Robotic Following Cart to Replace Light Duty Tractor Tasks?

[candersen10]

Very impressive, am assuming you did this through a memory function; i.e. follow me once and them memorize this route?

Liked fact dog did not confuse it though I wonder how it would halt/brake that line of carts in a must stop now situation.
What kind of tires are you running on it now?

Could one go pick up and retrieve parking lot shopping carts ?

Stopping power is quite good we've seen. Each robot can put about 4-5 HP, and thus tow about 5000 pounds on hard surfaces (each of those green carts weights about 500-550 lbs).

As of now, you train the robot once to memorize a route, and then it can travel along that learned route both directions over multiple days/weeks/months while towing vehicles. Were a dog to confuse it, we would have a real problem...The one site where we were testing has 15,000 of those carts to give some idea of scale.

Here's a Gen 5 Burro.

 

[candersen10]

Burro fleets being built

 

[redman135]

Hello Candersen10, re post 221 and sounds.
1) AVOID the LOUD surround type noise that Cat used on it's machines. It disturbs/irritates everybody and FAILS to tell the people at risk of being runover they need to pay attention.
2) Use highly directional sound for movement so when people hear it they know they NEED to pay attention.
3)Offer a choice of sounds as some people have specific frequency deafness,(some sounds will slice through high background sound), other people are just hyper sensitive to certain sounds. I am one. (people find my phone and text ringtone weird as they have been selected to cut through engine noise, - I drive tractors.)
It has been facinating watching this machine evolve.
Have you thought about a possible market in the horse set? carting hay grain etc.
Good luck

 

[daugen]

Instead of walking to the parts rack every few minutes, each technician is followed by a robotized parts car that contains all the components for a single engine.

Germany, AMG plant where one man builds the whole engine.

 

[Tennsawdust]

Getting user feedback that we need some sounds for our robot. Specifically, sounds for:

- robot in motion
- robot with someone in the way
- someone moving too fast away from a robot and robot wanting them to slow down
- robot waiting and awake but not doing anything

Any ideas? Seems like everything to date in ag is back up alarms and beeps.

Don't limit yourself to single sounds. In dealing with factory automation over the years I've seen some people have success using music as signals (a certain tune means a certain thing). The varied notes in a tune give a better chance that even people with some hearing deficit can detect it. George Jetson car sounds are cool, but high frequency deafness is fairly common. Mid-high frequency noise pollution is also quite common in work environments. It is a lot like looking across a field. You may not pick up on something that should stick out, but if it moves you can detect it. It is basically the same way with sounds.

I would also suggest looking at lighting. We use a blue warning light on our forklifts. It projects ahead of and behind the lift so even if you aren't looking in that direction or the lift hasn't come around the corner you can see the light on the floor, telling you a forklift is approaching. It has saved my bacon a time or two when an inattentive driver comes sailing around a blind corner. You would think noise would be enough, but in a worksite with machines running and multiple beepers and buzzers going off, plus noisy tasks being undertaken you might not be able to pick it out from 10 feet away.

 

[candersen10]

Few more videos of these in action:

(1) in blueberries: Burro in Blueberries - YouTube

(2) in table grapes: Burro helping out a crew in Coachella table grapes @ 118 degrees F - YouTube

 

[daugen]

wow, very impressive.
could you show a pic of the lcd screen and operating controls?

 

[daugen]

article in my college magazine this month
sorry, you'll likely have to zoom in

 

[ArlyA]

The burro sure seems narrow and tipsy, it would fall over in our yard. It is very interesting technology.

Few more videos of these in action:

(1) in blueberries: Burro in Blueberries - YouTube

(2) in table grapes: Burro helping out a crew in Coachella table grapes @ 118 degrees F - YouTube

 

[candersen10]

At work, in use. In application not narrow not tipsy. Robust, 1000s of miles traveled autonomously, 1000s of hours of operation.

Burro in Table Grapes - YouTube

 

[candersen10]

article in my college magazine this month
sorry, you'll likely have to zoom in

We know those guys fairly well. Cool application of tech - note they are in indoor warehouses. Most hand harvested produce is produced outdoors and step one to pick it autonomously is to navigate to it autonomously (which we have mastered).

 

[stuckmotor]

Few more videos of these in action:

(1) in blueberries: Burro in Blueberries - YouTube

(2) in table grapes: Burro helping out a crew in Coachella table grapes @ 118 degrees F - YouTube

Why was the gentleman in the blackberries video wearing a bandanna over his face? I see this quite often and can only guess at the reason.

 

[stuckmotor]

I remember years ago, over 20 years, that someone had invented a golf bag cart that followed the golfer around. It was battery powered and tracked a small transmitter that golfer had attached to the back of his pants. I don't recall if it ever went into production, It may have never made it past prototype.

In your video it appears that the cart is tracking the shovel, is that correct? There has to be a switch or sensor to stop the tracking so the shovel can be used to work the material.

I saw an announcement or possibly an ad for the follow along golf bag carrier too. Never knew of anyone owning one.

 

[candersen10]

I saw an announcement or possibly an ad for the follow along golf bag carrier too. Never knew of anyone owning one.

Our robots follow people perhaps 1% of a day in typical use. The rest of the time they are autonomous and running on their own.

 

[candersen10]

Here are some of the things we have done to test these Burros: What have we done to test Burros? - YouTube

 

[daugen]

Excellent! And the 600 per day savings sure pays for the unit though harvest time is fairly short. What do the growers use it for when not harvesting?
Getting good help is always hard, looks like you have a dependable team member there.

 

[candersen10]

Excellent! And the 600 per day savings sure pays for the unit though harvest time is fairly short. What do the growers use it for when not harvesting?
Getting good help is always hard, looks like you have a dependable team member there.

Harvesting table grapes (where these are generally used) in California is typically 100-120 days.

 

[daugen]

3-4 month harvest time, I doubt that came without some planning.
Makes the burro even more valuable.
Can they press a button and have it display another language?

Very impressed with how far you have come and glad you are asking for the sale now, confident in your abilities.
Not a product you can leave alone though...improved sensors may be game changers. New OSHA laws, etc.
Upgradeable is always good.

 

[daugen]

Maybe it's time for the bigger model, The Horse?
or in the order of beasts of burden, is the Donkey next?
That would go well in Australia, they'd be calling it the Donk.
So what beast of burden would be next in line.
Have a little contest on that.
Are we up to one that can pull a farm wagon yet?
Oxen. That's it. And a good name for a pulling cart. The Ox.
And it's larger cousin, the Twin-Ox.

This is what you do with a marketing background trying to dream up stuff to promote your product.
You are fishing and you don't know if you have the right hook.
If there's a Napa Valley grape exhibition each year, hope you are there.
When it's not being used, figure out a butler mode for it. Maybe something with a wine bottle holder, let it run around
and serve guests. Hey, they have a bunch of money invested in this, if it can't work, let it play...

 

[candersen10]

We'll be showing our newest robots for the first time at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA February 11-13th. if you want to see them in person, visit us: World Ag Expo 22 Floor Plan | World Ag Expo 22

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