ERICA Research Project

Evaluation of a Robot for Imaging and Environmental CAracterization in Greenhouses

Group:  Dynamic Systems and Optimization

Labelling: none

Duration: 2025

Funding: SFR QuaSaV and SFR MathSTIC

Staff involved from LARIS: Rémy Guyonneau, Franck mercier, Polytech's students

Project partners: Phenotic (IRHS), - ImHorPhen (IRHS), - Emersys (IRHS), - UP Ephor

Abstract

The aim of the ERICA project is to carry out spatio-temporal characterizations of a semi-enclosed greenhouse using a robot capable of carrying temperature, hygrometry and radiation sensors, as well as cameras.

As part of this project, LARIS was responsible for the design, production and programming of the robot. The project began in September 2024, and version 1 of the robot was delivered in June 2025.
The robot designed and built by the team moves along the heating ducts in the greenhouse. It locates itself in the row using markers positioned along the length of the rail (detected using a camera) and encoders on the wheels for odometry (to evaluate the robot's movement between two markers).
The robot software is based on ROS2, and a web server has been implemented for programming acquisition missions. On this first version, three groups of Polytech Angers students took part in the development (one 3rd year Erasmus student, two 4th year students and one 5th year student). The robot is currently being tested in the greenhouse, and a sequel to the project is already envisaged: 7 robots to characterize all the rows in parallel.

 

Key words: ROS2, mobile robotics, metrology