2.GATHERING PERTINENT INFORMATION - T-div-Engg-Exploration-2026-27/Repo-2 GitHub Wiki
AI-Based Smart Seed Sowing Machine
1.INTRODUTION
The AI-based seed sowing machine is a smart mechatronic system built to perform farming operations automatically with less human effort. It is capable of moving in the field, checking soil fertility and sowing seeds on its own .
The main aim of this project is to overcome the problems in traditional farming like fertilizer wastage and uneven sowing. It tries to develop an affordable and intelligent machine that can handle both fertilizing and sowing work.
The working of the system involves capturing soil data through camera and NPK sensors. This data is analysed by the ESP32 controller using AI to identify nutrient deficiency. Once analysed, the system controls the servo motor to drop the exact amount of required fertilizer and then places the seed at proper spacing. This helps in improving soil health, saving resources and increasing crop yield.
2.EXISTING SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM
Existing solutions available for seed sowing and fertilizing:
- Manual Hand Sowing:Traditional,time-consuming,uneven.
- Hand-operated Rotary Seeder: Mechanically drops seeds at equal distance but no soil testing.
- Tractor-mounted Seed Drill: Used for large farms, high cost, no AI.
- John Deere ExactEmerge Planter: High-end commercial AI planter with sensors - very costly ~ 15 Lakhs.
- Automatic Seed Sowing Robot (Arduino based): Student DIY projects that only sow seeds, no fertility check.
Our project is different because we combine Soil Fertility Detection + Fertilizer Dosing + Sowing in one low-cost robot.
3.Table 1.1 Information Collected by various sources
| Sl. No | Components or parts used:Electronic | Components or parts used:Mechanical | Mechanism / Principle Identified | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ESP32 + L298N | 4WD Chassis | Bluetooth controlled sowing robot | https://www.instructables.com/SEEDS-SOWING-ROBOT/ |
| 2 | Soil Moisture Sensor | Seed Hopper flap | Moisture based sowing | https://www.engineersgarage.com/soil-moisture-detector/ |
| 3 | ESP32-CAM | - | Image based NPK estimation using CNN | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_agriculture |
| 4 | ESP32-CAM AI | - | Soil color to fertility correlation research | https://farm.bot - FarmBot Open Source Farming Robot Website |
| 5 | Servo SG90 | PVC Pipe Dispenser | Servo controlled fertilizer drop | https://www.instructables.com/Virtual-Presence-Robot/ - Has SG90 + L298N + ESP32-CAM |
| 6 | ESP32, Relay | Drill mechanism | Automated seed drilling | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLHz4E9SxLU |
| 7 | Arduino UNO, Ultrasonic | Encoder Wheels | Row spacing measurement | https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-ultimate-gps/overview |
| 8 | Buck Converter LM2596 | Plywood Frame | Power distribution for farm robot | https://www.instructables.com/Variable-Power-Supply-Buck-Converter/ |
| 9 | ESP32 + Blynk | - | IoT soil data logging | https://how2electronics.com/interface-capacitive-soil-moisture-sensor-arduino/ |
| 10 | ESP32-CAM | Plastic Bottle Hopper | Low cost hopper design | https://www.engineersgarage.com/soil-moisture-detector/ |
| 11 | BO Motor 150 RPM | Chain Drive | Mobility in field | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkj1DQQUjVo - Commercial Seed Sowing System |
| 12 | LCD 16x2 + ESP32-CAM | - | Displaying fertility report NPK % | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU87nVbK5aM - Arduino Seed Sowing |
| 13 | - | Plough Tool | Soil opening for seed | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOSxyH5nZxE - 3D Printed Seed Sowing Robot |
| 14 | Solar Panel 10W | Solar Mount | Solar powered agribot | https://www.azorobotics.com/News.aspx?newsID=15867 - Solar Powered Robot 98.8% Accuracy |
| 15 | GPS Neo-6M | - | GPS based path following | https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-ultimate-gps/overview |
| 16 | ESP32-CAM Soil Fertility AI Model | SD Card Module | Soil image dataset collection | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkj1DQQUjVo |
| 17 | Servo MG996R | Fertilizer Tank | Precise dosing | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU87nVbK5aM |
| 18 | Relay 5V 4-channel | Water Pump | Irrigation after sowing | https://how2electronics.com/automatic-plant-watering-system-using-arduino-uno/ |
| 19 | IR sensor | SEED Level Indicator | Seed empty alert | https://www.electronicwings.com/sensors/moisture-sensor |
| 20 | Battery 12v 7Ah | Chasis Frame | Portable Power | https://robofactory.in/product/4wd-robot-chassis-kit/ |
4. Components & Sub-components Required (No NPK Sensor)
| Component | Type | Working Principle / Construction / Interaction |
|---|---|---|
| ESP32-CAM Module | Electronics - Main Controller + AI Sensor | Single board does everything. OV2640 camera captures soil image, CNN model trained on Kaggle "Soil Fertility Dataset" (500+ images) estimates NPK% from color/texture. Also controls motors/servos via GPIO. Replaces costly Rs. 2800 NPK sensor. |
| Soil Moisture Capacitive Sensor | Electronics - Support Sensor | Gives moisture % (0-100%). Helps AI to confirm soil condition. Cost Rs. 120 only. |
| SG90 Servo Motors x 2 | Electronics + Mechanical | 180 deg, PWM controlled. Servo 1 opens fertilizer valve, Servo 2 opens seed valve. Plastic gears, sufficient for 1L bottle hopper. |
| L298N Motor Driver | Electronics - Driver | Dual H-bridge. Drives 2x BO motors using 5V logic from ESP32-CAM. |
| BO Motors 150 RPM Dual Shaft x 2 | Mechanical - Actuator | Low-cost DC motors with 65mm wheels. 2WD with front castor wheel is enough for prototype. High torque for soil. |
| Chassis - Recycled Plywood 50cm x 35cm | Mechanical - Base | Made from scrap plywood from college workshop. Light weight, strong enough for 3kg load. |
| Seed & Fertilizer Hopper - Plastic Bottles | Mechanical - Storage | Two 1L bottles cut into funnel shape. One for fertilizer, one for seeds. Connected to PVC pipe (1 inch) to guide material to ground. |
| Power - 3x 18650 Cells (Reused) + LM2596 | Electronics - Power | 3x 18650 cells reused from old power banks (0 cost). 12V output. LM2596 buck steps down to 5V 2A for ESP32-CAM and servos. Battery holder Rs. 100. |
NPK is estimated by AI vision only.
