• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.226-235
• /
• 1995

An unmanned speed sprayer was developed using a remote control and an inductive cable guidance systems to protect operators and environment from hazardous pesticides. The sprayer consists of a remote control system, an induction system, obstacle detectors, control actuators and an one-chip microcomputer. The sprayer can be operated by the induction guidance and/or remote control. The following summarize characteristics of the developed speed sprayer. 1) Both the remote control and the induction guidance operation were possible with the developed speed sprayer. 2) Sixteen functions of the forwarding, backing, halting, steering, 3-way valve for nozzles and fan operating etc. were utilized on the remote control system. 3) It was concluded that the DTMF method, having less transmitting error, performed better than the FSK method for an agricultural remote controller. A radio station may be necessary. 4) The digital inductive guidance system, consisting of five low-impedance detection coils and a window comparator circuit, performed better than the analog detecting system, guiding route using inductive voltage differential from tow detection coils.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.269-279
• /
• 2020

This paper presents the design and implementation of embedded systems and autonomous path generation for autonomous speed sprayer. Autonomous Orchard Systems can be divided into embedded controller and path generation module. Embedded controller receives analog sensor data, on/off switch data and control linear actuator, break, clutch and steering module. In path generation part, we get 3D cloud point using Velodyne VLP16 LIDAR sensor and process the point cloud to generate maps, do localization, generate driving path. Then, it finally generates velocity and rotation angle in real time, and sends the data to embedded controller. Embedded controller controls steering wheel based on the received data. The developed autonomous speed sprayer is verified in test-bed with apple tree-shaped artworks.

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

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
• /
• 1997.12a
• /
• pp.11-17
• /
• 1997

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.94-100
• /
• 2008

Present chemical application method using a power sprayer has been labor intensive, costly and ineffective. Therefore, a small agricultural unmanned helicopter was suggested to replace the conventional spray system. In this study, conceptual design for developing the helicopter and a consequential prototype were reported. The overall conceptual design was initiated by deciding the type of agricultural helicopter, as the single rotor helicopter with a tail system. As the first step of the designing, an air-cooled, 2-stroke engine was selected and a prototype transmission was designed by determining the rotating speed of main rotor shaft. A 'pusher' type tail rotor system was adapted to balance the reaction torque and reduce the power use. The tail boom length was designed to avoid the rotating trajectory of the main rotor. The RF console consisted of the engine control, attitude control, and emergency control modules. Assembling the prototype concluded the mechanical development of the agricultural helicopter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
• /
• 2017.06a
• /
• pp.268-268
• /
• 2017

Common sowing method of italian ryegrass (IRG) has been using the backpack seed sprayer (BSS) in Korea. It has weak point including a hard work and a little sowing area. This study was conducted to find out the effects of sowing IRG using unmanned helicopter (UH) under the established rice field. We checked the labour saving of sowing IRG and the growth and yield of rice after using IRG as forage crop. Two sowing implements(using by UH and backpack seed sprayer (BSS)) were tested for the ability of sowing IRG. For proper pretreatment of IRG seeds for aerial sowing using with UH, we tested one-day soaking seeds, iron-coated seeds, coated seeds sold in stores and untreated seeds. Aerial sowing of IRG seeds using UH was tested under the speed 10 km/h and flying altitude 3~4m. We tried to confirm the effects on rice growth in a paddy field after IRG had been used as forage in mid May. In 6 hours of seeding per day, UH had a seeding area of 21.8 hectares, three times wider than BSS. UH had a decrease of about 63 percent of sowing-seed cost in comparison with BSS. In the IRG aerial sowing using UH, coating seeds had the wider sowing width of 5~6 meter than 3~4 meter untreated seeds. Residual dry matter of IRG after using forage had 4.5 ton per hectare and 20 percent of top dry matter. The amount of nitrogen remaining in residual IRG in the soil was 12 kg per hectare, and the other nutrients such as calcium and potassium was incorporated into the soil with less than 10 kg/ha. The rice yield after the harvesting IRG was 5 percent higher than that of rice single cropping. Consequently, IRG sowing using UH was effective in reducing sowing time and sowing cost compared with conventional methods and, it is considered that there is a positive effect on the rice cultivation compared to rice single cropping.