In the heart of South Dakota, a doctoral student is challenging the status quo of agricultural robotics. James Kemeshi, a PhD student at South Dakota State University (SDSU), is developing a modular field robot that promises to make smart farming technology accessible and affordable for small and mid-sized farms worldwide. His creation, the ModagRobot, is a testament to his belief that agricultural robotics doesn’t have to break the bank.
The ModagRobot stands out with its prototype build cost of just $2,500, a stark contrast to the $13,000 often required for entry-level commercial machines. This significant price difference doesn’t compromise its functionality. The robot is designed to perform multiple field tasks, including harvesting, spraying, and crop phenotyping. Kemeshi envisions a future where the ModagRobot operates fully autonomously, further enhancing its appeal to farmers seeking to streamline their operations.
Kemeshi’s journey to this innovation began in Nigeria, where he studied agricultural engineering. His passion for empowering small-scale farmers led him to SDSU in 2022, where he’s now turning his vision into reality. The ModagRobot’s modular design is a key feature, with no welded parts, allowing users to adjust ground clearance, track width, and height to suit different crops and conditions. This flexibility ensures the robot can navigate through crop rows without causing damage and can be easily repurposed by swapping out components.
The robot’s versatility extends to its sensor integration. It uses RGBD sensors—cameras that capture both color and depth information—to support crop phenotyping. This data is invaluable for identifying plant traits like yield potential and disease resistance, aiding breeders and agronomists in their work. Kemeshi’s approach to component selection is equally innovative. He’s found that low-cost cameras and motors perform just as well as their expensive counterparts, further driving down the cost of the ModagRobot.
The potential applications of the ModagRobot are vast. Beyond phenotyping, Kemeshi is adapting the platform for agricultural spraying. Its low production cost and modularity make it an attractive all-in-one solution for farmers looking to automate basic but essential field tasks without investing in multiple machines. The robot has already garnered attention, winning student competitions and being featured in a peer-reviewed paper in AgriEngineering. Kemeshi’s presentation comparing his robot to a Transformer—able to switch functions like changing vehicles—earned him first place in a regional Three-Minute Thesis competition.
The ModagRobot is still in the research phase, but its potential impact is already evident. By focusing on cost-efficiency, open design, and task flexibility, Kemeshi and his advisor, Dr. Young Chang, are paving the way for a new approach to agricultural automation. Their work prioritizes practical field deployment over high-tech complexity, making smart farming technology a viable option for more farmers. As the ModagRobot continues to develop, it could revolutionize the way small and mid-sized farms operate, bringing the benefits of automation to a broader agricultural community.