The agricultural sector is rapidly transforming. One of the striking examples of the innovative approach was the development of the Smoўж transport robotic platform, created by the joint efforts of the NAS of Belarus on the mechanization of agriculture and the Joint Institute of Informatics Problems of the NAS of Belarus.
The Smouz platform is an innovative solution for improving the efficiency of agricultural work and reducing the negative impact of agriculture on the environment. “In cooperation with experts from the Joint Institute of Informatics Problems of the NAS of Belarus, we are developing a system that provides for the installation of technological equipment for continuous application of plant chemical protection products. At the same time, the platform independently, without the need for the operator, using a local navigation system moves through the rows of cultivated plants, carries out the introduction of a pesticide, minimizing human participation in this process. In addition, the platform will be able to visualize the condition of plants due to technical vision. Analyzing images, the system can identify, for example, foci of diseases and pests in crops and on the basis of this, promptly inform the agronomist about the localization of these foci, - explains Viktor Goldyban, head of the laboratory for mechanization of the production of vegetables and root tubes. – To train the platform to move along a given route, deep learning neural networks are already used as the main components of technical vision, daily vision cameras are already being used, research is being conducted on the use of Lidar technologies for these purposes, the so-called ground-based laser scanning. It is necessary to develop a way to pre-apply apply chemical protection of melons using an autonomous robotic platform.
In addition, Smouzж can play an important role in the more efficient and safer use of pesticides. Chemicals pollute water and soil, destroy useful organisms, disrupt biodiversity and can harm human health. The resistance of pests to chemicals exacerbates the problem. The main idea of the development is to reduce the chemical exposure of pesticides on the environment, which is achieved through a more accurate and targeted application. A significant decrease in the number of chemicals used due to their targeted application significantly reduces the negative impact on the environment. For this purpose, a method is developed for precision application of chemical protection products to plants, previously identified by the technical vision system of the autonomous robotic platform as a weed or cultural plant.
The name of the platform for agriculture is not chosen by chance. The word “smoshus” from the Belarusian language translates as “snail”. This mollusk in agriculture is endowed with a special symbolism: it is an indicator of biobalance and well-being. The Smouzel logo is made using artificial intelligence and is a grinding snail with elements of mechanization, which is figuratively a combination of natural balance and modern technologies.