals of this research are threefold. First, we aim to design a wheel-based robot to assist in selected in-field operations. Secondly, the objective is to develop a cost-effective robot form factor that demonstrates low operational costs. Lastly, the research strives to create an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and equip the robot with the necessary sensors to advance our research in autonomous navigation. Our work encompasses two distinct parts to achieve these goals, each contributing significantly to the overall research.
In the first part, we comprehensively study the oil palm environment and its associated parameters. Our examination encompasses various elements encountered within plantation estates, including traversal paths, road types, obstacles, soil compositions, and surface characteristics. We identified specific field operations that are amenable to automation.
The second part focuses on developing detailed processes for converting an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) into a configurable research platform robot. We cover various aspects, including the mechanical, electrical, electronic, and sensory components, providing a comprehensive understanding of the transformation process. We present the results of experimental benchmarking conducted on our control system, offering insights into its preliminary performance and effectiveness.
The remaining sections of the article are organized as follows. Section 2 background information, highlighting the current issues and the motivation driving this research endeavor. Section 3 outlines the research methodology. Section 4 delves into related works, exploring existing literature on robots in the agricultural domain. Section 5 focuses on the comprehensive studies conducted on plantation operations and the surrounding environment. In Section 6, the process of converting an ATV into a UGV. Section 7 presents the validation of the drive-by-wire control system through experimental testing of the drive and steering sub-system. Section 8 addresses the issues, challenges, and potential improvements. Lastly, a summary of the findings and conclusions is provided in the final section.