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ARDUINO-BASED AUTONOMOUS PESTICIDE SPRAYING ROBOT FOR
GREENHOUSE CROPS
A Thesis
Presented to
the Faculty of the College of Engineering and Architecture
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
by
Noel O.Bonador
Rey Bryan J. Reyes
Mark L. Solera
Fitz Russel G. Delloro
Daved L. Velitario
Engr. Ruel Romulo
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Technical Adviser
October 2023
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Agriculture is the main source of food for the population of the world. The
agricultural sector includes livestock, forestry, fisheries and husbandry. According to the
International Trade Administration, the agricultural sector accounted for 9.5 percent of
the Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines and around 20 percent of the country’s
employment. Nevertheless, with these given statistics, this sector is still dependent on the
traditional methods of production and small-scale farming. [1] Traditional farming
practices are local knowledge that arose from farmer’s practices and experience through
time. Every community has its own farming strategies and methods because of its
indigenous knowledge that arose from its unique ways of survival. [2]
Filipino farmers face a serious challenge of frequent typhoon visits due to the
country being tropical. Hence adopting greenhouse technology would enable farmers to a
better crop protection and yield constantly.
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Statement of the Problem
This study aims to create an Arduino-based pesticide spraying robot to be used in
greenhouse crops. The researchers came up with the idea of making a system that refrains
from the traditional ways of applying pesticides given the chemical hazard it presents to
humans. This study also aims to create a lower cost system compared to that of modern
spraying systems using drones, UAVs, farm tractors, and existing robots. These are the
problems that the study aims to answer:
1. How to develop an automated pesticide spraying robot for greenhouse crops?
2. How to design a robot that is more efficient, and safe/hazard-free than the
traditional ways of spraying, however cheaper than the latest systems?
3. To assess the performance of the automated spraying system in terms of:
a. Efficiency of spraying
b. The capacity to store liquid pesticide
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c. Durability
Assumptions of the Study
This study premised on the following assumptions:
1. The development of automated pesticide spraying robot will be used in
different plantations like indoor farming for example: hydroponics, aquaponics and
aeroponics.
2. The system will be more efficient, and safe for farmers to avoid being directly
exposed in different chemicals due to traditional way of spraying.
3. The system will possess a more functional, efficient and safe approach to crop
care operation.
a. The spraying rate will be efficient
b. The system will be able to store better amount of liquid pesticide.
c. The system will be durable to weather conditions and throughout longer
operations.
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Significance of The Study
The study of an automated spraying robot using Arduino Uno will have immense
significance in various industries especially in agriculture. It offers a lot of benefits in this
kind of innovative system as well as cost-effectiveness and increased efficiency. By
integrating Arduino technology into a spraying system, farmers can apply or automate the
application of pesticides in precise and reliable coverage. This spraying system helps
workers' safety by minimizing exposure to harmful chemical. This lowers the possibility
of human error while also maximizing resource efficiency and reducing environmental
impact. This study contributes significantly to optimizing productivity, reducing costs,
enhancing quality, and ensuring safety in industry of agriculture. The output of this study
is beneficial to the following:
Farm Owners. The farm owners stand to benefit greatly from this technology.
The automated spraying system can significantly improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of pest and disease control in crops, it can save significant amounts of time
and effort.
Farmers. This study will benefit the health and safety of farmers by minimizing
exposure to harmful chemical.
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Agriculture. This study benefited in this field of industry. The implementation of
automated spraying systems in agriculture improves productivity, sustainability, and the
overall efficiency of farming practices.
Environment. This technology brings numerous benefits to the environment, it
can lower the risk of over-application and the subsequent runoff into water bodies or soil
contamination.
Future Researchers. This study might bring some insights for future researchers
in creating new idea that can be innovate as another study that can be beneficial to
different types of industry.
