Maurice Gohlke presents the Bosch agricultural robotics projects during FIRA, the International Agricultural Robotics Forum. November 18th in Toulouse (France).

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Deepfield Robotics
A Bosch Start-Up Company
Agricultural Robotics at Deepfield Robotics

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Our goal: Explore and validate new
business opportunities for Bosch in
Agriculture.
“Innovative technologies towards a more
sustainable farming“

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Why Start-up?
Trends recognized early at corporate research but
sometimes facing transfer barriers in commercialization
Domestic
robots
comfort, quality
of life
Personal
mobility
comfort and
safety
Human-robot
collaboration
Productivity
Field robotics
Preserving
resources
 New technology
 New customers
 New busin. model
3 dimensions of
uncertainty:
2 dimensions new
 no transfer!
(from research to business unit)
☑
???
 What about
agricultural
robotics?
☑☑
2015-…
2008-2011
2011-2014

4. Challenges
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Megatrends lead to dramatic changes in agriculture
 Shortage of resources
‒ Arable land: 1950: 0.52 ha/pers. vs. 2000: 0.26 ha/pers.
‒ Fertilizers, e.g. phosphor availability: 50 – 380 years
‒ Herbicides: (multiple) herbicide resistances; no new active
chemical mechanisms found in last 30 years;
‒ Water: 70% of freshwater consumed in agriculture
‒ Skilled labor and seasonal workers
 Growing population: 9.1 bn. people until 2050
 Eating habits are changing, e.g. organic farming
 Agriculture most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change but
also one of its reasons
 Sustainability of way of cultivation becomes essential

5. Bosch and agriculture?
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Not completely new though…

6. Motivation
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Future Agriculture (Farming 4.0, Smart Farming, Data-driven agriculture, Cyber Physical System,…)
 Trends/Drivers: Shortage of resources (arable land,
fertilizers, water, skilled labor), growing population, changing
eating habits, climate change, herbicide resistances, …
 Agriculture = Repetitive tasks w/ sequential, logical
processes under uncertain & changing environ. conditions
[prime example for era of industry 4.0, i.e. (sensor-/actuator) networks and
automation]
 Solution: “Closing feedback loops” to increase/ensure
quality and/or yield
source: thechinainvestors.com
Data acquisition
Data analytics /
interpretation
acting/reacting
System /
environment

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Four core domains of Deepfield Robotics:
Deepfield Robotics in a nut-shell

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Weedmobile
BoniRob v3
Fieldmobile

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Phenotyping-App Weeding-AppPenetrometer-AppPrecision-Spraying-App
© Brian Sipple, Udo Flohr MiT Tech Review
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10. Phenotyping
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Digitalization in agriculture
Deepfield Robotics in a nut-shell
Deepfield® Connect: Connectivity solutions (IoT)
Tractor implementRobotic Field Mobile
Deepfield® 4D-scan: Automated field trials
Stationary sensor
networks as entry
point,
robots emerging to
serve as mobile
sensors and/or
actuators.
DeepField Connect
Beehive Monitoring

13. Many sources for data
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… online acquisition, lab & field tests, from experience/history, …
* * *
* * *robotics,
automation
, swarms,
drones
Connectiv-
ity (IoT),
sensors,
Cloud
satellites,
historical
data
field trials
Mobile
machinery,
process
data
Data
acquisition
Data analytics /
interpretation
acting/reacting
System /
environment

14. ROS
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CC/PJ-FA
CC/ESA-NA
CC/PJ-AA
Collaborative Robotics
Technologies
CR/RTC1.1-NA
AutoBod
BEG, NuP
Deepfield Robotics
CR/AEV
CR/RTC1.5-NA
Sensor & Radar
Development
CC-DA/ESI3
SLAM
CR/AEG
Intelligent transport
assistant
CR/AEY2
© Kinova Robotics

15. Simulation (Rviz and Gazebo)
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16. Control and Diagnostics
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17. THANK
YOU