Maltese researchers are pioneering outdoor robots designed to help farmers by using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology to navigate remote and challenging terrains.

At the forefront of this innovation is Pixam, a company founded by Steve Zerafa, who also serves as its managing director and technical lead.

Pixam’s flagship robot, WUKI, is powered by artificial intelligence and assists farm workers by performing labour-intensive tasks, including crop transportation, grass cutting, weed picking, and even surveillance roles.

“The idea for the robots actually came from the farmers themselves,” Zerafa said.

He explained that the farmers were looking for a system which could reduce the physical strain and increase efficiency on their farms. Zerafa added that the robots operate with “centimetre-level precision in real-time,” making them well-suited for rugged farming environments.

The robots’ routes can be easily set through an online map application, making the system user-friendly. Unlike traditional, less complex, GPS systems, GNSS technology enables the robots to draw data from multiple satellite constellations, including the US’s GPS, the EU’s Galileo, Russia’s GLONASS, and China’s BeiDou. This allows the robots to operate with heightened accuracy and reliability in a range of conditions, including isolated or hard-to-reach areas.

“I began working with satellite data in 2016, and it immediately hooked me,” Zerafa said, reflecting on his journey. In 2020, Zerafa shifted his focus to GNSS, as well as Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology, which he applied to drones and robotics.

The Pixam team, which is made up of four other people besides Zerafa, began development on the GNSS-enabled robots around four years ago.

“This was no simple feat,” Zerafa explained. “We design and build everything ourselves, from the circuits to the software.” The company is currently working to obtain CE markings for the various components they have developed, a necessary step for commercialisation.

Funding from Xjenza Malta and the University of Malta TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award enabled Pixam to advance its project. The company now has seven fully functional GNSS robots, and

Zerafa hopes to scale production and commercialisation in the near future.

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