Design and Development of a Remote Controlled Solar-Powered Pesticides/Herbicides Sprayer for Modern Agriculture

Today’s farming is up against the tough task of boosting crop yields while also taking care of the environment. The way pesticides and herbicides are usually applied can be a real hassle. It's often not very efficient, and there's the added risk of health problems for the people using these chemicals. So, this research dives into creating a remote-controlled (RC), solar-powered sprayer that aims to enhance precision in agriculture. This new system brings together renewable energy, wireless communication, and precision spraying techniques. At its heart is a lightweight mobile frame that’s fitted with a large tank, a diaphragm pump, an adjustable boom that has several nozzles, and a device to regulate spray pressure. It moves thanks to electric motors that draw power from a rechargeable battery pack. The main energy comes from a solar panel that sits on top of the sprayer, charging the batteries and allowing it to work sustainably without needing to be hooked up to power. Controlling the sprayer is made easy with either a custom radio frequency (RF) or Wi-Fi-based remote. An on-board microcontroller takes commands from a handheld device, letting the operator steer the sprayer (move it forward, backward, left, or right) and manage the spraying settings (turn it on/off, adjust the pressure) from a comfortable distance. This setup keeps the operator away from harmful chemicals and helps reduce fatigue. We built and tested a working prototype. During the tests, we looked at how well it maneuvers, how evenly it sprays, how effective the solar charging is, and how far it can operate. The results showed that the prototype really works, delivering a consistent spray pattern, enough operation time on a single charge, and reliable remote control within a certain distance. In summary, this solar-powered, remote-controlled sprayer could be a great way to achieve safer, more efficient, and eco-friendly crop protection. It cuts down on labor costs, reduces chemical waste by targeting applications, and lowers the carbon footprint by using solar power. Looking ahead, it would be interesting to integrate GPS for autonomous navigation, add sensors to monitor crop health in real time, and use variable-rate application technology to push precision farming even further.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
ABUAD Journal of Engineering Research and Development (AJERD)
Published
2026-04-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.53982/ajerd.2026.0901.29-j
Primary Topic
Smart Agriculture and AI
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Design and Development of a Remote Controlled Solar-Powered Pesticides/Herbicides Sprayer for Modern Agriculture

Daniel Herman Ngoma, Banet Lukas Masenga
ABUAD Journal of Engineering Research and Development (AJERD)
Smart Agriculture and AI
article

Design and Development of a Remote Controlled Solar-Powered Pesticides/Herbicides Sprayer for Modern Agriculture

Daniel Herman Ngoma, Banet Lukas Masenga
article en

Abstract

Today’s farming is up against the tough task of boosting crop yields while also taking care of the environment. The way pesticides and herbicides are usually applied can be a real hassle. It's often not very efficient, and there's the added risk of health problems for the people using these chemicals. So, this research dives into creating a remote-controlled (RC), solar-powered sprayer that aims to enhance precision in agriculture. This new system brings together renewable energy, wireless communication, and precision spraying techniques. At its heart is a lightweight mobile frame that’s fitted with a large tank, a diaphragm pump, an adjustable boom that has several nozzles, and a device to regulate spray pressure. It moves thanks to electric motors that draw power from a rechargeable battery pack. The main energy comes from a solar panel that sits on top of the sprayer, charging the batteries and allowing it to work sustainably without needing to be hooked up to power. Controlling the sprayer is made easy with either a custom radio frequency (RF) or Wi-Fi-based remote. An on-board microcontroller takes commands from a handheld device, letting the operator steer the sprayer (move it forward, backward, left, or right) and manage the spraying settings (turn it on/off, adjust the pressure) from a comfortable distance. This setup keeps the operator away from harmful chemicals and helps reduce fatigue. We built and tested a working prototype. During the tests, we looked at how well it maneuvers, how evenly it sprays, how effective the solar charging is, and how far it can operate. The results showed that the prototype really works, delivering a consistent spray pattern, enough operation time on a single charge, and reliable remote control within a certain distance. In summary, this solar-powered, remote-controlled sprayer could be a great way to achieve safer, more efficient, and eco-friendly crop protection. It cuts down on labor costs, reduces chemical waste by targeting applications, and lowers the carbon footprint by using solar power. Looking ahead, it would be interesting to integrate GPS for autonomous navigation, add sensors to monitor crop health in real time, and use variable-rate application technology to push precision farming even further.

ABUAD Journal of Engineering Research and Development (AJERD)Vol. 9(1)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 10%
Smart Agriculture and AI
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