Using automation in agricultural systems have resulted in an increasing in yield and quality of agricultural products. Some of this systems are designed for use in soil preparation and harvesting. the researcher in The Laboratory of Agricultural Mechatronics and Robotics have designed some automated systems use in agriculture:
1. Tractor Mounted Bevameter
The tractor-mounted bevameter consists of a main frame, an instrument box which contains the hydraulic and electrical components, a leveling system that applies a safe load vertically onto the soil, sinkage plates with three different shapes to characterize the soil pressure-sinkage relationships, and a carrier supporting the bevameter unit and sinkage plates. The accuracy of the displacement and force measurements were ±0.01 mm and ±2 N, respectively. A laptop data acquisition and a software tool were used to assist in real-time measuring, recording the applied loads, and the resulting sinkage of the plate during the field sampling operation. The experiments were carried out at a penetration rate 3 cm/sec for sinkage plates. Field tests of the tractor-mounted bevameter unit were conducted with three different types of the sinkage plates. Statistical analysis and graphs produced from collected data showed that the shapes of the sinkage plates had considerable influence on the soil parameters. Soil sinkage is affected by the shape of sinkage plates. The values of kc and kφ are affected by the values of p, z and b.
Jafar Massah and Sara Noorolahi
2. Onion Harvester
A head of onion harvester was constructed for small scale farms and evaluated in terms of the effect of vehicle speed and depth of onion harvester blade on mechanical damage of onion bulbs. This machine includes three major parts as: chassis, undercutter blade and mechanism to vary harvesting depth. Depth control system is important in bulb crop harvester. The higher the depth of harvesting, cause the greater amount of soil interring in harvesting system. A proper depth control leads in reduction of energy consumption. A control system was used to follow the uneven ground surface and send command to an electrical DC motor to control the displacement of the blade. A capacitive sensor and an optical sensor were used for detection of obstacles.
Ahmad Lotfi, Jafar Massah, Akbar Arabhosseini
3. Climate conditioning System of Greenhouse
An automated system for climate control of greenhouses using onboard HMI processor has been designed and developed in the Laboratory of Agricultural Mechatronics and Robotics. The system consists of a HMI device, four relays, one humidity sensor, one light sensor and eight temperature sensors. The system measure climate conditions of the greenhouse, and actuate fan and pad, humidifier and ceiling screens systems. Results indicated a reduction in energy consumption under the automated climate management system than the control for 12%.
Hassan Tahmasebi, Jafar Massah, Mahmmod Reza Roozban
