MickLinux's Journal: Public Domain - rotary computerized garden robot

Okay, the basic idea is this: you know how the giant farms have giant watering walkers? The water is pumped to the center, and from there a wheeled walker moves around in a circle. Well, this is a similar idea: a robot arm with its center fixed, and its radius able to move in a circle.

The walker has *low* power clip-on devices that can do various jobs. Each clip-on device has a programmable rom, with little mini-programs. Devices might include: scissors; mini shovel; camera; seed planter; ph tester; salinity tester; hygrometer; fertilizer; infrared camera; watering hose; and so on. Later versions could have "bug picking fingers", even.

When you want to begin your garden, you tell it what seeds you will be planting. Your computer program then downloads the plant information (based upon the seeds you use), and designs a probable "one of the best" garden. I say "one of the best", because it does not try to use "the" optimum solution, but simply something close. This will help the computer program compile data about the different plants, and help truly optimize growing conditions.

The robotic unit consists of several parts: A central spindle; wheel walkers; carriage bars; alignment signs; a robotic cartridge exchanger; and a robotic cartridge unit that supplies (at need) water and electricity, and can adjust its radial position. The whole thing connects to your computer via infrared, laser, or radio communication. Because it is on a central spindle, determining position is much easier. Because of the extensible design of the carriage bars, the whole unit is scalable.

The robotic cartridge unit has its own little motor (and maybe its own little power supply) to carry it up and down the carriage bars. It operates on a principle similar to the HPDJ inkjet cartridge; it can also tell its position.

When it plants the seeds, the computer makes a map of its location. It then waters the ground, according to a program, so that each patch gets a slightly different amount of water (for data analysis and optimization), but close to the believed optimum. It then watches for sprouts. Sprouts in the correct area are allowed to grow. Sprouts in the wrong area get cut.

As the plant grows, the computer tracks such things as leaf size, color, and whatnot to determine plant health.

Different things that can be tracked include: plant selection mixtures (for example, do we keep all; the potatos together, or do we mix potatos and carrots?); lighting conditions; temperature; and so on. The computer creates and keeps maps of each plant and the whole garden, so it can keep track of performance. In the end, the amount of produce is compared to the tracked conditions, to determine what the best conditions are. They, in turn, help the computer determine what the best growing strategy is.

The cartridge units are open-source, and reprogrammable. Communications are simplified by the maps. The unit makes up for its low power by persistance and always being in operation (day and/or night). Solar power is an option.