EA037821B1 - Planting robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a planting robot. The said robot includes a supporting frame, a control device to control working units of the robot, an engine, a chassis, a seeding unit, a power supply unit for the working units, a drill configured for drilling holes for planting, an irrigation unit, and a fertilizer application unit, wherein the robot's chassis contains front guiding wheels and rear propellers in the form of caterpillars. The said robot provides reducting the negative impact on the soil when planting.

Description

Technology area

The present invention relates to the branch of agricultural activities - farming, in particular to a robot for planting plants.

Prior art

Today, the task of combating land desertification in arid regions caused by climate change, and in a number of regions associated with low precipitation, strong evaporation and periodic droughts, as well as human activities, for example, such as deforestation, depletion of the fertile layer, is urgent. lands in case of non-observance of crop rotation, soil pollution with oil spills, deforestation, uprooting of plants for animal feed, accumulation of landfills, and other anthropogenic factors acting as pollutants for the environment, leading, among other things, to deterioration of the physicochemical properties of the soil. As a result of desertification, soil degradation occurs, which, in turn, leads to negative consequences, such as a decrease in labor productivity in agriculture, a decrease in the diversity of species and number of animals, and a limitation in the availability of ecosystem services, which together can also have a negative impact on humanity in the whole.

Thus, at present, the task of protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems and promoting their rational use, rational forest management, combating desertification, stopping and reversing the process of land degradation and stopping the process of biodiversity loss is becoming urgent.

This requires the creation of specialized equipment, for example, such as a robot specializing in sowing seeds of agricultural crops and / or green manure plants in arid regions, as well as sowing green manure plants in areas with an unfavorable ecological situation in order to change it for the better. At the same time, green manure plants will act as natural healers of depleted soils and / or desertified lands, since their roots are able to fix the soil, improve the soil structure and enrich it with humus, as well as prevent wind erosion of the soil, which contributes to the improvement of the ecological situation in general. For crops, green manure plants will be a kind of protectors that, surrounding crops, protect them from the sun and wind, allowing cultivated plants to safely root in the soil and adapt to their growing area.

Known robots for cultivating land, sowing seeds, collecting fruits, equipped with carriages with engine-driven wheels, units for collecting and sorting fruits, a control complex and navigation devices. Various modifications of such robots are widely used in agricultural work (when planting seedlings, loosening the soil, collecting fruits: oranges, tomatoes, apricots).

Known agricultural robot (see, for example, RU 2492620 C2, published 09/20/2013), equipped with two wheels, sections for loading and unloading fruits. The agricultural robot in this document is designed to set seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants, bell peppers, to grab and collect fruits using an integrated paddle-shaped manipulator.

The disadvantages of this robot are wheeled propellers, which have a high rate of pressure of the wheels of the robot on the soil, as a result of which the soil is subjected to excessive pressure.

The closest analogue to the claimed invention is the Japanese transplanter Kubota KR-1K. The robot is equipped with a platform with the main units between two wheels with a diameter of 70 cm.The functionality of the combine allows to reduce the area of soil compaction by the wheels, to guide the robot to the borders of the cultivated area using navigation devices and to observe the accuracy of sowing seeds into pre-dug holes in the soil.

The disadvantages of the robot are a monolithic platform that prevents a change in the distance between the two wheels, a high rate of pressure of the robot wheels on the soil, as a result of which the soil is subjected to excessive pressure, up to trampling the soil.

The essence of the invention

Thus, at present there is a need to develop robots for planting plants that have a minimal negative impact on the soil and are a multifunctional device with the possibility of using it in natural-territorial complexes prone to desertification processes, to stop the process of soil degradation, improve its physicochemical properties. , which, in particular, can be used for planting crops, as well as green manure plants that contribute to the improvement of the soil.

The basis of the present invention is the task of creating a plant planting robot, which is a multifunctional device for combating desertification, capable of providing the entire range of planting, feeding, watering crops and / or seedlings / green manure plants without negatively affecting the soil during its cultivation, as well as providing a minimum negative impact on the soil both by its movers and by weight as a whole.

