Design of an intelligent motion control system for an agricultural field prowler using a path-following algorithm

¹ Departement of Information System, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Bangkalan, Indonesia
² Departement of Electrical Engineering, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Bangkalan, Indonesia
³ Departement of Mechatronics Engineering, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Bangkalan, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: ach.dafid@trunojoyo.ac.id

Published online: 22 December 2025

Abstract

The creation of robots that can move automatically and be used as a medium for simulating plowing movements is one of the efforts to improve efficiency in the soil cultivation process. Along with the development of robotics every year, line-following robots have become one of the most widely used technologies due to their ability to follow predetermined paths. In this study, a prototype path-following robot was created and designed to follow a path automatically, so that it could be used as a testing tool to simulate plowing movement patterns. This robot moves along a path by utilizing a camera as the main sensor to determine the robot’s position in real time. The control method used is kinematic control, because this method allows for precise adjustment of forward speed and turning speed so that the robot remains on the predetermined path. Based on tests conducted on three different field sizes, the kinematic control system was able to provide good performance with an accuracy rate of 93.49% on a 2-square-meter field, 94.49% on a 1.5-square-meter field, and 95.49% on a 1-square-meter field. These results indicate that the kinematic control approach is effective in keeping the robot’s movement stable and accurate when following a path automatically.