Pesticide Spraying Rover
Safety with efficiency
The problem Pesticide Spraying Rover solves
This pesticide spraying rover is designed to address key challenges in traditional agricultural spraying, such as operator safety, uneven terrain navigation, and inefficient pesticide usage. Manual spraying exposes farmers to harmful chemicals and is physically demanding, especially on rough farmland. By using a rocker-bogie suspension mechanism, the rover maintains stability and continuous ground contact on uneven and off-road terrain, ensuring smooth movement and consistent spraying performance while reducing the risk of tipping or spray interruption.
To solve the problem of limited visibility and control during remote operations, the rover integrates an ESP32-based control server with an ESP32-CAM live video feed. This allows real-time monitoring of the spraying process and surrounding field conditions without requiring the operator to be physically present. The onboard pump combined with a variable-mode spray nozzle enables precise control over spray patterns and flow rates, reducing pesticide wastage and improving coverage efficiency based on crop and field requirements.
The software system further enhances usability and adaptability by solving operational complexity and accessibility issues. Joystick-based navigation simplifies rover control, while dedicated pump control, user profile management, notification alerts, and language selection make the system usable for different operators and environments. Features such as a high-power mode allow reliable operation under heavy load or difficult terrain, and the integrated help menu provides guidance for new users. Overall, this system improves safety, efficiency, and ease of operation, offering a scalable and practical solution for modern precision agriculture.
Challenges we ran into
One of the primary challenges during the development of the rover was achieving proper mechanical alignment and stability of the rocker-bogie suspension system. Minor misalignments in linkages, wheel positioning, and joints initially led to uneven load distribution and unstable movement on rough terrain. This issue was resolved through iterative mechanical redesign, reinforcement of joints, and strategic placement of heavy components such as the battery, pump, and electronics to lower the center of gravity and improve overall stability.
Power management proved to be another significant challenge, especially due to the high current demand of the motors and pesticide pump during operation. Early tests showed voltage drops and system instability when multiple components operated simultaneously. Instead of implementing complex separate power lines, this was effectively solved by using a battery with a high C-rating, capable of delivering high burst currents without significant voltage sag. This ensured stable power delivery to all components, improved system reliability, and allowed smooth operation even under high load conditions.
Software integration and real-time control also presented challenges, particularly in maintaining responsive joystick control while streaming live video and managing pump operations. Initial latency and synchronization issues were addressed by optimizing the ESP32-based server code and structuring the software into modular control blocks. Through extensive testing and refinement, the system achieved reliable navigation, responsive spray control, stable video streaming, and a user-friendly interface with features such as notifications, language selection, high-power mode, and an integrated help menu.
Technologies used