• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.284-290
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• 2013

This study analyzed the geometric, compressive, cutting and friction properties of oriental melons in order to design a gripper capable of soft handling and a cutter for cutting oriental melon vine among the end effector of oriental melon as a preliminary step for developing the end effector of the robot capable of harvesting oriental melons in protected cultivation. As a result, the average length, diameter at the midpoint, weight, volume and roundness of the oriental melons were 108 mm, 70 mm, 188 g, 333 mL and 3.8 mm. Nonlinear regression analysis was performed on the equation $W=L^a{\times}D_2^b$ with variation of the length (L) and diameter (D2) of the weight (W) of the oriental melons. As a result, it was shown that there was a correlation between a of 2.0279 and b of -0.9998 as a constant value. The average diameter of the oriental melon vine was 3.8 mm, and most vines were distributed within a radius of 5 mm from the center. The average yield value, compressive strength and hardness of the oriental melons were $36.5N/cm^2$, $185.7N/cm^2$ and $636.7N/cm^2$, respectively. The average cutting force and shear strength of the oriental melon vines were $2.87{\times}10^{-2}\;N$ and $5.60N/cm^2$, respectively. The maximum friction coefficient of the oriental melons was rubber of 0.609, followed by aluminium of 0.393, stainless steel of 0.177 and teflon of 0.079. It was considered possible to apply it to the size of the gripper and cutter, turning radius, dynamics of drive motor and selection of materials and their quality in light of the position error and safety factor according to the movement when designing end effector based on the analyzed data.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.133-145
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• 2011

Unsaturated soil column tests were performed for weathered gneiss soil and weathered granite soil to assess the relationship between infiltration velocity and rainfall condition for different rainfall durations and for multiple rainfall events separated by dry periods of various lengths (herein, 'rainfall break duration'). The volumetric water content was measured using TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) sensors at regular time intervals. For the column tests, rainfall intensity was 20 mm/h and we varied the rainfall duration and rainfall break duration. The unit weight of weathered gneiss soil was designed 1.21 $g/cm^3$, which is lower than the in situ unit weight without overflow in the column. The in situ unit weight for weathered granite soil was designed 1.35 $g/cm^3$. The initial infiltration velocity of precipitation for the two weathered soils under total amount of rainfall as much as 200 mm conditions was $2.090{\times}10^{-3}$ to $2.854{\times}10^{-3}$ cm/s and $1.692{\times}10^{-3}$ to $2.012{\times}10^{-3}$ cm/s, respectively. These rates are higher than the repeated-infiltration velocities of precipitation under total amount of rainfall as much as 100 mm conditions ($1.309{\times}10^{-3}$ to $1.871{\times}10^{-3}$ cm/s and $1.175{\times}10^{-3}$ to $1.581{\times}10^{-3}$ cm/s, respectively), because the amount of precipitation under 200 mm conditions is more than that under 100 mm conditions. The repeated-infiltration velocities of weathered gneiss soil and weathered granite soil were $1.309{\times}10^{-3}$ to $2.854{\times}10^{-3}$ cm/s and $1.175{\times}10^{-3}$ to $2.012{\times}10^{-3}$ cm/s, respectively, being higher than the first-infiltration velocities ($1.307{\times}10^{-2}$ to $1.718{\times}10^{-2}$ cm/s and $1.789{\times}10^{-2}$ to $2.070{\times}10^{-2}$ cm/s, respectively). The results reflect the effect of reduced matric suction due to a reduction in the amount of air in the soil.