Development of an Arduino-Based Robotic Arm Yam Heap Maker

: In this study, a prototype robotic arm yam heap-maker using Arduino was developed. Nigeria produces around 75% of global yam production which is widely consumed as staple foods in Africa and Asia and as raw materials for processing into other finished goods. The production of this economic commodity is largely crude and labor-intensive as such the need to adopt a modern approach to farming. The prototype was designed to perform heap-making activities in the cultivation process of yam and utilizes 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 of the product design process was adopted in the prototype development. The heap maker was controlled remotely using an android phone. The trial experiments were performed on sandy, loamy, and clay soils. The average effective heap height and depth were best observed on loamy soil with 5 cm height and 7 cm depth.