Scope and Delimitations
This study focused on system design and development, which aims to design,
develop, and implement an Arduino-based automated spraying robot to make the work
more efficient, uniform, and accurate. The objective is to create a system that will prevent
the effects of poisoning or injuries to farmers that may be caused by spraying pesticides
in a traditional method along with creating a design that costs cheaper than drones and
UAVs. The automated spraying robot consists of a Arduino-based program to control the
system. The main focus of this paper is on the creation of an automated spraying system
and a control system for dealing with different illnesses present on indoor crop farms.
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Definition of Terms
These are the terms used in this research with their corresponding definitions used
by the researchers in the context of this study.
Arduino.
Pesticide. Pesticides for crops are chemical substances or mixtures used to
control, manage, or eliminate pests that can harm or damage agricultural crops.
Indoor Crops. Refers to the cultivation of plants, typically agricultural or
horticultural crops, within an enclosed, controlled environment, such as a greenhouse,
indoor farm, or growth chamber.
Chemical Hazard. Refers to the inherent potential of a chemical substance or
mixture to cause harm or pose a danger to human health, the environment, or property.
Drone/UAV. Is a remotely operated or autonomously controlled aircraft that does
not require a human pilot on board for its operation.
Fertilizer. Is a substance or material that is applied to soil or plants to provide
essential nutrients that promote plant growth and enhance crop yields.
Endnotes
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Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature and Study
In regard to the current study, this chapter includes and gives an alternative overview of
related literature and studies. With the help of several sources, the researchers were able
to gather the data, facts, and the theories they needed to inform the results of their study.
Related Literature
This part reviews relevant literature written by local and international authors that
is pertinent to the study's topic.
Autonomous Robot in Agriculture
A robot is a type of automated machine that can execute specific tasks with little or no
human intervention and with speed and precision. according to MARIUS PULTYN,
robots are no match for us humans, but there are certain areas in which robots have a
significant advantage, robots are faster and greater at performing a task that involves
processing data, robots are more efficient, robots can outperform humans when it comes
to efficiency, robots can work 24/7 without rest, robots are more reliable than humans,
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robots rarely make mistake and more precise than humans, robots can produce greater
quantity in a short amount of time and they can work at a constant speed with no breaks,
holiday or day offs and when it comes to cost robots are more cheaper than the cost of
hiring people to do the same job, robots are between two up to ten times cheaper than
human labor. The only downside of robots is that they are still not able to overcome
obstacles related to physical access to telephones, printers, paper documents, or tokens
allowing additional authentication, and robots are not capable of communicating with
emotion and empathy. (Pultyn, 2022)
Pultyn, M. (2022, June 28). Why are robots not equal to humans? - Digital Teammates.
Digital Teammates.
https://dtmates.com/en/automation/why-are-robots-not-equal-to-
humans/
According to Tahmasebi et al. (2022), Robots have gained popularity in
agriculture due to cost reduction and increased operation accuracy. In the written article
by "The Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine (2013), studies show that using more
pesticides can damage farmland and increase the risk to human health when it is exposed
to dangerous chemicals. Researchers are focusing on precision agriculture, using sensors
to detect plant leaves and spray them as much as required on the plant. A wheeled robot
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has been developed to detect plants that are identified and sprayed using a color sensor,
which moves between planting rows and detects weeds based on leaf color. A
microcontroller-based board serves as the primary controller, transmitting spray orders to
the sprayer nozzle. In the past decades, robotic systems in agriculture have been
developed by combining sensor systems and GPS and communication technologies to
develop atomized autonomous systems. This allows the robot to detect weeds on the
ground and spray them with minimal human supervision, resulting in a cost reduction and
decreasing the risk of being exposed to dangerous chemicals or securing human health.
Combining color sensors with mobile robots can be more effective for pesticide spraying
autonomously. The robot can be used for pesticide operations, with future work involving
GPS implementation for more accurate navigation. Furthermore, using robots can reduce
the cost of human labor and reduce the risk of being exposed to dangerous chemicals
when spraying on agricultural land.
