• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.202-210
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Due to the growing demand for vegetables all year round, the use of vegetable transplanters has become widespread in agricultural production. However, the type of planting device used for the transplanter affects its overall efficiency. Problems such as inaccurate planting angles and inefficiently wide transplanting hole diameters of the planting device has limited the efficient use of some vegetable transplanters. Our goal in this study was to improve the efficiency of the transplanter by analyzing and modifying the linkages of the planting device of a vegetable transplanter. Methods: Because of its widespread usage in Korea, a linkage-type planting device was used for the experiment, which was divided into three parts. In the first part, the physical trajectory of the tranplanter was extracted using a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera and analyzed. In the second part, a simulated trajectory was developed using Recurdyn 3D software. The simulated and actual trajectories were then compared and analyzed. In the third part, based on the results of the comparison, improvements were made on the linkages of the transplanter and a demonstrative exercise was conducted. Finally, in experiment B, the performance was evaluated through an exercise using both the existing and improved planting devices. Results: The results demonstrated that the average planting angle was improved by 4.96 mm, the soil intrusion diameter was improved by 11.30 mm, and the planting depth was improved by 0.68 mm. Conclusion: It was concluded that the efficiency of a vegetable transplanter can be improved by modifying the linkages through simulations and field demonstrations.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.290-297
• /
• 2018

Electric drive technology is continually advanced to improve fuel efficiency in the automobile industry. It could improve the fuel efficiency of automobiles by 50% as well as agricultural machinery. The purpose of this study was to measure and analyze the power and current of an electric transplanter based on the planting distances during field operations. The electric transplanter was constructed by mounting the major components of a motor drive system onto a transplanter. The electric transplanter had a 3 kW motor power, and the major components included an inverter, battery, and a battery management system (BMS). The field tests were conducted by travelling at two speeds (300 and 760 mm/s) and by planting at three distances (260, 420 and 630 mm) with the working speed (300 mm/s), during travelling and transplanting. The results showed that the required power increased when the travelling speed was fast. One-way ANOVA for the planting distance and Duncan's multiple range test at a significance level of 0.05 were used to analyze the motor power using statistical analysis software. In addition, the required power increased when the planting distances were short at every working condition. The results of this study would provide useful information for the development an electric transplanter.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.55-65
• /
• 1997

This study was conducted to develop a robotic transplanter for bedding plants. The robotic transplanter consisted of machine vision system, manipulator attached with the specially designed gripper, and plug tray transfer system. Results of this study were as follows. 1. A machine vision system for a robotic transplanter was developed. The success rates of detecting empty cells and bad seedlings in 72-cell and 128-cell plug-trays for cucumber seedlings were 98.8％ and 94.9％ respectively. The success rates of identifying leaf orientation for 72- cell and 128-cell plug-trays were 93.5% and 91.0%, respectively. 2. A cartesian coordinate manipulator for a robotic transplanter with 3 degrees of freedom was constructed. The accuracy of position control was $\pm$ 1mm. 3. The robotic transplanter was tested with a shovel-type finger. Without considering leaf orientation, the success rates of transplanting healthy cucumber seedlings for 72-cell and 128-cell plug-trays were 95.5% and 94.5%, respectively. Considering leaf orientation, the success rates of transplanting healthy cucumber seedling in 72-cell and 128-cell plug-trays were 96.0% and 95.0%, respectively.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.259-270
• /
• 1998

An automatic seedling transplanter, employed an innovative plug-seedling feeder was developed by improving the problems of conversational feeding and transplanting mechanisms. With conventional methods, missing and damage rates of seedling were high for long seedlings over 20cm and also breaking seed-bed was frequently observed. Thus, a pushout-bucket slide-hopper type trandsplanter was devised and tested. Test results of picking and transferring accuracies of the developed transplanter are as follows : A prototype transplanter performed with 1.5% of missing rate. The deviations of horizontal feed ranged from -0.3mm to 2.8mm and averaged 0.673mm for the 128-hoe test tray : and ranged from -lmm to ＋3mm and averaged 0.785mm for the 200-hole test tray. The deviations could decrease with precise manufacturing and lightening the mechanism. The maximum and deviations of vertical feed were -2.3mm and + 1mm, respectively, for the 128-hole test tray ; and were ＋3mm and ＋2.5mm, respectively, for the 200-hole test tray. The missing rate, seeding bruise rate and seed-bed damage rate were esitmate to be 1.3％, 0.4% and 3.5％, respectively, with the developed automatic transplanter.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.317-324
• /
• 1997

This study was conducted to develope a machine vision system for a robotic transplanter for bedding plants. Specific objectives of this study were 1) to get coordinates of the healthy seedlings in high-density plug tray, and 2) to get the angle of the leaves of the healthy seedlings to avoid the damage to seedlings by gripper. Results of this study were summarized as follows. (1) The machine vision system of a robotic transplanter was developed. (2) Success rates of detecting empty cell and bad seedlings for 72-cell and 128-cell plug-trays were 98.8% and 94, 9% respectively. (3) Success rates of calculating the angle of leaves fer 72-cell and 128-cell plug-trays were 93.5% and 91.0% respectively.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.45-54
• /
• 1992

A wireless control system was designed and constructed to control the rice transplanter of walking type with remote control. VHF(very high freqency) was sent from wireless transmitter to wireless reciever by usig 6 channels to control main clutch, steering clutch, plant lever and throttle lever within 200 meter distance between remote control and rice transplanter. The rice transplanter with wireless control system showed good performance for accuracy of travel speed, traveling mobility and turning diameter in the concrete, paddy and dry field. It is concluded that the developed wireless control system could be adapted to control not only conventional rice transplanters but also most of the agricultural machine by changing some parts of the control system.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.787-791
• /
• 2000

