I wanted Taylor to weigh in and allow the community to weigh in on the priorities and schedule for the project.
We’ve started talking very generally about specific aspects, but I have the feeling that’s because there isn’t a specific target. I have been on vacation from engineering for a couple of weeks or I’d have started in on the drive system refinements already.
Still, I feel that the benefit of a project in early stages like this is the ability to establish the integrated requirements and not to simply treat it as a dozen isolated projects that happen to bolt together.
So to generalize, I see the subsystems:
Power Management
Energy Production
Energy Storage
Energy Supervisory Controls
Energy Safety
Mobility
Drive
Turning
Braking
Height
Leveling
Mobility Safety
Mobility Supervisory Controls
Information Gathering
Command Receipt
Vision System
++ Cameras
++ Inferencing
Sensors
++ Contact
++ Temperature
++ Environmental
++ Agricultural Specific
Thank you so much! Yes this is a fine list of engineering related subsystems.
I will also say that a significant portion of my job, in addition to doing nearly all of the engineering so far, is to do promotion and fundraising. I want to build enough of a following that we can fund this project through donations. This week I will be starting production of our next Youtube Video, which will be an overview of the various subsystems on the current prototype, plus a quick look at what we have so far for the next version.
It does give me some hope that you and a few others are already active here as I have been worried that we would not spark enough interest to really get a community going. Y’all are giving me hope!
Regarding the vision system, you can add “data engine (training)” and “secure relationships with researchers”.
For me the next six months of engineering are: finish bringing up vision system. evaluate new GPS option. Bring up V2 vehicle. Begin look at first tools to implement. Expand autonomy system to compose multiple GPS tracks in to longer motion paths. Continue with long term reliability testing.
In addition to that I will be working on more youtube videos to help promote the project.
Excellent list, @seancf! To carry forward your idea of “establish the integrated requirements”, I suggest think in terms of capabilities, and how they map to actual subsystems. In both areas, it would be helpful to create hierarchies were appropriate, such as;
There are others, the above provided as an example.
I suggest the addition of the following subsystem;
Communications
– Send
– Receive
I also suggest the addition of overarching capabilities;
Strategic Planning
– Task Allocation Forecasting (i.e. What high/med/low priority tasks can be accomplished when in the next x days? Requires summing resource and timing estimations from individual task plannings)
– Multi rover coordination
Strategy Monitoring (e.g, how is the overall plan meeting expectations? Do deltas in task progress require replanning or status warnings to base system/farmer?
Task Planning (e.g., “Cultivate the eight 500’ rows of bush beans”, “Plant the rows of beets per attached row layout”, etc)
– Dependencies Estimation (e.g., in order to accomplish abc task, what resources are required and do they exist [e.g., sufficient energy, necessary attachments and/or consumables, etc). Requires summing resource and duration estimates from subsystems )
Task Monitoring - How does the current progress match up with the estimated energy and duration task plan? Any changes in the weather forecast that may speed up or slow down progress?
