From agricultural farming to gardening, the main barrier to stepping forward into this world for most is the cost of the various equipment needed to properly monitor your crops, soil and its ecosystem. This is where Agrobot comes in! A piece of smart technology that encapsulates all the different monitoring systems you will need to keep your land healthy and thriving, and combines them all into one cheaper, sustainable and user-friendly solution. Tailored to both farmers and gardeners alike, no longer accessibility to these types of technology will be left to the richest or those with the most land with Agrobot.
Let's Discover
AGROGUARD
Innovation Fest 2025
About AGROGUARD
UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Empowered and Driven:
Delivering Solutions for Global Issues
UN Sustainable Goal 15: We at AGROGUARD understand that pests can affect the yield of produce. We also respect that biodiversity is detrimental to our planet. Our mission with AGROBOT is to create an environment where both biodiversity and technology thrives in a symbiotic relationship.
UN Sustainable Goal 9: Team AGROGUARD aims to deliver AGROBOT as a base for the future of outdoor monitoring technologies, re-shaping the market of high cost, non-inclusive farming and gardening equipment. This will ensure that people from all backgrounds will have access to higher quality produce.
THE STORY BEGAN
DESIGN STORY
Challenges
The members of team AGROGUARD thought hard to decide what the true main function of this device was and the ideal audience it would tailor. By doing this, we have identified two main challenges that this device would face. The first challenge would be weather conditions. Harsh conditions such as stormy weather could interfere with the circuits which AGROBOT rely on to function. Extremley hot temperatures may cause the circuits to overheat and damage the sensors. Although Arduino boards have an operating temeprature between -40°C to 85°C, it is necessary to take precaution. The second challenge would involve the surfaces which AGROBOT travels on. A surface too high or too low may cause it to fall over. A surface that is too wet may cause AGROBOT to remain stuck in postition.
Solution
The first challenge will be prevented through a specific 3D printed shell that is tailored to prevent the circuits from being damaged by weather conditions. A circular shaped structure ensures water will fall to the sides of the robot, rather than into the circuits. A white or silver colour for the shell of AGROBOT ensures the least amount of light is absorbed, preventing higher temperatures compared with darker colours. The second challenge will involve a custom 3D printed overlay that can be placed on the wheels to ensure that agrobot can move on almost any surface it is placed on. It will give the wheels a larger surface area.
Use Case
The sole purpose of AGROBOT is to ensure that people from all backgrounds can monitor and produce higher yields from their crops and ensure that their soil is healthy and thriving with nutrients without the extra potential labour costs involved. All of this is capable by AGROBOT, an automated IOT monitoring device that monitors fields, and improves yields.
TECHNOLOGIES
List of Essential Tools and Technologies
THE PROCESS
PROTOTYPE DESIGN
The prototype involves an Arduino, which powers all of the components. An ultrasonic distance sensor will be used to measure the distance between an object, allowing AGROBOT to turn away relative to the distance. A soil moisture sensor located at the bottom of the robot will be used to monitor the soil moisture quality. A temperature sensor located near the bottom will provide accurate temperature readings for the environment.
Online Marketing
Creative agency
Web development
PLEDGE
Impact on the market
We are certain that AGROBOT will have many competitors that will be looking to adapt and improve on our device. Our initial plan at team AGROGUARD was for other competitors to improve on the prototype device and create a market that includes IOT monitoring devices which are cheap, affordable and accessible to almost everyone. The data monitoring market for farming equipment and gardening will be an area where AGROBOT will categorise itself as it envolves the use of multiple sensors and connectivity features.
The university would be our main source of funding; being only students, the minimum viable product does not cover the cost of the material which houses the circuits or labour costs. BCU providing us a small loan would cover the expenses and allow us to create and market it on a much larger scale.
RESULTS
FINAL PRODUCT
OUTER SHELL: the outer area of AGROBOT has a circular structure to prevent weather conditions, a lighter paint to reflect light, preventing higher temperatures. A small external barrier that provides an extra layer of protection if AGROBOT collides with an object. An LCD screen will output the data generated from the different sensors
INTERIOR: Arduino microprocessor connected to a soil moisture sensor, 3 LED’s, ultrasonic distance sensor and a temperature sensor
WHEELS: a specialized 3D printed design which improves the surface area of the wheels, allowing them to move on different surfaces