Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost Roboticbased Coconut Tree Climbing Device

Traditional coconut harvesting process that requires skilled professionals to climb up the tall trees, tends to be a risky and time-consuming method. Therefore this research designs and develops a low-cost crab robot that climbs coconut trees to harvest coconuts in a safe and quick manner. The proposed robotic climbing technology aims to increase accessibility, productivity, and safety in the process of coconut harvesting. A lightweight climbing mechanism is designed to mimic the natural climbing movements of climbing animals. The robot uses a microprocessor, motors, and sensors to autonomously navigate the tree trunk. It needs to ensure safety, grip, and the ability to use a tree of varying girths, which involves numerous factors in design. To ensure the cost structures and allow for wider scaling among smallholder farmers, lower-cost materials have been implemented. The robot is capable of climbing and descending coconut trees, and the tests conducted in the field remarks that, it requires less physical strength and effort from the harvesters. This approach demonstrates the prospects of integrating robotics into agricultural practice, offering a scalable means of maximizing coconuts per yield with less risk of manual harvesting. The control algorithms will be further developed, and the payload mass that the device carries and harvests will be improved in the future work.