Team HSM‒TERRA
Team members
Arshpreet Singh, Anish Paul, Charles Sunil Swaris, Mukul Bimbra, Sharad Vettankarakav Sanjeev, Tony Mathew, Priyam Bhatnagar
Team captain’s name
Priyam Bhatnagar
Instructor(s)
Prof. Dr.‒Ing. Frank Schrödel, Hochschule Schmalkalden, Automatisierungstechnik/Antriebstechnik/Robotertechnik
Participating in the FRE since
2023
Description of the team and robot
Team HSM‒TERRA from Hochschule Schmalkalden develops an autonomous agricultural field robot for the Field Robot Event 2026. The robot uses LiDAR, Intel RealSense vision, IMU sensing, an Intel NUC onboard computer, and VESC motor control for autonomous navigation and precision agriculture applications such as row navigation, obstacle avoidance, and crop monitoring.
Robot specifications
W x L x H (cm):
40.2 x 81.71 x 53.5
Weight (kg):
64
Commercial or prototype:
Prototype
Total no. of wheels / no. driven wheels:
4/2
Drivetrain concept/ max. speed (m/s):
Motor/ Gearbox, 5kmph
Turning radius (cm):
35
Battery type / capacity (Ah):
LiFePO4 battery, 20
Total motor power (W):
250
No. of sensors internal/
external:
Sensor type:
3, LiDAR sensor, Depth camera (Intel RealSense), Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)
Controller system software description:
ROS-based controller software integrating LiDAR, RGB-D camera, and IMU data for SLAM, perception, navigation, and real-time motor control via VESC.
Controller system hardware description:
Intel NUC embedded computer for processing and control, VESC motor controller for motor actuation and speed control, integrated with LiDAR, Intel RealSense camera, and IMU sensors for robotic navigation and operation.
Short strategy description for navigation and applications:
The robot performs autonomous navigation in maize field rows using LiDAR, Intel RealSense vision, and IMU-based localization. Sensor fusion and real-time control enable stable row following, obstacle avoidance, and turning at row ends. The system is designed for precision agriculture applications including crop-row navigation, plant health monitoring, biodiversity detection, and soil spot treatment.