AUTOMATIC GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR COMBINE USING DGPS AND GYRO SENSOR

An automatic guidance system for combine was designed to harvest paddy rice by following a predetermined path. The automatic guidance system consisted of DGPS to locate position of combine, a gyro sensor system to measure heading angle, ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles, a hydraulic system, microcomputer as a controller, and I/O interface system. Hydraulic cylinders and valves were installed to control movement of the combine. The heading angle and the position of the combine, and ultrasonic measurements from edge were used as the inputs of the controller. The operating position of hydraulic cylinder was determined as output of the controller. The automatic guidance system was evaluated at the 45-m straight path by changing the posture of the combine. The average RMS errors were 14.0 cm without offset and 15.0 cm with 1-m offset. The DGPS provided accurate position information within the limited error to guide the combine in the field. The results showed that the automatic guidance system could guide the combine autonomously in the paddy field when the posture of the combine was changed.