According to the present invention, there is provided a plant planting robot comprising a carrying

- 1 037821 frame designed for fastening the parts of the robot, a control device for controlling the robot, an engine, a chassis driven by an engine, a seed sowing unit configured to store and sow plant seeds into a hole, a power supply unit for working units made with the ability to power the robot, characterized in that the robot contains a drill configured for drilling a hole for planting a plant, and the drill consists of a shank and a cone-shaped rod with a stepwise changing diameter of the outer surface of the drill rod, and along the entire length of the drill rod there is a spiral groove, a block irrigation, configured to store and supply water to the hole, and a fertilizer applicator, configured to store and supply fertilizers to the hole, and the chassis of the robot contains front guide wheels and rear propellers in the form of caterpillars.

In one embodiment, the planting robot further comprises navigation equipment for locating the robot and controlling the robot to autonomously travel along a predetermined route.

According to one embodiment, the planting robot further comprises at least one of a light sensor, a soil moisture sensor, and a soil acidity sensor for controlling the robot in accordance with data received from at least one of the sensors.

According to one embodiment, a planting robot comprises an additional planting unit, said robot being configured to plant seeds of different plants at the same time.

According to one embodiment of the planting robot, the caterpillars are in the shape of an irregular convex hexagon with a horizontally elongated shape.

The technical result provided by the present invention is to reduce the negative impact of the robot for planting plants on the soil, provided during agricultural work.

The aforementioned technical result is achieved by a reduced indicator of the pressure of the robot on the soil, which contributes to the preservation of the soil cover in the cultivated areas.

Additionally, the aforementioned technical result is ensured by planting agricultural crops and / or green manure plants without deep overturning of the soil layer, that is, without causing soil erosion, with simultaneous fertilization and watering for better survival, germination, growth and development of plants.

In addition, the planting robot according to the present invention has a high cross-country ability.

The achievement of the claimed technical result is ensured by a set of blocks that are part of the device in the form of a robot, which provide the possibility of an autonomous mode of digging holes, sowing seeds into these holes, watering and applying fertilizers, and using tracks / caterpillar tracks as a running gear.

Also, the achievement of the claimed technical result is ensured by a non-moldboard method of mechanical impact on the soil during its cultivation, which does not include deep overturning of the soil layer.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention is further illustrated by a description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective side view (right) of a plant planting robot according to the invention;

fig. 2 is a general front view of the robot;

fig. 3 is a perspective view of a drill configured to drill a planting hole;

fig. 4 is a side view of the robot (left);

fig. 5 is a general rear view of the robot.

Description of preferred embodiments of the invention

The present invention provides a planting robot that can be used to plant seeds of crops and / or green manure plants used to combat desertification without fear of negative impact from the robot on the soil.

The robot is able to move without shear deformations on the soil cover, does not push through the upper layers of the soil, does not change the water and air regimes of the soil and, thus, does not impair the living conditions of microorganisms and does not adversely affect the earthworm population. Thus, the factors that have a beneficial effect on maintaining and increasing soil fertility remain in full. In addition, a real robot cultivates land in a way that only contributes to its improvement, in which there is no additional soil erosion under mechanical stress.

To solve the above tasks, the robot is equipped with caterpillar drives and a digging device in the form of a drill, which satisfy all of the above conditions.

An embodiment of a planting robot is shown in FIG. 1. The robot contains a supporting frame 1, designed for fastening the parts of the robot, a control device 2 for control

- 2 037821 working units of the robot, engine 3 (Fig. 1), undercarriage including front guide wheels 4 and tracked undercarriage 5, storage and sowing unit 6, power supply unit 7 for working units, drill 8 configured for drilling a hole under planting a plant, block 9 watering, block 10 fertilizing.

The supporting frame 1 of the robot is used for fastening all assembly units of the robot.

The supporting frame 1 can be a frame made of a metal or alloy, as well as a polymer material with a strength comparable to that of a metal, for example, such as Kevlar and / or carbon fiber, or a composite material.

The control device 2 (Fig. 1) of the robot is used to control the working units of the robot by supplying them with control commands. The control device 2 for controlling the working units of the robot in different embodiments can be represented in the form of one or more specialized integrated circuits, a digital signal processor, a digital signal processing device, a programmable logic device, a user-programmable gate array, a processor, a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, and etc.

