Development of a Prototype Mobile Robot for Mallard Navigation

This paper presents a mobile robot prototype used for mallard navigation in a paddy field. One shortcoming of rice-duck farming is that a flock of mallards tends to gather in a specific area that produces a spring pond. This study was designed to develop a prototype of an autonomous mobile robot that guides a mallard flock to achieve highly efficient rice-duck farming. We developed a robot and waterproof boxes used for the protection of electric devices, including motors. The robot body is 270 mm long, 210 mm wide, and 250 mm high. Its body width is less than the length between rice stalks. After checking the waterproof capability for the body waterproof box, we conducted an indoor driving test for manual operation. Moreover, we conducted an outdoor evaluation tests to assess running on a gravel road and on a snowy road. We evaluated the robot performance not only for uneven surface roads including steps, but also for the range of wireless communication for controlling the robot.