System Design Methodology and Preliminary Design of a Robotic Service System for Agricultural Drones

Abstract

This paper introduces the development of a robotic service system for a fleet of agricultural drones. "Service" implies automatic refilling of spray tanks and battery charging. The system consists of a ground station, a group of drones, and an external control panel, designed as a unified automated complex capable of performing the following functions. The ground station is designed for storage, transportation of drones in a special compartment, and automatic delivery of drones from this compartment to the landing platform located above the station. A payload module with a tank filled with spray mixture and integrated charged battery is automatically docked to the drone. The equipped drone departs on a spraying mission, while another drone is delivered from the compartment to the platform. Flights are performed in a fully automatic mode. Upon mission completion, the drone automatically lands on the platform, where a robotic manipulator removes the used module and replaces it with a newly equipped one. Preparation of spray solution (mixture), filling payload modules with it, and battery charging are performed automatically onboard the ground station. External control of the system is carried out by an operator from a control panel and is reduced to inputting initial data for generating flight tasks for the drone fleet, building and monitoring the technological process: flight schedule, mission execution by drones, and monitoring the technical condition of all subsystems. In case of emergency situations and collisions, automatic response options are provided, as well as operator involvement in the decision-making process. An express analysis of the automated service conveyor for the drone fleet has been performed, the results of which suggest a significant increase in the efficiency of aerial treatment of agricultural land compared to traditional manual methods of drone servicing and control.