Design and Implementation of an Innovative Soft Tool for Robotic Pollination

The automation of agricultural tasks, known as Agriculture 4.0 or Smart Agriculture, has garnered significant interest in the past decade. The use of drones and other mobile robots for tasks such as crop monitoring, harvesting, and pruning has advanced the automation of this sector, partly driven by a shortage of labor. However, certain tasks, such as pollination, still require effective automation solutions. Pollination, naturally performed by various animals such as insects, demands special attention due to a significant decline in pollinator insect populations. This decline has led to reduced crop yields, posing a major challenge to agricultural productivity. To address this issue, this paper proposes the development of a pollination tool using additive manufacturing technology and soft, flexible materials. This tool is specifically designed for integration into a robotic system capable of automatically pollinating various crops without damaging the flowers. The proposed solution aims to enhance pollination efficiency and support sustainable crop yields in the face of declining natural pollinators.