Autonomous Sensor Exchange and Calibration for Cornstalk Nitrate Monitoring Robot
Janice Seungyeon Lee, Thomas Detlefsen, Shara Lawande, Saudamini Ghatge, Shrudhi Ramesh Shanthi, Sruthi Mukkamala, George Kantor, Oliver Kroemer
Abstract
Interactive sensors are an important component of robotic systems but often require manual replacement due to wear and tear. Automating this process can enhance system autonomy and facilitate long-term deployment. We developed an autonomous sensor exchange and calibration system for an agriculture crop monitoring robot that inserts a nitrate sensor into cornstalks. A novel gripper and replacement mechanism, featuring a reliable funneling design, were developed to enable efficient and reliable sensor exchanges. To maintain consistent nitrate sensor measurement, an on-board sensor calibration station was integrated to provide in-field sensor cleaning and calibration. The system was deployed at the Ames Curtis Farm in June 2024, where it successfully inserted nitrate sensors with high accuracy into <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathbf{3 0}$</tex> cornstalks with a <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathbf{7 7} {\%}$</tex> success rate.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{icra2025_autonomoussensor,
title = {Autonomous Sensor Exchange and Calibration for Cornstalk Nitrate Monitoring Robot},
author = {Janice Seungyeon Lee and Thomas Detlefsen and Shara Lawande and Saudamini Ghatge and Shrudhi Ramesh Shanthi and Sruthi Mukkamala and George Kantor and Oliver Kroemer},
booktitle = {ICRA 2025},
year = {2025}
}