Challenge
Identify the geographic origin of soil samples taken by a robot.
Solution
A Cognex DataMan 262 mounted directly to the robot.
Story
An agricultural startup reached out to the engineers at EMP for help with a barcode scanning application on a robotically controlled vehicle. The company builds systems that travel out into farmland and collect soil samples from various locations. The samples are tested, recommendations are made about which nutrients to add and where, and follow-up samples can later be taken at the exact same spots to confirm the soil was treated properly.
The problem was identifying which sample came from which location. Without the original location, follow-up samples could not show a direct correlation after the nutrients were applied. The solution was to add DataMatrix barcodes as the samples were collected and bagged. That required a barcode scanner that could read the code reliably from a distance while staying clear of the moving machinery. EMP recommended the Cognex DataMan 260 series for its small size, reasonable price, and excellent read range.
After the customer began printing barcodes on the bags and installed the new scanners, the system became much more accurate and efficient. Bagged soil samples are now clearly marked, and the robot stores each collection location for reference. The operators love the addition of the barcodes and scanners, and the samples look far more professional.
Have an application that needs location services? Contact EMP today.