The undercarriage of the robot in accordance with an exemplary embodiment comprises front propellers in the form of front guide wheels 4 and rear propellers in the form of caterpillars 5, consisting of pivotally connected links, the effect of which on the soil is minimized due to the larger contact area of the propellers with the soil. It should be noted that in an alternative embodiment, the front propellers in the form of steering wheels may be omitted, and the robot may only be driven by the tracks.

The engine 3 provides the ability to drive the robot by transferring mechanical energy through the drives to the guide wheels 4 and the tracked chassis 5.

An electric motor can be used as engine 3. In an alternative embodiment, the engine 3 may be an internal combustion engine using the energy from the combustion of liquid fuel.

The irrigation unit 9, which is equipped with the robot, provides water supply to the soil.

The irrigation unit 9 contains a water tank, as well as pipes and valves that provide a directed supply of water to the hole. Water can be supplied through a pipe leading from the tank when the drill is running, thereby providing watering and facilitating drilling when forming a hole for planting seeds or plants, which leads to reduced power consumption during operation of the robot.

In an alternative embodiment, a spray nozzle can be fitted over the irrigation tube, the spray of which provides water coverage of the well over the entire diameter.

The unit 6 for storing and sowing seeds consists of a container for storing seeds and a conveyor (not shown), which ensures accurate unloading of plant seeds into the hole. In an exemplary embodiment, the robot comprises a single seeding unit. However, in accordance with an alternative embodiment, the robot may comprise an additional unit 15 (FIG. 1) for sowing seeds intended for crop seeds and green manure seeds, respectively.

The fertilizer application unit 10 consists of a container for storing fertilizers and a conveyor (not shown), which ensures accurate unloading of fertilizers into the holes.

As a conveyor for unloading plant seeds and fertilizers into the hole, any suitable means can be used that provides the ability to supply and stop the supply of solid bulk materials, such as a screw auger, valve, bucket elevator, discharge hopper with a shutter, pneumatic supply, etc.

In an alternative embodiment, the fertilizer application unit 10 may, in addition to dry fertilization, contain liquid fertilizer, which is placed in a container similar to a water tank.

The above blocks of the robot can be driven by means of various driving means by taking mechanical energy from the motor. In an alternative embodiment, said units can have their own drive means supplied by means of electricity from the power supply unit of the working units.

Fertilizers can be organic, inorganic, individual, mixed, complex, etc.

The robot is powered by the power supply unit 7 for the working units, which can be lithium-ion, lead-acid batteries, etc.

In an alternative embodiment, monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar panels can be used in addition to chemical power sources.

Additionally or alternatively, an electrical generator (not shown) may be installed in the robot, driven by an internal combustion engine serving as a driving source for the robot.

The navigation equipment 11 of the robot is designed to determine the location of the robot and enables the robot to operate autonomously in accordance with the programmed program for moving along a predetermined route. Systems based on GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), etc. can be used as navigation equipment 11.

Additionally, the robot can be equipped with an ultrasonic sensor (not shown) designed to inform about an obstacle ahead, such as large stones, obstacles, pillars, etc. In an alternative embodiment, radar, lidar, etc. may be used instead of an ultrasonic sensor.

The soil analyzers included in the design of the robot are designed to assess the characteristics of the soil and adjust its parameters by watering and fertilizing.

A light sensor 12 (Fig. 2) can be installed on the robot to determine the sun illumination of the soil, a resistor-type humidity sensor 13, a soil acidity level sensor 14, operating on the principle of a pH meter. The control device 2, on the basis of the data obtained from the said sensors, can regulate the parameters of the process of digging holes, watering and fertilizing when planting.

The functional purpose of the drill 8 (Fig. 4) in the robot is to form a hole for planting plant seeds. The drill 8, configured to drill a hole for planting a plant, consists of a shank 16, to which a mechanism 17 is attached, transmitting a torque to the drill 8, and a rod 18.

The burr shank 18 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is tapered with a raised surface in the form of steps 19 formed by a stepped diameter of the burr shank that decreases along the length of the burr shank from the portion located closer to the shank 16 to the opposite, sharp end of the bur. Additionally, a groove 20 can be made on the conical surface of the drill, made in the form of a spiral along the entire length of the drill rod.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the reduction in the diameter of the drill shank 18 from its part located closer to the shank 16 towards the opposite end of the drill may not be stepwise, but continuously.

