• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2002

Two charging methods of electrostatic nozzle, i.e. induction and ionized field corona charging, were designed and evaluated for orchard sprayer application. An artificial (metallic) target was constructed and used in this experiment. The charge-to-mass ratio for the induction electrode was measured by using the Faraday cage. Two conventional pressure-swirl nozzles have been employed with different orifice diameters under the same experimental operating conditions. A commercial pressure-swirl nozzle with orifice diameter of 1.0 was used for the conventional spray. The diameter of the electrostatic was 0.59 mm. The experiment was carried out for individual nozzle sprays at $0^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$ and $50^{\circ}$ oriented angles and three nozzles, sprayed simultaneously at a distance of 1.0 and 2.0 m from the nozzle tip to the target. The nozzles were mounted on a carriage with constant speed of 1.26 km/h with a blower attached. The weighing method was employed to evaluate for the spray deposition, ground loss and estimated drift. The results show more promising for the induction charging method, especially at $20^{\circ}$oriented angle at a distance of 1.0 m from the target for a single nozzle and when all three nozzles were operated simultaneously for spray deposition. The results of the induction charging method show promising with the developed electrostatic technique.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.281-288
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• 2007

This research was carried out to propose the Korean method for estimating the agricultural occupational pesticide exposure level in orchard. The UK-POEM (UK-Predictive Operator Exposure Model) was proposed as a bench-marking model and analysed its performance properties. To extrapolate the Korean agricultural conditions, application equipment, application method, work rate per day, application volume and spraying time of pesticide was surveyed for Korean 204 orchard farmhouse. This survey indicate that the major application equipments are speed sprayer(64.9%) and motor sprayer(33.9%). When they spayed the pesticide with a speed sprayer, they worked for more than 4 hours on area of 4 ha per day. In case of using motor sprayer, they worked for more than 4 hours on area of 1 ha. Based on the above survey result, Korean method for estimating the pesticide exposure level of agricultural worker was proposed finally.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2001.02a
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• pp.69-76
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• 2001

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to develop an optimal path planning program for autonomous speed sprayer in orchard. A digital map which contained coordinate information and entity information including height, width, radius of main stem, and disease of a trees was developed to build an optimal path. The digital map, dynamic programming and order-picking algorithm were used for planning an optimal path for autonomous speed sprayers. When this algorithm applied to rectangular-shaped orchards to travel whole trees, the developed program planned the same working path and same traveling distance as those of created by conventional method. But for irregular-shaped orchards, developed program planned differently and 5.06% shorter path than conventional method. When applied to create path for multi-selected trees, irregular-shaped orchards showed 13.9% shorter path and also rectangular-shaped orchards showed 9.1% shorter path. The developed program always planned shorter path than the path created by conventional method despite of variation of shape of orchards.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2013

A remote controlled sprayer has designed, manufactured and experimented to spray well on pear trees with pesticides. This study was executed to automate pest management of pear trees. Types of spray nozzle, which was used on the system, were analyzed experimentally to find an optimal spray equipment configuration with several nozzles. Attributions of ultrasonic sensors were analyzed to adjust spraying distance of an unmanned sprayer system. This paper investigated shapes of pear trees and cultivating environment of pear orchard. In order to select optimal spray environment, liquid distribution was measured while angle of nozzle was changed. Additionally, liquid distribution by distance and sprayed liquid capacity by side distance were measured. According to information of shapes of pear trees and cultivating environment of pear orchard, sprayer frames of an unmanned sprayer system were manufactured and sprayer frames were suitable for interval of pear trees. The sprayer system could adjust width of sprayer frames to 2.5 m and height of sprayer frames to 1.7 m. Optimal angle of nozzle, and optimal distance between objects and nozzle were $15^{\circ}$ and 0.8 m. When side distance was placed from 1.2 m to 1.8 m, sprayed capacity reached to the highest amount.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 1996

