An orange
sun peers over the trees as green crops shimmer with morning
dew. In the distance, cows are mooing. A farmer sets his coffee
mug on the dashboard of his pickup, boots a laptop computer
and releases his team of robots.
It sounds like science fiction, but in the not-too-distant
future unmanned vehicles could perform many farming tasks,
say scientists with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. They already have a prototype for a “Row-bot,”
a computer-guided vehicle that can check the health of plants
and fields, monitor cattle and spray for bugs.
Row-bots are the mechanical brainchild of Glen Rains, an agricultural
engineer, and Stuart Pocknee, program coordinator with the
National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory
in Tifton.
“What we’d like to develop from this is an autonomous
vehicle that could be fitted with various sensors and equipment
that could be used to work in and remotely view a field,”
Rains said.
The Row-bot now is about the size of a stripped-down mid-sized
car. Standing about 3 feet off the ground on four wheels,
it is guided by Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology,
has sensors to control and monitor movements, and is connected
to a computer network that allows Internet access.
A team of these row-bots could be networked together and programmed
to scout fields for insect or disease damage, take soil samples
or other data and report it back in real time to a farmer
on a computer, Rains said. Using wireless technology, a farmer
with mobile Internet access could connect with his Row-bots
and see what they see through a camera attached to them. And
GPS technology would allow them to work at night—virtually
24 hours a day.
Competing in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities
for international experiences. Our students are flocking to
study-abroad programs, thriving on the challenges inherent
in confronting a new cultural environment. More and more,
students on campus are also making choices that reflect an
understanding of the importance of global awareness—from
living in a residence hall-based language community to starting
a radio program in another language to minoring in a foreign
language. These experiences, whether at home or abroad, influence
how our students perceive the world and their place in it.
We’re producing graduates prepared to be world citizens—well
informed, culturally sensitive and technologically sophisticated.
They’re ready to take on the challenges of our global
society, and they’ll be equally at home whether in the
Peach State or the Republic of Georgia.
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Stuart
Pocknee demonstrates the use of a remote controlled "Row-bot"
which was designed by UGA researchers to perform farming tasks.
