I’m wondering if anyone has implemented a system where a farmbot can move as a whole to manage a larger planting area. A single farmbot could manage an area 3 meters wide and 50 meters long, divided into multiple standard 1.5 x 3 meter plots. The farmbot itself is 1.5 x 3 meter, and it moves 1.5 meters at a time to operate on a new plot. A motor and rope would automatically move it to the new plot, allowing for the management of a larger area.
Because the plots are standard, each plot can execute the same sequence of operations, and after completing one plot, it can move to the next to continue.
I’m considering implementing a similar function, but I’d like to know if anyone has done this before.
I would suggest to investigate a circular solution, You only have the gantry with moving parts, it is fixed in the center, power and water will enter there. You will also have only ONE wheel to drive, so no more X1 and X2 motor issues that skew your gantry since they dont work together with not properly implmented encoders.
7 meter radius = 150m2 10 m radius = 300m2.
In the Netherlands there is a company pixelfarming.nl that is now growing into something bigger. They started with a farmbot on a platform.
The previous Pro version of Farmbot, which wasn’t officially released.
This version had a more consistent style, but resulted in long execution times, rapid accuracy drops after multiple runs, and complicated deployment, including issues with track docking and X1/X2 motor synchronization. Overall, implementation would be problematic.
Building a small Farmbot framework on a mobile platform. A large framework isn’t suitable either, as a large mobile platform can lead to lower accuracy and cumbersome movement. Some users have already provided examples of this.
Adding a lateral movement track, which is my idea. This allows for expansion to larger areas, effectively utilizing Farmbot. However, it can’t be infinitely expanded. Track deployment is also a significant challenge.
There’s also a circular track, which I’m new to.
However, each solution depends on the specific scenario.
The third solution, combining it with vegetable greenhouses, seems like a viable option.
Incidentally, it seems that this track-based + stepper motor solution is inevitably prone to step loss. This mainly requires periodic “Find Home” checks to correct the problem, which contributes to its relatively low efficiency.