Tahmasebi, M., Gohari, M., & Emami, A. (2022). An Autonomous Pesticide Sprayer
Robot with a Color-based Vision System. International Journal of Robotics and Control
Systems, 2(1), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.31763/ijrcs.v2i1.480
Insect pest management is an important aspect of agriculture, especially in cropbased agriculture. Although the Malaysian pharmaceutical industry has advantages in
terms of crops, irrigation and management systems, it is still lacking in pest management
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because most of the insects and pests live their crops under the leaves, it is labor intensive
and difficult to irrigate crops under the leaves. or they are killed. These produce low
yields, poor quality, and unmarketable plant or plant debris. Even after harvesting, pests
continue to damage stored or processed produce. Therefore, the objective of this study is
to design and develop a self-contained insect spray system for spraying potato crops.
Now, this study intends to sequentially spray the pesticides on the undersurface of crop
leaves using flexible hand sprayers. This research includes an unmanned pesticide
sprayer that can be operated on its own. This is because pesticides are a hazardous
substance that can affect human health in the future if they are sprayed by hand especially
in an enclosed area such as an exposed greenhouse. Weak sprayer boost can be easily
controlled in greenhouses and outdoor areas such as open space farms. The use of
autonomous robotic pesticide sprayers is expected to lead to successful pesticide
applications in crop-based agriculture. Moreover, the proposed automatic spray can also
be used for various crops such as stone melon, tomato and papaya. Pineapples,
vegetables, and so on. (Kassim et al., 2020)
Kassim, A. M., Termezai, M. F. N. M., Jaya, A. K. R. A., Azahar, A. H., Sivarao, S., Jafar,
F. A., Jaafar, H. I., & Aras, M. S. M. (2020). Design and development of autonomous
pesticide sprayer robot for Fertigation Farm. International Journal of Advanced Computer
Science and Applications, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2020.0110269
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Spraying System
Crop nutrition and pest control are extremely sensitive areas of farm management
as crop production is often faced with new and unexpected challenges. Farmers are
therefore frequently under pressure to manage both of these crucial factors in a way that
is appropriate and economical. Agricultural sprayers are a unique class of agricultural
machinery designed to apply liquid pesticides and fertilizers to crops at different stages of
their growth cycles.
According to Chen et al. (2023), the majority of the sprayer pumps available in
the current market are back-mounted, hand pumps that are used to spray pesticides.
Although tractor-mounted sprayers are presently available on market are seen to use 10
sets of nozzles to spray the pesticide is very demanding on pesticide consumption leading
to pesticide wastage, and subsequent soil and water pollution. In order to effectively
control pests and minimize pesticide waste, this project concentrated on creating an
agricultural sprayer with a suitable pesticide application mechanism that would apply the
chemical directly to plant foliage and fruits with the least amount of waste possible. This
will lower the cost per acre of spraying and, more importantly, lessen the likelihood of
soil and water pollution.
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Furthermore, the effect of fixed spraying systems on controlling Diaphorina citri
reached the maximum at 3 days after spraying, which was 97.83%, and the effect
declined at 14 days after spraying, which was 85.47%.
Chen, C., Xue, X., Zhou, Q., Gu, W., Zhang, S., & Wu, C. (2023). Fixed Spraying
Systems Application in citrus orchards: Nozzle type and nozzle position effects on
droplet
deposition
and
pest
control.
Agronomy,
13(11),
2828.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13112828
Nasir et al. (2023), presented a case study of variable-rate targeted spraying using
deep learning for tobacco plant recognition and identification in a real tobacco field. The
model YOLOv5n, trained on real field data, achieved a F 1-score of 87.2% and a frame
per second rate of 67. In addition, to tackle the problem of undesired pressure fluctuations
that are usually related to bang-bang control, a new disturbance-based pressure and flow
control technique has been presented. Three distinct spraying case studies have been used
to assess the quality of spray produced by attenuating these disturbances, both
qualitatively and quantitatively: broadcast and selective spraying at a pressure of 20 psi;
and variable-rate spraying at a pressure ranging from 15 to 120 psi. The selective and
variable rate spray technologies have reduced the amount of agrochemicals by up to 60%
when compared to broadcast spraying.
