History |
The IDEA of Rovitis came to the inventor Giorgio in 2007 when he returned in the agriculture field and started to cultivate a large crop of vineyards following what his father did.
However, when he started to grow grapes he figured out that the grape cultivation has revolutionized in the past 20 years due to environmental changes and quality requirements. Due to this, he started searching something that could help him in his work and he started to go around Europe from one exhibition to another searching for something. Unfortunately, nothing met the requirements needed in grape cultivation. Some solutions were too expensive other were too big other too small so he decided to build his own solution.
However, when he started to grow grapes he figured out that the grape cultivation has revolutionized in the past 20 years due to environmental changes and quality requirements. Due to this, he started searching something that could help him in his work and he started to go around Europe from one exhibition to another searching for something. Unfortunately, nothing met the requirements needed in grape cultivation. Some solutions were too expensive other were too big other too small so he decided to build his own solution.
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He started to search on Internet for a frame that could fit in the vineyards rows and finally he found a small second-hand excavator made by DODICH in the late 1990 and he purchased it.
That frame was very old and it could not even be used because its engine was broken so with the help of a mechanic and his family, he started to fix all the parts of that machine and finally after a year of work he finally could start up the engine and move the machine using hand levers. |
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First version
Then in 2008, he started to develop the heart of the robot (the electrical part and the navigation algorithms). It was a hard work and during this development, Giorgio faced several mechanical problems due the fragility of the machine.
Every time he made an improvement something else broke down and he had to re start all again but finally in 2011 he achieved an important objective, he could make Rovitis follow a red line using a cheap camera from AXIS corporation. |
That achievement was very great and Giorgio started to believe more in his IDEA his WORK and all the efforts he made seemed to be useful. So he decided to build the second version, in his opinion that version had to go around the vineyards row without man intervention.
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Second version
In late 2011, he started to develop the second version that should have been more suitable for working in the vineyards. As long he learned a lot during the construction of the first version in a year he managed to obtain the second version that could go around vineyards rows without man help. The specialty of this version was the ability to make ROVITIS carry a full loaded water tank.
This version was not a success because the turnings with the tank were very difficult and so Giorgio restart building another version. |
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Third version
This version was also developed in a year and this time Giorgio decided to move the tank above the Rovitis making it more easily to go around the vineyards. With this version the sprayer mechanism was implemented and ROVITIS started to do its first spraying in the fields. This was the first suitable version for field working.
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Fourth version
Finally, in 2014 our company improved the third version more. With this version, the robot could reach the field and perform the work in auto mode. We tested this version for different months in our vineyards and we never had unexpected reactions from the robot except mechanical failures that we were able to fix in some days of work. Developing this version for us was very a pleasure because we could implement new algorithms and new devices for improving the autonomous navigation and spraying.
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With the fourth version, we started also to think about safety and we implemented appropriate devices that could switch off ROVITIS in dangerous situations.
Even though the fourth version was a success, we decided to proceed with our work. In 2016 we started developing the new one.
Even though the fourth version was a success, we decided to proceed with our work. In 2016 we started developing the new one.
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Rovitis 4.0
At end 2017 Azienda Agricola Pantano won a regional founded project in order to develop a new version of the machine. The project is called Rovitis 4.0 and it sees partners coming from end-user side and research working together for drafting a new design for the prototype.
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Azienda Agricola Pantano is currently working on an enhanced prototype obtained from the Rovitis' fourth version in order to develop the necessary algorithms for the new navigation framework that will see a more adaptable system endowed of teach and repeat capabilities.
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