Chapter-04: Design of Low-Cost Six-Wheel Rocker–Bogie Robot for Small-Scale Agricultural Spraying

Agricultural automation plays an important role in improving farming efficiency, reducing labour dependency, and supporting sustainable agricultural practices. This chapter presents the design, fabrication, and experimental investigation of a low-cost six-wheel rocker–bogie robotic vehicle developed for small-scale agricultural spraying applications. The robotic platform was fabricated using lightweight materials integrated with a rocker–bogie suspension mechanism to improve mobility, stability, and terrain adaptability on uneven agricultural land. A spraying assembly consisting of a PVC spray pipe, water pump, flexible tubing, and nozzles was incorporated for effective spraying operations. The robot was initially tested under laboratory conditions to evaluate wheel movement, spray performance, pump operation, and suspension stability before being investigated under real agricultural field conditions. Experimental results showed that the rocker–bogie mechanism provided satisfactory terrain adaptability, wheel traction, manoeuvrability, and uniform spray distribution during operation. The lightweight and modular design of the robot makes it suitable for educational research, prototype development, and small-scale farming applications, while future improvements may include autonomous navigation and intelligent agricultural automation technologies.