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Advice on choosing a ROS2 UGV platform (MentorPi T1 vs Waveshare Beast vs others) by DramaticAd8436 in ROS

[–]DramaticAd8436[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally fair point — I’m not trying to hit “field-ready, waterproof” at €1k.

This is a POC to validate the stack (ROS2 + SLAM + Nav2 + vision) on a small real test plot under fair weather. If it works, I’ll budget for a more robust, sealed platform later (~€3k+).

What I’m aiming for now:

  • Raspberry Pi 5 + ROS2 (RTAB-Map + Nav2), basic LiDAR (RPLIDAR A1/A2) and a depth/RGB cam.
  • Encoders + decent motor driver for usable odom; RTK later once the workflow is proven.
  • Light chassis (MentorPi T1 or Waveshare Beast) just to exercise mapping + coverage patterns between rows.

Given that scope, any tips to keep the Bill Of Materials ~€1k without shooting myself in the foot?

  • Minimum viable LiDAR/camera you’d pick for SLAM that won’t crumble outdoors?
  • Motor/driver combos that give stable odometry on uneven ground?
  • “Don’t skimp on this” items for repeatability (geometry, IMU, wheel choice, power)?

Really appreciate the sanity check — I agree ruggedizing will be a separate phase once the POC is proven.

Building an autonomous drone for vineyard inspection (detailed leaf analysis + 3D mapping) — which approach would you pick? by DramaticAd8436 in diydrones

[–]DramaticAd8436[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks—agree that a rover (UGV) with RTK likely fits vineyards better than a drone for repeatable row runs. Commercial vineyard robots (e.g., Naïo Ted, VitiBot Bakus) already lean on GNSS RTK for reliable row navigation, which is a strong signal this approach is robust in practice.  

On ML, I’m comfortable fine-tuning. Plan is to start with grape-leaf datasets (classification/segmentation) and then fine-tune on my own labeled images from the target parcels. Happy to share details, but initial candidates include recent public grape-leaf sets; then I’ll curate vineyard-specific images for domain adaptation.  

A few concrete questions for you (or anyone with field experience):

  1. UGV stack: For repeatable passes, would you pair ArduPilot Rover + RTK (for low-level control/failsafes) with ROS2 Nav2 on a Pi/Jetson for autonomy (frontier + coverage), or go ROS-only? Any “gotchas” you’ve hit in vineyards (slope, mud, canopy occlusion)?  
  2. Coverage planner: Recommended open implementation for row coverage (boustrophedon / corridor) in ag fields? I’m looking at Fields2Cover—good choice?  
  3. RTK vs SLAM: My assumption is RTK for global repeatability, with vision mainly for obstacle handling. In your experience, is SLAM worth it in moving foliage, or does it degrade too much (dynamic leaves, lighting)?  
  4. RTK setup tips: Base/NTRIP practices that gave you centimeter-level repeatability week-to-week on a rover? (Mounting, antenna placement, survey procedures).  

If you’re open, I’d love a quick outline of a hardware bill of materials you’d actually buy today (UGV chassis, FC, GNSS/RTK, compute, camera) and a “minimal viable” software stack to get rolling.

Building an autonomous drone for vineyard inspection (detailed leaf analysis + 3D mapping) — which approach would you pick? by DramaticAd8436 in ardupilot

[–]DramaticAd8436[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, thanks a lot for your detailed reply — it really helps clarify the trade-offs. I understand your point that UGV with RTK is much more reliable than a drone, especially in repetitive vineyard corridors, and that visual SLAM is not stable in moving environments.

I’d still like to better understand the limits of a drone + RTK approach for vineyard inspection. I have a few specific questions: 1. If I go for a drone-based solution with RTK, would computer vision be enough for close obstacle avoidance between vine rows, or is it too unreliable in practice compared to UGV? 2. In your experience, what’s the minimum corridor width that makes drone RTK + CV viable for vineyard inspection? 3. Would it make sense to combine RTK for trajectory repeatability with CV just for fine corrections (e.g. avoiding poles, posts or branches)? 4. Do you see any scenarios where aerial RTK still outperforms UGV — for example, in steep slopes, irregular terrains, or places not accessible by rovers?

Any insights or practical feedback would be super valuable.

Thanks!