Research Synergy to address major challenges in the nexus: energy-environment-agricultural production (Food, Water, Materials)WP1 Primary Production

iBO | CERTH 6th km Charilaou Thermi Rd.

57001 | Thermi | Thessaloniki | Greecewww.ibo.certh.gr | www.certh.gr

Contact:Prof Dionysis Bochtis

Director

d.bochtis@certh.gr

+30 2311 257651 | +30 2311 257650

Introduction and Objective

The NEXUS project aims to develop innovativesystems linking the Energy, Environment andAgricultural Grid (Water, Food, Materials), creatingtechnological bases for sustainable economic andsocial development. The goal is a novel integratedand adaptive low input management system for theagricultural sector aiming at producing rawagricultural materials with resource management inan environmentally and economically sustainableway. The system will integrate all existingtechnologies while using robotic platforms equippedwith appropriate sensors for crop, environmental,soil and climate monitoring systems to fullyautomate data collection, processing, decisionmaking and intervention.

Perception Localization NavigationIn this module the UAV, executes a surveymission using the user provided coordinates andcreates a 2D field representation. Each pixel ofthe digitized field is geotagged with latitude andlongitude coordinates. This information, acts asan input for the UGV mission controller whichenables its automated navigation through thefield. The overall process is available as an optionwithin the FMIS and can be initiated, monitoredand controlled through it.

The InterfaceTo strengthen adoptability, favorable factors weretaken into account to form the user interface. Thecentral point allows a one-look estimation of thecurrent situation by providing a mixture of densegraphical information and textual elements onlywhere the information is best conveyed so.

Project Partners

FMIS architecture

The Information System ArchitectureThe FMIS developed is a system aimed to serve human users whilesimultaneously be able to monitor and control various subsystemswith varying levels of autonomous functions. The resultingproduct provides secure data connections and storage for bothuser and Unmanned Ground or Aerial Vehicles. Finally, the groundfor future development and connectivity to other systems of theagri-food supply chain was laid.

System’s ArchitectureThe proposed architecture serves the needs of theprogram while ensuring that data and processing isavailable in every stage of the implementation. Inmore detail, the information system is hosted on aserver and acts as the central node of the system towhich all subsystems connect to upload or downloaddata. The Farm Management Information System(FMIS) accesses the algorithms that can compiledatasets to secondary data and feed through abidirectional connection the autonomous vehicles andenhance information received from mounted sensors.These feedback loop enables the system to operateefficiently in the complex agri-production environment

System architecture

FMIS interface

Pr. No. MIS 5002496

Algorithmic extraction of actionable information

UAV and UGV operations in real field conditions

System DesignAnalysis and definition of the technical,

agronomic and physiological requirements as prerequisites for the effective

development and implementation of the proposed system.

Robot AdjustmentResearch prototypes as well as commercial

autonomous vehicles-platforms will be adjusted, to create a flexible group

adaptable to different types of production

Data AnalysisProcessing and analysis of the data

collected by the sensors of the autonomous vehicles, using data fusion

and mechanical learning algorithms

FMIS DesignAnalysis of the existing information

systems and setting up the standards for the information system for managing farms

(FMIS).

System ValidationIntegration of all the work of the proposed system to validate that all the subsystems

work efficiently and successfully.

Experimental EvaluationThe system will be evaluated in an orchard,

a linear cultivation, a greenhouse and a livestock building

Sustainability AssessmentThe environmental sustainability of the proposed techniques and production

systems is considered, using appropriate methods.

Dissemination of ResultsDissemination of results to stakeholders

and to the general public through workshops, printed material, web pages,

etc.