The developed robot differs from robots used in agriculture both in its increased cross-country ability and in the absence of a negative impact on the soil cover due to the presence of a tracked undercarriage 5.

Since the tracked undercarriage 5 of the robot includes tracked propellers with tracks consisting of articulated links - tracks, which have a flat surface at the point of contact with the soil cover, it exerts less pressure on the soil compared to robots with wheeled propellers. Caterpillar propellers have a large surface area in contact with the soil due to their flat shape at the point of contact with the soil compared to wheels, the contact of which with the soil is less due to their rounded shape, as a result of which the entire load on the wheel propeller falls into essentially a very small area of contact wheels with soil, which has a significant effect on the soil cover at the point of contact of the robot with the soil. As a result, the crawler robot compresses the soil less because the load is more evenly distributed along the entire length of the track / track. As a result, less compaction of the soil contributes to better plant germination.

Since the track links are articulated links, rather than a monolithic surface as is the case with wheels, the tracks are a kind of rippers. This effect is due to the fact that the areas with the links of the tracks help to push the earth, while leaving intact the areas of ground where there is space between the articulation of the links, thus contributing to the destruction of the soil crust. With the destruction of the soil crust, evaporation of internal moisture decreases, air access to the soil increases, water is better absorbed, both rain and irrigation, which has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of plants.

Also, due to a more even distribution of the weight load of the robot on the tracks, as a result of their larger contact area with the ground, the tracks of the robot will have an effect on a more uniform flow of moisture into the soil during natural irrigation of the soil with precipitation or from irrigation systems also for the reason that they a uniform embossed print remains, avoiding flooded areas and overdried areas. Unlike the present invention, robots with wheeled propellers in their arsenal lead to the formation of a rut in which water can accumulate in places of the highest wheel pressure, while leading to a faster drying of the upper edges of the rut, which does not provide a uniform flow of moisture into the soil. but leads to waterlogging of the soil, or vice versa, to its excessive dryness.

Additionally, due to the greater ground contact of the track compared to wheeled robots, the tracked robot will have better traction to the ground, which also provides improved traction over rough terrain.

The crawler unit 5 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is in the form of an irregular convex hexagon (Fig. 1), which has a lower side, an upper side, which are located in relation to each other and to the soil surface horizontally, front lower and upper sides and rear lower and upper sides. The front and back sides of the crawler unit are determined according to the main direction

- 4 037821 movements of the robot during operation.

The irregular hexagon has an elongated shape horizontally, provided that the lateral upper and lower sides of the crawler hexagon are at an acute angle, and the upper and lower sides of the hexagon forming the propulsion unit are in relation to the lateral upper sides of the hexagon and to the lateral lower sides of the hexagon under obtuse angle.

This shape of the crawler unit provides sharp outer corners at the front and rear, formed by the lateral sides of the hexagon. The presence of such an acute external angle provides increased cross-country ability of the robot, since it allows it to overcome large obstacles in its path.

In addition, the shape of an irregular convex hexagon ensures the stability of the robot in the event of a collision with an obstacle and does not lead to its overturning. In the case of tilting the robot backwards, when it collides with a large obstacle, the rear lower side of the propulsion hexagon serves as an element that protects the robot from overturning and, as a result, from breakage of its equipment located above the propellers. In this case, almost the entire mass of the robot can fall on the rear lower lateral side of the propulsive hexagon, which can withstand such a load and at the same time not have a negative effect on the soil in the form of its excessive pressing. This shape of the crawler unit prevents damage to the entire robot and ensures minimal impact on the soil.

An additional advantage of the claimed robot is equipping its crawler undercarriage 5 with upper and lower rollers 21, 22 of the same shape, as well as providing the same shape for the guide 23 and driving 24 wheels of the crawler undercarriage. This simplifies the modular assembly of the robot, and also simplifies the maintenance of the robot and repair work in the event of a breakdown.

Travel rollers 21, 22 are located in the upper and lower inner corners of the hexagon of the caterpillar drive, at least one in each corner. Top and bottom inner corners of a hexagon are defined as the inner corners formed by the intersection of the top and bottom sides of the hexagon with the side top and bottom sides of the hexagon.

