Smart Autonomous Agricultural Drone

खेत Sahayak
Field Assistant for Every Farmer

A low-cost autonomous drone under ₹15,000 — automating seed sowing, precision irrigation, pesticide spraying, and AI-powered crop health monitoring for India's 146 million farm households.

₹14,500

Total Drone Cost

2.5 ac

Per Charge Coverage

80%

Farmers Targeted

01

Labour Scarcity & High Cost

Agricultural wages have risen 3× in a decade...

Wage increase in a decade

02

Severe Water Stress

Groundwater depletion is critical in 60%...

60%

Districts with groundwater stress

03

Chemical Misuse

Farmers over-apply pesticides...

40%+

Chemical overdose typical

04

Late Disease Detection

Diseases are identified too late...

50%

Yield lost before detection

05

No Soil Lab Access

Farmers guess fertilizer use...

0

Accessible soil labs

06

Zero Automation for Small Farms

Farm drones cost ₹30–80 lakh...

₹80L

Minimum drone cost

THE SOLUTION

One Drone. Six Functions.

Khet Sahayak is a 4-wheeled ground drone that moves autonomously through crop rows using GPS waypoints and ultrasonic obstacle avoidance. All six functions run from a single ₹14,500 unit — no subscription, no internet required for core operations.

Function 01
GPS-Guided Seed Sowing

GPS-Guided Seed Sowing

Servo-controlled rotating disc releases seeds at precise spacing. GPS ensures consistent row spacing for any crop variety — rice, wheat, soybean, maize. Configure via SMS or app.

Uniform germination, zero wasted seeds
Function 02
Precision Root Irrigation

Precision Root Irrigation

Soil moisture sensors at root depth trigger exact water volumes delivered directly to each plant base. No surface spray — water goes root-to-root, eliminating evaporation and waterlogging.

60% water saving vs flood irrigation
Function 03

Scheduled Spray System

Single 10L HDPE tank with 12V diaphragm pump (4 L/min, 70 PSI) feeding a 3-nozzle fan boom. AI camera detects weed presence before dispensing weedicide to avoid spraying clean rows.

40% reduction in chemical misuse
Function 04

AI Crop Health Monitoring

ESP32-CAM streams images to MobileNet V2 classifier that detects yellowing, spots, mottling, wilting, and pest presence. Generates plain-language alerts in Hindi/English via SMS.

Early disease warning, 15–30% yield boost
Function 05

Soil Deficiency Guidance

Correlates sensor data with visual cues to identify nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and zinc deficiencies. Provides home-made DIY tests using household items — no lab needed.

Instant soil health without lab access
Function 06

Solar-Powered Autonomy

12V 20Ah LiFePO4 battery + 20W monocrystalline solar panel delivers 4–6 hours of field operation per charge. Covers 2–2.5 acres per mission. Fully grid-independent.

2–2.5 acres per charge, zero grid dependency
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Built on Proven, Accessible Components

Every component is available from Indian electronics distributors. The chassis is fabricated at local welding shops. Designed for Make in India from day one.

khet_sahayak_specs.json
Chassis4-wheel aluminium/PVC frame, 60×40 cm footprint
Drive Motors4× 12V high-torque DC geared motors (100 RPM, ~30 kg-cm)
Main ControllerArduino Mega 2560 (core logic + sensor I/O)
Vision + AIESP32-CAM + OV2640 camera (Wi-Fi-streamed crop vision)
Obstacle Avoidance2× HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors (front + side)
GPS NavigationNEO-6M GPS module (±2.5m accuracy)
ConnectivityESP8266 Wi-Fi + SIM800L GSM (SMS alerts)
Spray SystemSingle 10L HDPE tank; 12V diaphragm pump (4 L/min, ~70 PSI); 3-nozzle fan boom
Motor DriverBTS7960 H-bridge (2 units for 4 high-torque motors, 43A continuous)
Battery12V 20Ah LiFePO4 pack (~4–6 hr autonomy per charge)
Solar Charging20W monocrystalline panel + PWM charge controller
Field Coverage~2–2.5 acres per full charge (flat terrain, daytime solar assist)
Operating Speed0.2–0.5 m/s in field (safe crop-row speed)

🔬 Home Remedy Soil Tests

The drone correlates sensor + visual data to suggest DIY deficiency tests — no lab needed.

Nitrogen (N)Visual cue

Pale/yellow leaves from older growth

Mix 1 tsp soil + 4 tsp water + pinch baking soda — no fizz confirms N depletion. Apply urea or green manure.

Phosphorus (P)Visual cue

Purple/reddish leaf undersides, poor root growth

Add soil to diluted vinegar — no bubbles = P likely locked. Apply bone meal or wood ash water.

Potassium (K)Visual cue

Brown leaf edges, weak stems

Burn dried leaf — grey ash with blue-white tinge indicates K depletion. Apply banana peel water.

Iron (Fe)Visual cue

Young leaves yellowing, veins stay green

Spray rusty nail water on leaf — greening in 48h confirms Fe deficiency. Use ferrous sulfate spray.

pH LevelVisual cue

Stunted growth, no response to fertilizer

Mix soil + turmeric powder; purple = alkaline, yellow = acidic. Add lime or neem cake accordingly.

COST BREAKDOWN

Under the ₹15,000 Cap

Every component is available from Indian electronics distributors. The chassis is fabricated at local welding shops. At ₹14,500, it remains eligible for 50–80% SMAM subsidy — making effective farmer cost as low as ₹3,000.

