Published:
2026-05-15Issue:
Vol. 22 No. 1 (2025)Section:
Technological presentDiseño de un robot agrícola de bajo costo para terrenos irregulares
Adaptation of the Rocker-Bogie system with local materials
Design of a low-cost agricultural robot for uneven terrain
Keywords:
Agricultural robot, Rocker-Bogie, low-cost, uneven terrain, mountain agriculture, appropriate technology (en).Keywords:
Robot agrícola, Rocker-Bogie, bajo costo, terreno irregular, agricultura demontaña, tecnología apropiada (es).Downloads
Abstract (es)
Este documento presenta el diseño detallado de un robot agrícola de bajo costo con sistema de suspensión Rocker-Bogie para navegación en terrenos irregulares característicos de zonas montañosas en México. El diseño adapta la tecnología desarrollada por NASA para exploración marciana, sustituyendo componentes aeroespaciales por materiales disponibles en ferreterías locales mexicanas. La metodología propuesta mantiene las relaciones geométricas críticas del sistema Rocker-Bogie (brazo rocker de 2.5 veces el diámetro de rueda, brazo bogie de 1.5 veces) utilizando perfiles estructurales PTR de 1¼", tubo redondo cédula 30, y rodamientos de carretilla. El sistema integra seis motores DC de 30 RPM controlados independientemente mediante Arduino Mega y drivers ZH-30A, alimentados por una batería LiFePO4 de 100Ah que proporciona 8 horas de autonomía. El diseño alcanza especificaciones de superación de obstáculos de 12.7 cm, navegación en pendientes de 30°, y una velocidad máxima de 0.8 m/s. El costo total de $19,950 MXN representa menos del 2% del precio de robots comerciales equivalentes. La propuesta establece una metodología replicable para democratizar la tecnología de agricultura de precisión en contextos rurales de países en desarrollo
Abstract (en)
This document presents the detailed design of a low-cost agricultural robot with Rocker-Bogie suspension system for navigation in uneven terrain characteristic of mountainous areas in Mexico. The design adapts technology developed by NASA for Martian exploration, substituting aerospace components with materials available in local Mexican hardware stores. The proposed methodology maintains the critical geometric relationships of the Rocker-Bogie system (rocker arm of 2.5 times wheel diameter, bogie arm of 1.5 times) using 1¼" PTR structural profiles, schedule 30 round tube, and wheelbarrow bearings. The system integrates six independently controlled 30 RPM DC motors via Arduino Mega and ZH-30A drivers, powered by a 100Ah LiFePO4 battery providing 8 hours of autonomy. The design achieves specifications of 12.7 cm obstacle climbing, 30° slope navigation, and maximum speed of 0.8 m/s. The total cost of $19,950 MXN represents less than 2% of the price of equivalent commercial robots, while maintaining construction feasibility with conventional workshop tools. The proposal establishes a replicable methodology to democratize precision agriculture technology in rural contexts of developing countries.
References
[1] J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, I.Y. Huang, V. Grigoriadis, and S. Blackmore, "Economics of robots and automation in field crop production," Precision Agriculture, vol. 21, pp. 278-299, 2020.
[2] T. Duckett, S. Pearson, S. Blackmore, and B. Grieve, "Agricultural robotics: the future of robotic agriculture," UK-RAS White Papers, EPSRC UK-Robotics and Autonomous Systems Network, 2018.
[3] D. B. Bickler, "Articulated suspension system," U.S. Patent No. 4,840,394, June 20, 1989.
[4] C. Somkiat Maithomklang, Sorasak Kanjan, Sakan Changklin and Kritsada Wichienlam, "Design and Implementation of an Explorer Robot Suspension Based Rocker-Bogie Mechanism,", Junio 2024.
[5] C. Cosenza, V. Niola, S. Pagano, and S. Savino, "Theoretical study on a modified rocker-bogie suspension for robotic rovers," Robotica, vol. 41, no. 10, pp. 2917-2940, 2023.
[6] A. R. Aishwarya, N. A. Murugan, S. O. Tewary, A. Sharma, and A. Shukla, "Agrobot: Agriculture Assistance Robot using Rocker Bogie Mechanism and Image Processing," International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 2516-2521, May 2019.
[7] R. Sandbhor, S. Kachale, A. Bhosale, A. Gaikwad, K. Kshirsagar, and P. Sharma, "Design and Development of an Autonomous Rover Application using A Rocker-Bogie Mechanism In Agriculture," International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology, vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 562-570, May 2024.
[8] A. Ghobadpour, A. Cardenas, G. Monsalve, and H. Mousazadeh, "Optimal Design of Energy Sources for a Photovoltaic/Fuel Cell Extended-Range Agricultural Mobile Robot," Robotics, vol. 12, no. 13, 2023.
[9] T. Díaz and K. Biswas, "Automation's Impact on Agriculture: Opportunities, Challenges, and Economic Effects," Robotics, vol. 13, no. 33, 2024.
[10] S. Blackmore, "Farmer shares his experiences using a robotic tractor," Future Farming, 2018.
[11] M.N. Khan, A. Rahi, V.P. Rajendran, M. Al Hasan, and S. Anwar, "Real-time crop row detection using computer vision - application in agricultural robots," Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, vol. 7, pp. 1435686, 2024.
[12] C. Mwitta and G.C. Rains, "The integration of GPS and visual navigation for autonomous navigation of an Ackerman steering mobile robot in cotton fields," Frontiers in Robotics and AI, vol. 11, pp. 1359887, 2024.
[13] FAO, "Agricultura 4.0: Robótica agrícola y equipos automatizados," Roma, 2020.
[14] N. Wolfberg, "Storage and retrieval for image and video databases," SPIE Proceedings, pp. 27-32, 1993.
How to Cite
IEEE
ACM
ACS
APA
ABNT
Chicago
Harvard
MLA
Turabian
Vancouver
Download Citation
Visitas
Downloads
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Vínculos

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
3.png)
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Colombia
