How Farmhand Automation built a custom system for long-range communication to support autonomous micro-tractors
When Farmhand Automation set out to create autonomous micro-tractors to help small farmers grow their business, they quickly realized they needed a low cost, open source CAN/Modbus alternative. After creating an initial prototype, Farmhand Automation's founder, Alex Jones, reached out to SparkFun to design a custom board to meet their needs. By collaborating with SparkFun, Farmhand Robotics was able to turn their vision into reality. The QwiicBus MidPoint and QwiicBus EndPoint delivered exactly what Farmhand was looking to create - scalable, differential I2C communication across multiple devices that integrates power and data communication over ethernet.
Through a partnership on custom development, SparkFun and FarmHand Automation co-created three new products:
The SparkFun QwiicBus EndPoint is the fastest and easiest way to extend the range of your I2C communication bus.
The QwiicBus MidPoint works in tandem with the QwiicBus Endpoint to extend the range of your I2C bus and tap into it to drop …
Everything you need for a fast and easy way to extend the range of your I2C communication bus.
Over the years, many farms and ag tech companies have used SparkFun parts for building DIY systems or prototypes. We took a look at how those parts were being used and put together a page that provides uses cases and consolidates parts used in remote monitoring, environmental monitoring AND data collection, geolocation, and automation. Take a look!
One of the things that has my curiousity up is that there is no mention made of what sort of implements will be attached to the Farmhand Automation autonomous micro-tractor. Clearly it's not going to be able to use traditional 3-point hitch implements such as those from, say, John Deere. A tractor without implements is basically just another off-road vehicle. Although having one running around will do a little bit towards disrupting weed growth, it's not going to be a lot. Also, with all the verbiage about "organic farming", I would imagine that sprayers are going to be fairly far down the list.