A Fuzzy Logic Controller(FLC) was developed for the autonomous operation of speedsprayer in an orchard. The autonomous operation with the FLC was graphically simulated under the real condition of the orchard. Image processing was used to find out the direction of running and four ultrasonic sensors were used to detect obstacles for the running. The simulation results showed that the speedsprayer could be operated autonomously with the FLC combined with the image processing and the ultrasonic sensors.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.31 no.6 s.119
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• pp.489-499
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• 2006

Since the application of chemicals in confined spaces under the canopy of an orchard is hazardous work, it is needed to develop an autonomous guidance system for an orchard sprayer. The autonomous guidance system developed in this research could steer the vehicle by tracking an overhead guidance rail, which was installed on an existing frame structure. The autonomous guidance system consisted of an 80196 kc microprocessor, an inclinometer, two interface circuits of actuators for steering and ground speed control, and a fuzzy control algorithm. In addition, overhead guidance rails for both straight and curved paths were devised, and a trolley was designed to move smoothly along the overhead guidance rails. Evaluation tests showed that the experimental vehicle could travel along the desired path at a ground speed of 30 $\sim$ 50 cm/s with a RMS error of 5 cm and maximum deviation of less than 12 cm. Even when the vehicle started with an initial offset or a deflected heading angle, it could move quickly to track the desired path after traveling 2 $\sim$ 3 m. The vehicle could also complete turns with a curvature of 1 m. However, at a ground speed of 50 cm/s, the vehicle tended to over-steer, resulting in a zigzag motion along the straight path, and tended to turn outward from the projected line of the guidance rail.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.50-59
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• 2013

This study was performed in order to assess the risk of korean orchard worker due to pesticide exposure. The amount of pesticide exposure was calculated based on the informations of 97 kind of items that are used the form of a spraying in Korean orchard. The risks of these pesticides were assessed to compare the exposure amount with AOEL (acceptable operator exposure level) which was released form developed countries. When the operator sprayed pesticides using speed sprayer, 74.2% of pesticide items showed the risk for operator if the operator have not worn the personal protective equipment (PPE), and 42.3% of pesticide items showed the risk for operator if the operator have worn the PPE. In case of using motor sprayer, 64.1% of pesticide items showed the risk for operator if the operator have not worn the PPE, and 19.4% of pesticide items showed the risk for operator if the operator have worn the PPE. This result was indicated that the risk of pesticide against the operator was very high in korean orchard operator.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.271-279
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• 2016

To evaluate exposure characteristics of the insecticide imidacloprid to apple orchard workers during treatment on orchard fields and evaluate its potential risk using a whole body dosimetry (WBD) method, 1,000-time diluted acephate+imidacloprid 25(20+5)% solutions were sprayed on 10 apple orchard fields in Cheongju with a speed sprayer at a rate of 3,000 L/ha/person, after put on clothes such as inner/outer clothes, personal air pump with a IOM sampler, nitrile glove and mask. Exposure test included mixing, loading and application steps. The test pesticide imidacloprid residues in the collected samples were analyzed with a HPLC-DAD. Recoveries ranged from 81.5 to 108.6% for analytical method validation and from 73.8 to 86.7% for field recovery. Total exposed amounts to mixer/loader and applicator were found to be 0.0014-0.0279% of total applied active ingredient of imidacloprid. Glove exposure of both mixer/loader and applicator was higher than the other parts. Margins of safety of mixer/loader and applicator were calculated to be 97-355 and 46-196, respectively, indicating that exposure risk of imidacloprid to apple orchard workers by spraying with a speed sprayer was very low.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.291-304
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• 1998

A control algorithm fir the unmanned vehicles was developed using image information received through a CCD camera that acquires more powerful information over the wide range of wave-length comparing with other sensors and was applied to a speed-sprayer. The algorithm consisted of straight mode for passing along with middle of two tree-rows and turning mode for changing from a row to another row. In case of turning mode, two marks of colored papers were employed to indicate turning point and to decide turning direction for various orchard situations. The method of analysis and image would be differed according to camera's tilt-angle and position that is set on the speed-sprayer. Hence, it analyzed the point of difference by making camera's up and downward tilt-angle.