open System for TRAcTOr's autonomouS Operations
Project information
open System for TRAcTOr's autonomouS OperationsCall: Integrated ICT and automation for sustainable agricultural production
Id: 34703
Acronym: STRATOS
Consortium:
| No | Partner | Contact | Country | Total 1000€ | Funded 1000€ | Funder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Computer networs an Systems Technology Department of Systems Theory and Design Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology Faculty of computer science and information technology Riga Technical University | Valerijs Zagurskis | Latvia | 59.1 | 59.1 | Latvian Academy of Science |
| 2 | Programme Manager E.I.A. Electronics | Marko Boving | Belgium | 54.0 | 0.0 | Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO) |
| 3 | ALaRI Institute | Maria Giovanna Sami | Switzerland | 71.3 | 71.3 | Federal Office for Agriculture - Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft |
| 4 | Technion - Israel Institute of Technology | Per-Olof Gutman | Israel | 85.3 | 85.3 | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development |
| 5 | E.S.T.E. S.r.l. | Massimiliano Ruggeri | Italy | 41.0 | 23.0 | Ministry of Agriculture Food, Forestry & Tourism Policies |
| 6 Coord. | University of Modena and Reggio Emilia | Cesare Fantuzzi | Italy | 180.6 | 180.6 | Ministry of Agriculture Food, Forestry & Tourism Policies |
The main objective of the STRATOS project is to develop an open ICT hardware-software infrastructure enabling the partial automation of tractors and at the same time enhancing their operational safety and production efficiency, with the positive effects of reduced accident risk and environmental impact.
STRATOS demonstrated the application of information and communications technology (ICT), in particular ISOBUS and wireless communication technologies, to agricultural applications by developing an open System for TRAcTOrs' autonomous OperationS. STRATOS developed a wireless sensor that transmits a data stream containing information in a digital coding through a wireless sensor network (WSN). The STRATOS infrastructure is designed to gather information on soil and cultivation using self-powered wireless sensors. The tractor is equipped with five sensors: humidity; temperature; soil pH; barometric pressure; and, acceleration. All of these solutions offer substantial value for farmers in their efforts to optimise production by improving operations management. From the industry development point of view, part of the technological achievements developed in STRATOS (ISOBUS stack protocol) have been implemented and used by the company E.S.T.E.srl, founded in 2013, which has its main focus on agricultural electronics and engineering. Additionally, the STRATOS project contributed to the formation of multiple BSc, MSc and PhD students at Riga Technical University (RTU) in the area of wireless applied technology.
- Develop and demonstrate new functions enabled by ISOBUS technology (ISO11783) that support a substantial improvement of the quality of the farming jobs.
- Develop a technology based on ISOBUS compliant, wireless self-powered sensor network for the real time measurement of soil and harvester conditions.
- Task Controller can optimize the whole tractor and implement operational modes to improve the farming job quality and safety of the overall systems.
Soil is a complex, living, changing and dynamic component of the agroecosystem. It is subject to alteration, and can be either degraded or wisely managed. A thorough understanding of the ecology of the soil ecosystem is a key part of designing and managing agro-ecosystems in which the long-term fertility and productive capacity of the soil is maintained, or even improved. This understanding begins with knowledge of how soil is formed in a given ecological region, and includes integration of all the components that contribute to the structure and function of the entire soil.
Measurements of soil and terrain parameters, such as pH and soil moisture, soil temperature and bulk density, water holding capacity, etc.; can be obtained by means of the analysis of optical and microwave remote sensing data or by a set of suitable sensors placed on the field. In order to reduce the number of sensors and optimize the agricultural job, the sensors can be placed on board to a tractor which is moving within the area to be monitored. and or carried on the tractor or any other agricultural machine.