In the inner acute corners of the hexagon, formed at the intersection of the lateral sides of the hexagon, there are guide 23 and drive 24 wheels, with the guide wheel 23 located in the front acute internal corner of the hexagon, and the drive wheel 24 located in the rear acute internal corner of the hexagon. In an alternative embodiment, the idler and drive wheels can be reversed.

Additionally, pads 25 can be attached to the tracks (articulated links) of the tracks 5 from the outside, which, on the one hand, will reinforce the tracks to increase their impact and bending strength, and on the other hand, will act as damping elements that provide a smoother robot movement.

The movement of both front and rear propellers can be carried out by transferring mechanical energy from the engine 3 through the drive. In one embodiment, the mechanical power from the drive can only be transmitted to the tracked vehicle.

Additionally, the front propellers are made with the possibility of changing the gap between them, which allows for a denser or sparse planting of plants on demand.

It should also be noted that the mechanization of the process of sowing crops will increase labor productivity and reduce labor costs when combating land desertification with the help of green manure and a robot used for this purpose. In addition, the method of plowing the land, provided by the use of the robot presented in the present invention, will more effectively combat land desertification and prevent additional soil erosion.

This possibility is ensured by equipping the robot with means for digging the ground, the presence of the robot's seed sowing unit 6, designed for storing and sowing seeds of a cultivated plant / crop, green manure seeds, which is equipped with a conveyor for precise unloading of plant seeds into the holes. In addition, equipping the robot with blocks 10, 9, responsible for fertilizing and watering plants, leads to sustainable growth and development of plants without additional devices, which also contributes to reducing the economic costs of planting green manure plants to improve soil condition due to the concentration in one equipment of several units that provide the above functions.

Green manure plants / green manure plants in the present invention mean plants that improve the structure of the soil: their roots loosen the soil, increase the capillarity and lumpiness of the soil, improve air and moisture permeability, stimulate the development of soil microorganisms, prevent nutrient leaching and can be buried in the soil with the purpose of using them as fertilizers to enrich the soil with nitrogen and organic matter. As green manure plants, it is preferable to use annual plants such as, for example, wheat, oats, paisa, rye and the like.

- 5 037821

In the present invention, agricultural crops are understood to mean plants cultivated for the purpose of obtaining food products, technical raw materials and livestock feed. For example, such crops can be bush cherry, Richter's hodgepodge, saltros, sarsazan, saxaul, indigofer, etc.

In particular, the prevention of additional soil erosion is provided by a digging unit equipped with a drill 8 for digging holes and a mechanism that activates the lowering and lifting of the drill (Fig. 2).

The mechanism that activates the drill 8 works on the rotary principle of the drill and up / down movement, due to which the drill 8 can both go down into the soil and rise up, providing the formation of a hole in which a seed or plant can be planted.

Due to the fact that the core 18 of the drill 8 has a relief surface in the form of steps formed by the stepped diameter of the core 18 of the drill, and is provided with a groove 20 made on the surface in the form of a spiral along the entire length of the core of the drill, it is possible to plant plants and seeds without the need for plowing. that is, without deep overturning of the soil layer.

This is achieved by the fact that the stepped profile of the drill 8, when introduced into the soil, contributes to its loosening. In this case, the drilled soil enters the groove formed by the spiral groove 20, from which, by gravity, it gradually descends back into the hole when the drill moves backward when it is removed from the soil, and only a small part of the soil falls on the dump, which forms a ring from the soil around hole, which functions as a barrier to help retain water.

The presence of a spiral groove 20 extending over the entire conical surface of the drill 8 from the part located closer to the shank to the tip makes it possible to place and retain the drilled soil in the channel formed by the surface of the spiral groove and the inner walls of the hole formed during drilling. When lifting the drill 8, thanks to the smooth surface of the groove 20, the soil independently sinks into the hole without turning over under the influence of gravity. Thus, there is no need to equip the robot with an additional block that will ensure the burial of the hole, especially since the soil ring around the hole serves as a barrier mechanism that helps to retain water.

In the present invention, a dimple is understood to mean a depression with loosened soil, the edges of which are formed partly by moldboard soil, thus creating an obstacle to winds and contributing to better water retention.

