Development of an Arduino-Based Robotic Arm Yam Heap Maker

In this study, a prototyperobotic arm yam heap-maker using Arduino was developed. Nigeria produces around75% of global yam production which is widely consumed as staple foods in Africaand Asia and as raw materials for processing into other finished goods. Theproduction of this economic commodity is largely crude and labor-intensive assuch the need to adopt a modern approach to farming. The prototype was designedto perform heap-making activities in the cultivation process of yam andutilizes two Degrees of Freedom (2 DOF), it has an overall weight of 2.39 Kg,350 mm length, 250 mm width, and 240 mm height. A systematic design method ofthe product design process was adopted in the prototype development. The heapmaker was controlled remotely using an android phone. The trial experimentswere performed on sandy, loamy, and clay soils. The average effective heapheight and depth were best observed on loamy soil with 5 cm height and 7 cmdepth.