India’s first All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) has been designed for diverse agricultural applications by A-Thon in collaboration with AI and Robotics Technology Park (Artpark) at the Indian Institute of Science IISc in Bengaluru. The ATV named Ashva 4/4 has been designed for agriculture applications in challenging terrains. Artpark is a public-private venture at IISc supported by the Department of Science and Technology and the Government of Karnataka with a mission to develop autonomous systems that address the emerging job market created by AI and robotics.
Artpark’s goal is to transform the agricultural economy by introducing autonomous systems in farming. The young crowd coming to cities are familiar with technology which places them aptly to use autonomous systems to rejuvenate agriculture. Assisted autonomous systems enable farmers to perform significant tasks like pruning, early-stage disease detection, harvesting, and crop maintenance more efficiently.
Anurag Srivatsa, Chief Operations Officer, Artpark said, “Atpark is working on equipment suitable for large as well as small farms. The development of a 6/6 assisted autonomous vehicle called ‘Adbhut’ equipped with a tethered drone, robotic arm, and sensor capable of collecting agricultural data. This data can be used to refine farming practices, and Adhbut has the potential applications in adventure sports,” he added.Autonomous systems like Ashva and Adbhut are expected to significantly impact farming efficiency and productivity in India.