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Nasir, F. E., Tufail, M., Haris, M., Iqbal, J., Khan, S. G., & Khan, M. T. (2023). Precision
agricultural robotic sprayer with real-time Tobacco recognition and spraying system
based
on
deep
learning.
PLOS
ONE,
18(3),
e0283801.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283801
Related Studies
The study by Lu (2022) investigates the knowledge, attitude, and practices of 387
agricultural workers in the Southern Philippines regarding pesticide use. Results show
that farmers use pesticides on average 2.31 days per week and are exposed to them for
3.46 months per cropping season. Farmers lack adequate knowledge about pesticides and
their proper management from use to disposal. They must increase understanding,
promote a healthy and safe attitude, and right practices regarding pesticide dangers, as
well as their proper use and handling. It is advised that farmers receive capacity building
and training to overcome gaps in their knowledge, attitudes, and practices.
Lu, J. L. (2022). Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Pesticide among Farmers in the
Philippines. Acta Medica Philippina, 56(1). https://doi.org/10.47895/amp.v56i1.3868
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According to Yuichi et al (2021). The purpose of their study is to introduce the
development of a pesticide spraying robot to prevent the health hazards such as pesticide
poisoning and heatstroke that occur during spraying pesticides in a greenhouse and to
compensate the farmers' shortage due to the aging and decrease of farmers. This robot is
autonomous and can be operated unmanned. It moves between ridges in the greenhouse
by line traces and sprays pesticides based on the results of image recognition and
measurement of the distance to crops by ultrasonic sensors. Using CCD camera for line
tracking was adopted as the driving method. The width of the robot was kept within 50
cm, so it was possible to significantly reduce costs and maintain the yield of crops
without having to rebuild the fields. In addition, identifying the crops to apply pesticides
by image recognition and accurately applying pesticides only to the crops, the usage of
pesticides was reduced by about 42%. This has the advantage of reducing the cost of
pesticides and reducing the impact of pesticides on crops.
Yuichi H. & Keita H. (2021). Development and Usability Test of Pesticide Spraying
Robot for Greenhouse, https://www.ijert.org/research/development-and-usability-test-ofpesticide-spraying-robot-for-greenhouse-IJERTV10IS050076.pdf
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According to Bzhikhatlov and Pshenokova (2023), their paper presented the design of the
spraying system for an autonomous mobile robot for agricultural purposes with the ability
to control the nozzle height and the active substance flow density, the spraying system's
proposed scheme will enable spot spraying of many plants concurrently. The outcomes of
field treatment using traditional sprayers will be contrasted with the effectiveness of the
intelligent spraying system.
Bzhikhatlov, K., & Pshenokova, I. (2023). Intelligent spraying system of autonomous
mobile agricultural robot. In Smart innovation, systems and technologies (pp. 269–278).
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4165-0_25
As stated by L. Cantelli, F. Bonaccorso et al. (2019) using precision spraying in
agriculture is a cutting-edge approach that enables farmers to target specific areas for
spraying, while also utilizing the correct amount of chemicals. This not only enhances
treatment effectiveness, but also results in cost reduction and decreased chemical waste.
In addition, precision spraying aids in meeting legal standards for employee well-being,
environmental sustainability, and food safety and quality. Nonetheless, many suppliers do
not provide robots and integrated systems that can effectively function in small, vertical
spaces or when faced with barriers, such as greenhouses or terraced fields.
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Cantelli, L., Bonaccorso, F., Longo, D., Melita, C. D., Schillaci, G., & Muscato, G.
(2019). A small versatile electrical robot for autonomous spraying in agriculture.