5. Recent Information Check
All information is recent 2023-2026. We used latest method - ESP32-CAM with CNN for NPK estimation (published in IEEE 2023), not old 2015 chemical methods. All DIY links are from 2022-2025.
6. Direct Solutions Available with Images & Citation
1. Manual Broadcasting Seeder - Fig. 1
Hand rotated, low cost, no automation. Ref: http://balwaan.com
2. Tractor Mounted Seed Cum Fertilizer Drill - Fig. 2
Uses tractor, 9 rows, ~Rs. 90k, no soil testing. Ref: http://indiamart.com
3. John Deere ExactEmerge AI Planter - Fig. 3
AI planter, 99% spacing accuracy, ∼15 Lakhs. Ref: http://deere.com
4. Arduino Seed Sowing Robot (Instructables) - Fig. 4
Student project, fixed interval sowing only. Ref: http://instructables.com
5. Solar Powered Automatic Seeder - Fig. 5
Solar powered, eco-friendly but no fertility detection. Ref: http://youtube.com
7. Observations in Local Market, Online, College Labs - 5 Observations
Observation 1: Durgad Bail Agriculture Shop, Hubli Saw heavy iron seed drills needing bullocks. Heavy and costly. Idea: Use lightweight plastic bottle hopper to reduce weight and cost to under Rs. 200. [Fig. 6]
Observation 2: Online - http://Robu.in / Amazon ESP32-CAM Rs. 650, DC motor Rs. 150, SG90 Rs. 150. Confirms prototype under Rs. 5000 is possible.
Observation 3: Mechatronics Lab, College Observed L298N + BO motor + SG90 setup in line follower robot. Same exact mechanism can be reused for our fertilizer dispenser valve control.
Observation 4: Farmer Field Near Hubli-Dharwad Bypass Farmers throwing fertilizer uniformly with hands, wastage near bunds. Validates need for variable-rate dispensing using AI.
Observation 5: College Library + Workshop Found IEEE papers on "Soil Color to NPK Correlation using Deep Learning" and found scrap plywood, PVC pipes, 3D printer for hopper fabrication. Can make chassis in workshop saving Rs. 2000.
8. Cost Estimation
A. Existing Commercial Solution Cost Tractor Seed Drill = Rs. 85,000 + Tractor Rent Rs. 2,000/day = Too costly for small farmers.
B. Our Prototype - Low Cost Rs. 5000 Model
| Sl. No | Component | Cost (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ESP32-CAM Module (Controller + Camera) | 650 |
| 2 | DC Motors 150 RPM x 2 + 65mm Wheels x 2 + Castor Wheel | 450 |
| 3 | L298N Motor Driver Module | 220 |
| 4 | DC Motors x 2 for Fertilizer & Seed Dispenser | 300 |
| 5 | Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensor | 120 |
| 6 | LM2596 Buck Converter + Breadboard + Jumper Wires + Switch | 350 |
| 7 | Chassis - Plywood from Workshop Scrap + Screws + Fevicol | 200 |
| 8 | Hoppers*2+ 2ft PVC Pipe + Tape + Glue | 150 |
| 9 | Battery Pack - 3x 18650 used from Power Banks + Battery Holder (Rs.100) | 100 |
| 10 | Soldering, Nuts-Bolts, Poster Printing, Binding, Transport & Contingency | 760 |
| TOTAL COST | - | Rs. 3,300/- |
| Final Billing with 50% Buffer for Price Variation | - | Rs. 4,950/- |
Budget Justification Paragraph : Soil fertility is detected using low-cost AI-based image processing through ESP32-CAM module. The CNN model is trained on Kaggle Soil Fertility Dataset (500+ soil images) to estimate N, P, K values from soil color and texture. A capacitive soil moisture sensor (Rs. 120) supports the AI decision. Mechanical parts like chassis and hoppers are fabricated using recycled plywood and plastic bottles from college workshop to minimize cost. Reused 18650 cells from old power banks are used for power supply. Hence total cost is restricted to Rs. 4950/- within given budget.