Lettuce seedlings used in this investigation of planting distance and labor-saving efficiency were first grown in 100-hole paper trays for 30 days. Seedling height for transplanting ranged from 3 cm to 6 cm and plants had 3 to 5 leaves. The beds prepared for transplanting were of the arched type and were 35-40 cm in width, 15-20 cm in bed height, and between-bed furrow width was 20 30 cm. Typical seedling planting depth with the transplanter was 4-5 cm, although depth was quite variable because of the irregularities of the ground. Total transplanting time with the transplanter varied from 2.6 to 2.7 hours per 10a, while it took 38.1 hours per 10a with conventional planting. It was critical that the condition of both the seedlings and the bed be adjusted to the transplanter before planting. Considering yield and inter-plant distance, optimal transplanter performance resulted with $60{\times}20cm$ or $60{\times}25cm$spacing, and the labor-saving efficiency using the transplanter was improved by over 93% of that of conventional planting by hand.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.83-91
• /
• 1979

This study was conducted in order to find out the performance of rice transplanters in accordance with the change of the trans-planting days after pudding and the water depth flooding the paddy field at the time of transplanting : and thus to select the optimum paddy field preparation procedures for an efficient utilization of rice transplanters. The performance factors of the two different types of rice transplanters were measured during the first 6 consecutive days after puddling and with 3 different levels of water depth flooding the paddy fields. The results of this study were analysed and summarized as follows : 1. Wheel sinkage decreased very rapidly from 0 to 2 days after puddling and slowly from 3 to 5 days after puddling. 2. The depth of the test cone penetration decreased rapidly during the first few days after puddling. It was 17.8cm just after puddling, and decreased to 13.4cm one day after puddling. After 2 days, the rate of decrease was dampened, and after 5 days it kept constant value of 9.2cm. 3. Two days after puddling, the hill interval was 15.8cm (98.75% of the preset value) for broadcasted seedling rice transplanter with 3cm flooding depth : This value was the closest to the pre-adjusted value of 16cm. The general performance of broadcasted-seedling type rice transplanter was better than that of strip-seedling type rice transplanter. 4. Usually the working performance of a rice transplanter is evaluated with uniformity and adjustability of the hill intervals. The hill interval was the most uniform and closest to the pre-set value of 16cm when planted two days after puddling with 3cm of water depth. When it was inavoidable to plant 4 days after puddling with stripseedling type rice transplanter, it is advisable to let the water flooded somewhat deeper. 5. The percentage of missing hills including floating and burried seedlings was the highest just after puddling and ie decreased substancially until 3 days after puddling and then it increased again. Hence, the optimal time transplanting is to be between 2 and 3 days after puddling. 6. Better postures of planted seedlings were found when planter 2 days after puddling than 3 days after puddling. Six cm of flooding water depth always gave the best results with respect to the postures of planted seedlings. Broadcasted-seedling rice transplanter, in general, showed better posture of planted seedlings than did strip-seedling type rice transplanter. 7. Judging from the above results, the optimal conditions will be 3cm of flooding depth and transplanting between 2 and 3 days after puddling.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
• /
• 2000.11c
• /
• pp.827-834
• /
• 2000

A granular herbicide applicator attached to conventional ride-on rice transplanter with 6 rows was developed in order to carry out both transplanting and herbicide application at once. It resulted in labor saving by 98%. The prototype is composed of a metering device and a spinning disc spreader. The application rate per 10a can be varied from 1 to 3 kg and the application swath is 1.8 m, which is the planting width of the ride-on rice transplanter with 6 rows. The angular speed of spinning disc and the application height were used as design factors to obtain the uniform distribution of herbicide granules. As the result of experiment, the distribution uniformity showed a tendency to be proportional to the increases of both spinner angular speed and application height. The prototype with angular speed of spinning disc of 7359 rpm and the application height of 20 cm was made and its distribution uniformity was relatively uniform with the CV(coefficient of variation) of 21.7%. In field test, when the tested herbicides such as ACl40+Stomp and Londax+YRC were applied, the weed control has continued for 65 days since transplanting was done.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.21-33
• /
• 2016

Purpose: In order to ensure that vegetable seedlings (with a soil block around their roots) are planted in an upright orientation after metering in a vegetable transplanter, they need to be dropped freely from a certain height. The walk-behind hand-tractor-powered machines do not have sufficient space to drop the seedlings from that height. In the present work, a hopper-type planting device was developed for the walk-behind hand-tractor-powered vegetable transplanter to ensure that the soil block seedlings are planted in an upright orientation. Methods: Various dimensionless terms were developed based on the dimensional analysis approach, and their effect on the planting of soil block seedlings in an upright orientation (planting efficiency) was studied. The optimum design dimensions of the hopper-type planting device were identified by the Taguchi method of optimization. Results: The ratio of the height of free fall to the sliding distance of the seedling on the surface of the hopper had the highest influence on planting efficiency. The planting efficiency was highest for plants with a height $15{\pm}2cm$. The plant handling Froude number, in interaction with the design of the hopper-type planting device, also significantly affected the planting efficiency. Of the hopper design factors, the length of the slide of the seedlings on the surface of the hopper was most important, and induced sufficient velocity and rotation to cause the seedling to fall in an upright orientation. An evaluation of the performance of the planting device under actual field conditions revealed that the planting efficiency of the developed planting device was more than 97.5%. Conclusions: As the seedlings were fed to the metering device manually, an increase in planting rate increased missed plantings. The planting device can be adopted for any vegetable transplanter in which the seedlings are allowed to drop freely from the metering device.