Automatic Guided Vehicle that detects Dactylopius Opuntiae in Cactus Pears

Abstract

Abstract Food security is one of the biggest challenges faced in Africa with drought being one of the leading factors. Cactus pear is a drought-resistant source of food for both animals and humans. They have become indigenous in South Africa and has maintained a role in the diet of the local population and animal feed. This food source needs to be monitored for Dactylopius Opuntiae. Dactylopuis is an insect that infests the Cactus Pear (Opuntia) and makes a cottony, waxy mass as shelter for the female and their eggs. Industry 4.0 led to the introduction of a subcategory namely Farming 4.0 also known as smart farming. This paper evaluates such a smart farming automatic guided vehicle (AGV) system that could navigate itself from plant to plant using Xbox Kinect and detect Dactylopius Opuntiae. Results show and discuss the navigation-speed and an example of the Dactylopius Opuntiae detection. The passive response could include an internet of things (IoT) approach that could send the GPS data of the infested plant to the farmer or an active approach could be an onsite hands-on application.