PSR Veneto 2014-2020

Measure: 16 – Cooperation

Intervention type:

16.1.1 – Management of EIP-OG on matters of productivity and sustainability in agriculture
16.2.1 – Design of new products, technologies or processes

Project description:

The goal of Rovitis 4.0 is to develop and demonstrate in the open field 2 prototypes of autonomous driving robot, which, thanks to the interoperability with a DSS (decision support system), are capable of autonomously performing the main farming operation in the vineyard. Robots and DSS work in synergy as it follows:
• robot activities are suggested by the DSS, on the basis of the state of the crop and the forecast of the embedded disease previsional models;
• every time they operate, the robots gather data from the field for the DSS, which refines its knowledge of the crop state;
• robots can automatically adjust the dosage of treatment on the actual necessity of the crop, based both on the DSS indications and on the real time on board data analysis;
• the operator can monitor at any time the status of the robots via the DSS, and control them remotely whenever necessary.
The robot must be cost efficient and suited for both small sized farms and major farms, where more than one unit will cooperate.
Three field test with distinct modality will follow the development, and will assert the operational safeness and effectiveness of the robots, the degree of robot-DSS and robot-robot interaction. The comparison of the proposed robotic management of the vineyard against the traditional one will highlight to the farmers the advisability of the approach in terms of: labor costs reduction; rationalization of phitosanitary treatments; environmental benefits; risks reduction for the agricultural operators.

Final objectives:

The objective of the operative group is the demonstration to grapegrowers the efficiency and economical sustainability of crop robotic management.
This solution guarantees several benefits for the end-user due to the possibility to optimize available resources and reduce costs during grapes cultivation. The optimized resources will be human labor and chemicals usage via a precised and planned activity.

the role of Azienda Agricola Giorgio Pantano in the project is to manage the operative group along with the development of the software necessary to have the autonomous driving.

Results:

The results that will be demonstrated by the operative group are::
1) Demonstrate that the robotic management is possible and efficient;
2) Gather data from the fields to enable the DSS to elaborate solutions for the robotic solution; 
3) Demonstrate why the end-user will benefit from this investment;
4) Transfer the idea of robotic crop management to the European Union thanks to the EIP-agri network;

The project will end in 2020.
Financed amount: 587.251,42 € (67.558,53 € for Azienda Agricola Giorgio Pantano)
For more information visit www.rovitisveneto.it