GRAND TOTAL BOM

₹14,500

incl. 14% contingency buffer

AFTER 80% SMAM SUBSIDY

₹2,900 – ₹7,250

Effective cost for small/marginal farmers

Khet Sahayak₹14,500
Manual Labour/season₹80,000+
Commercial Drone₹30–80 Lakh
BILL OF MATERIALS — 23 ITEMS₹ INR

12V 20Ah LiFePO4 Battery

Lithium Iron Phosphate pack

3,800

4× 12V High-Torque DC Motors

100 RPM, ~30 kg-cm torque

2,000

ESP32-CAM Module

Cloud-vision camera with Wi-Fi

500

20W Solar Panel + PWM Controller

Monocrystalline + PWM

1,000

Chassis (mild-steel angle iron)

Welded locally, 25–30 kg load

700

12V Diaphragm Sprayer Pump

4 L/min, 70 PSI for spray boom

600

2× BTS7960 Motor Driver

43A H-bridge for high-current motors

600

Arduino Mega 2560 clone

Robocraze/Amazon

350

1× 10L HDPE Sprayer Tank

Multi-use: water / pesticide / weedicide

350

Enclosure + Waterproofing

IP54 housing spray + gaskets

250

SIM800L GSM Module + SIM

For SMS farmer alerts

250

3-Nozzle Spray Boom Assembly

Fan-type nozzles + boom rail (1 m)

250

PCB, wiring, connectors

Breadboard → custom PCB

350

NEO-6M GPS Module

With antenna

200

12V Mini Pump + drip tubing

Submersible pump for root irrigation

200

Servo motor (seed dispenser)

MG995 metal gear servo

180

Seed hopper (PVC + disc)

Fabricated locally

150

Flexible tubing + fittings

Irrigation + spray lines

150

4-wheel heavy-duty rubber wheels

15 cm dia, pneumatic-grade

500

Step-down Buck Converters

12V → 5V/3.3V regulated rails

100

2× Ultrasonic HC-SR04

Obstacle avoidance

60

4-channel Relay Module

For pump and valve control

60

2× Soil Moisture Sensors

Capacitive type

80
TOTAL BOM~₹12,680
BUFFER / CONTINGENCY (~14%)~₹1,820
GRAND TOTAL14,500
ESTIMATED IMPACT

Transforming 146 Million Farm Households

Over 80% of India's farm households are small or marginal farmers — spending 40–60% of cultivation costs on labour alone.

Labour Cost Saving

₹40,000–60,000/acre/season saved on sowing + spraying labour

Water Conservation

60% reduction vs flood irrigation — 3–5 lakh litres/acre/year saved

Crop Yield Improvement

15–30% yield increase from timely pest/disease detection and intervention

Chemical Input Reduction

40% reduction in pesticide/weedicide misuse via precise dispensing

Farmer Awareness

Soil health visibility without lab access — home remedy literacy for millions

ROI for Farmer

Payback within 1 crop season (~4 months) vs labour cost saving

POLICY ALIGNMENT

Aligned with Every Major Govt. Scheme

Khet Sahayak aligns with Viksit Bharat @2047 — AI-led, Made-in-India, water-efficient, and accessible to the poorest farmers through government subsidy stacking.

PM-KISAN & Digital Agriculture Mission

Integrates with digital farm records — supports Digital Agriculture Mission 2.0

PMKSY — More Crop Per Drop

Root-level drip irrigation reduces per-acre water by 60%, advancing PMKSY objectives

SMAM Subsidy Eligible

At ₹14,500, eligible for 50–80% SMAM subsidy — effective cost as low as ₹3,000

Make in India

Designed for local manufacture with Indian distributor components + local chassis welding

Swachh Kheti

Precise dosing reduces soil and groundwater chemical contamination

DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP

24-Month Build & Scale Plan

From working prototype to 100-unit production batch — a phased approach that de-risks hardware development and builds farmer trust through real-world pilots.

Phase 1
0–3 Months

Working Prototype

  • Chassis fabrication + drive system assembly
  • GPS navigation & waypoint movement
  • Seed dispenser mechanism
  • Field test on 100 sq. meter plot
1
Phase 2
3–6 Months

AI + Irrigation Integration

  • ESP32-CAM + crop AI monitoring live
  • SMS alert system operational (Hindi/English)
  • Drip irrigation tested on wheat/soybean
  • 100-farmer beta waitlist opened
2
Phase 3
6–12 Months

Full Feature + Pilot

  • Pesticide/weedicide spray module complete
  • Soil deficiency guidance library expanded
  • Pilot with 10 farmer households
  • SMAM subsidy application filed
3
Phase 4
12–24 Months

Production & Scale

  • Production batch of 100 units
  • Local assembly partnerships established
  • PM-KISAN tech scheme integration
  • State agri-dept. MoU target
4

How Khet Sahayak Compares

No existing solution covers all eight features at anywhere near ₹14,500.

Capability🌾 Khet Sahayak👨‍🌾 Manual Labour🤖 Market Drones (₹30L+)
Autonomous Seed SowingPartial
Root-level precision irrigationPartial
Pesticide + Weedicide sprayPartial
Crop disease AI alertsPartial
Home remedy soil guidance
Solar poweredPartial
Hindi SMS alert support
Cost under ₹15,000
Cost₹14,500₹80K+/season₹30–80 Lakh