AgriBot-1 in field
ITUM · INCO 2026 · Open Source

AGRIBOT

— Model 1 —

A low-budget, open-source precision field robot that detects and eliminates weeds with zero chemicals. Built on a student budget. Built for the future.

10K
LKR Build Cost
2cm
Row Precision
0
Chemicals Used
4
Auto-Cal Rows
AgriBot-1 Robot
AGRIBOT-1 · FIELD DEPLOYMENT
ESP32-S3
MCU + WiFi
VL53L0X
TOF Sensor
650nm
Laser Diode
SCROLL
AgriBot in field

WEED CONTROL.
ZERO HERBICIDE.

Laser precision replaces chemicals — a sustainable future on a student budget

Process

HOW IT WORKS

Six precisely engineered steps — from cold start to clean field, fully autonomous.

01
Pre-Scan Calibration
AgriBot-1 scans the first 4 rows and automatically computes average max and min TOF readings — establishing ground level and crop height as the field baseline. No manual setup required.
ground_avgplant_avgthresholds locked
02
Precise Y-Axis Advance — 2cm/Row
N20 motors drive the robot exactly 2cm forward per row using an AS5600 magnetic wheel encoder. An ultrasonic sensor tracks the side wall gap in real time, auto-correcting steering to maintain a straight path.
~49.8° wheel rotation = 2cmwall gap 2cm ±1cm
03
Continuous Fly-By Gantry Scan
The NEMA 17 stepper sweeps the full row width without stopping. The VL53L0X TOF sensor samples height every 80 motor steps — building a complete height profile at speed.
800 steps/ssample every 80 stepsno stop-start pauses
04
Two-Pass Intelligent Detection
Pass 1 labels every point as ground, weed, or plant using calibrated thresholds. Pass 2 runs an edge artifact filter — discarding weed candidates within 3 scan steps of a plant boundary.
ground noise <3mm filterededge gap ≤3 steps discarded
05
Targeted Laser or Pump Treatment
Weed mode: laser fires for 5 seconds over each weed centroid. Fertilizer mode: pump delivers to each plant centroid for 3 seconds. Power supplies are fully isolated.
laser 5s/weedpump 3s/plant6V + 12V isolated rails
06
Automatic Field End + Safe Stop
When the ultrasonic sensor detects a ×8 spike in its reading — open air beyond the last row — AgriBot-1 completes its treatment, drives 16cm forward, then stops.
×8 wall spike → finish row16cm chassis offset → stop
Inside the Machine image card
VL53L0X TOF SENSOR
NEMA17 GANTRY RAIL
650nm LASER DIODE
N20 DRIVE MOTORS
Hardware Breakdown

INSIDE THE
MACHINE

Detection System
TOF HEIGHT PROFILING
A VL53L0X time-of-flight sensor scans every crop row continuously at 800 steps/s. A two-pass algorithm distinguishes weeds from crop plants using height-difference calibration — no manual setup needed.
Motion System
GANTRY + DUAL DRIVE
NEMA17 stepper with DRV8825 driver handles X-axis gantry sweeps. Twin N20 motors with TB6612FNG drive the Y-axis at 2cm per step using AS5600 magnetic encoder feedback.
Treatment
LASER & PUMP
A 650nm 5mW laser fires for exactly 5 seconds over each weed centroid. The relay pump delivers water to crop centroids for 3 seconds in fertilizer mode. Fully isolated power rails prevent interference.
Connectivity

LIVE WIFI
DASHBOARD

Connect to AgriBot-AP · open 192.168.4.1 · see real-time TOF graph, color sensor, and row scan map with weed and plant positions marked live.

Dual-Core FreeRTOS
Core 0: WiFi + sensors  ·  Core 1: robot tasks
Self-Calibrating Intelligence
No field config needed — auto-adapts to every crop
Dashboard Never Freezes
During laser firing or motor movement
AgriBot-AP · 192.168.4.1
[SYSTEM] AgriBot-1 Online
[WIFI] SSID: AgriBot-AP connected
[TOF] Sensor: OK · Range: 18mm–310mm
[CALIB] Rows scanned: 4/4 · Baseline set
[MOTOR] Y-axis: 2.01cm · Encoder: AS5600
[SCAN] Row 7 · Gantry sweeping...
[DETECT] Weed @ step 142 · centroid locked
[LASER] Firing 650nm 5mW · 5.0s remaining
[STATUS] Weeds killed: 12 · Plants ok: 47
TOF HEIGHT PROFILE — ROW 7LIVE
● PLANT● WEED─ GROUND
FIELD SCAN MAP — 10 ROWS × 20 COLS
■ CROP■ WEED■ GROUND
Hardware

KEY COMPONENTS

Brain
ESP32-S3MCU + WiFi
SSD1306 OLED128×32 display
FreeRTOS2 CPU cores
Sensing
VL53L0XTOF height
APDS-9960Color + proximity
HC-SR04Wall distance
AS5600Magnetic encoder
Motion
NEMA 17 + DRV8825X-axis gantry
2× N20 + TB6612FNGY-axis drive
800 steps/sGantry speed
Treatment
Laser Diode 5mW650nm weed kill
Water PumpRelay-controlled
5s / 3sWeed / plant timing
Power Architecture

ISOLATED POWER RAILS

12V
Gantry Rail
NEMA17 stepper motor · DRV8825 driver · High-current isolated supply
6V
Drive Rail
N20 DC motors · TB6612FNG · Relay pump · Fully isolated from logic
5V
Logic Rail
ESP32-S3 · All sensors · OLED display · USB-powered
Total Build Cost
LKR 10,000
Every design decision prioritised results over cost — proving that innovation is not a budget problem.