This method of plowing prevents soil erosion and provides oxygen access for the normal life of bacteria and earthworms, which provide the soil with the necessary trace elements and contribute to its aeration, moisture and mixing. In addition, the cumulative result from the use of a drill with a rod with a relief surface in the form of steps and a groove made in the form of a spiral and extending over the entire surface along the length of the drill rod is a better germination of plants, provided by the formation of a loose layer of earth, which, in addition to providing aeration soil, also prevents excessive evaporation of internal moisture due to the difficulty of capillary rise of moisture to the surface, which has a beneficial effect on the better germination of plants.

In addition, the better germination and survival of plants is facilitated by the presence of the irrigation unit 9 and the fertilization unit 10 in the robot (Fig. 4), which, when sowing, provide seeds and plants with the necessary nutrients and moisture.

In addition, fertilized water can act as a solution to help reduce soil resistance and improve soil slip while drilling, resulting in less battery drain.

In an exemplary embodiment, all the work performed by the robot is provided due to the presence of the power supply unit 7 for the working units (Fig. 5), which is a lithium-ion battery and / or a monocrystalline solar panel.

Due to the presence of a sensor 13 for determining soil moisture, a sensor 12 of soil illumination and a sensor 14 (Fig. 2) for determining the acidity of the soil, the supply of water and fertilizers can be carried out in certain doses depending on the data transmitted to the control device 2, which creates more comfortable conditions for the life of the plant.

All of the above functionalities of the robot contribute to the fact that such work for agricultural work can be used in the method of planting crops and / or green manure plants.

By treating the soil with the planting robot in accordance with the present invention, favorable conditions are created for good retention of plant roots or seeds, and the soil has a good ability to absorb water and other necessary elements for healthy plant growth.

In addition, the use of the robot according to the present invention for planting plants avoids negative impacts on the soil, i. E. not only its ramming, but also soil erosion, since the presence of a specially designed drill, which has a rod with a relief surface in the form of steps and a groove in the form of a spiral, does not lead to deep overturning of the soil layer, but contributes to its aeration and preservation of the internal moisture.

Thus, the planting robot according to the present invention allows the cultivation of the soil, as well as the planting of green manure plants that can protect crops under unfavorable climatic conditions, and the planting of the cultivated plants themselves, without leading to shear deformations of the soil cover and without changing the water and the air regime of the soil, that is, fully preserving the favorable factors of soil fertility, which together allows not only to improve agricultural land and increase labor productivity, but also generally have a beneficial effect on the environment and human habitat.

The embodiments are not limited to the embodiments described herein, for a person skilled in the art based on the information set forth in the description and knowledge of the prior art, other embodiments will be apparent without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Elements mentioned in the singular do not exclude the plurality of elements, unless otherwise specified.

Although not specifically mentioned, it is obvious that when it comes to storing data, programs, and the like, the presence of a computer-readable storage medium is implied, examples of computer-readable storage media include read only memory, random access memory, register, cache memory , semiconductor storage devices, magnetic media such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical media and optical media such as CD-ROMs and digital versatile disks (DVDs), and any other storage media known in the art.

While exemplary embodiments have been described in detail, it should be understood that such embodiments are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the broader invention and that the invention should not be limited to the specific arrangements and structures shown and described as various other modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Claims (5)

CLAIM 1. Robot for planting plants, containing a non-existing frame for attaching parts of the robot; control device for controlling the working units of the robot; engine; undercarriage driven by the engine; a seed sowing unit configured to store and sow plant seeds into a well; power supply unit for working units; characterized in that it contains a drill configured for drilling a hole for planting, and the drill consists of a shank and a rod having a conical shape with an outer surface with a stepwise changing diameter, and a spiral groove is made on the surface along the entire length of the drill rod; an irrigation unit configured to store and supply water to the well; and a fertilizer applicator configured to store and deliver fertilizer to the well; moreover, the chassis of the robot contains front guide wheels and rear propellers in the form of caterpillars. 2. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising navigation equipment for determining the location of the robot and controlling the robot for autonomous movement along a predetermined route. 3. The robot of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a light sensor, a soil moisture sensor, and a soil acidity sensor for controlling the robot in accordance with data received from at least one of the sensors. 4. A robot according to claim 1, comprising an additional unit for sowing seeds, said robot being configured to simultaneously sow seeds of different plants. 5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the tracks are in the shape of an irregular convex hexagon of horizontally elongated shape.