AgriEngineering, 1(3), 391–402. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering1030029
Synthesis State-of-the –Art
This research provides additional information to existing body of literature about the
automated robot. In order to stay at forefront of knowledge and advancements in the
specific fields a comprehensive overview of the current understanding and latest
development within domain was provided
Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Framework
Figure shows the flow of ideas of the entire research. The input of the conceptual
framework design of Autonomous spraying robot for Crops. The process includes
Planning, Designing, Programming, fabrication, Initial testing, Modification, and Final
testing. The planning stage involves the preparation of developing factors to be
considered in conducting this study. The design stage involves selecting materials/tools
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and developing an initial draft of a product for testing and improving its functionality.
The programming phase transforms the design into a functional model using a
programming language. Write code to implement key characteristics while ensuring that
they are in line with the prototype's goals. The fabrication process involves constructing
the model based on the design. pay attention to materials, tolerances, and precision to
ensure that the prototype accurately corresponds to the intended product. The initial
testing phase is where you must identify the weaknesses or areas for improvement and
make the needed adjustments to improve functionality to avoid problems during final
testing. The modification stage involves refining and improving the initial model based
on testing and feedback. The final testing is the phase that examines the study's
effectiveness, durability, and success of the study. The output of the study is a welldeveloped Autonomous spraying robot for crops that have undergone different processes
that are intended for spraying greenhouse crops. A feedback loop involves a continuous
process of receiving information, adjusting, and obtaining results
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Chapter 3
Research method
This study focused on an investigational research design to develop and evaluate an
Arduino-based pesticide spraying robot for crop preservation. The research includes both
hardware and software components, mixed robotics, and preciseness in agricultural
automation machinery to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of pesticide spraying
robot applications in the agricultural industry.
Research procedure
This researcher provided a detailed description of planning, designing, programming,
fabrication processes, testing procedures, modification, and final testing. This study seeks
to systematically assess the Arduino-based pesticide spraying robot performance in the
agricultural industry, with the ultimate objective of improving the accuracy, efficiency,
and pest control procedures.
Planning. One of the first things to do when doing a procedure is to plan. The pesticide
spraying robot is designed with portable planning. Through this stage, the researcher
makes the necessary essential preparations, including mechanical, electronic, and
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software components. This acted as a guide for the researchers when planning and
building the system. the researchers come up with the initial design of the system in
conformity with the efficiency and estimated value was conducted.
Designing. In the design stage, the researchers determine how the system will become
effective and efficient. The robot components were mechanical, electronic, and software.
this is a preliminary design for the Arduino-based pesticide spraying robot. The
researcher ensures the design addresses crop-particular conditions, environmental
conditions, and safety.
Programming. The researcher programmed Arduino using Python IDLE software. The
researcher wrote a code to achieve the desired flow of the device.
Fabrication process. The fabrication process aims to enhance the construction of the
robot components of the proposed device based on the design. The researchers are
ensuring the effectiveness and durability of the pesticide spraying method, which is
intended to assure even targeted pesticide dispersion. continuous monitoring throughout
fabrication to ensure safety and prevent accidents, ensuring both operational and timely
development.
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Testing procedure. During this stage, initial testing is conducted to determine if the
design has a possible error with the robot. The researchers test all the components to
confirm their effectiveness according to their design, fabrication, and functionality.
Modification. The modification of the system requires an adjustment of the model. The
process of the system underwent several modifications to ensure the enhancement,
effectiveness, and efficiency of the system and to regulate and command the functions of
the robot in order to achieve the desired result.
Final testing. Final testing was conducted to secure the success of the system. The
researchers inspect all robot components to guarantee correct operation. Implement safety
precautions for both researchers and the greenhouse environment, as well as follow
ethical requirements for pesticide usage and environmental effect within a greenhouse's
limited spaces. The researchers evaluate current greenhouse parameters, such as
temperature, humidity, and illumination, to determine whether the atmosphere is suitable
for pesticide spraying activities. Through this final testing observation, experimentation,
data collection, and analysis methods used, we will include details on the design,
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development, testing, and outcomes of the Arduino-based autonomous pesticide spraying
robot within greenhouse conditions.