• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.397-414
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• 2021

As the agricultural population continues to age, the shortage of labor is worsening. To respond to this, Machinery Operators, those who work on behalf of farmers, are on demand. This study examines the cases in Imsil, Sunchang, and Namwon in Jeollabuk-do, where such agencies are in action, and analyzes the elements of their success and customer satisfaction. A survey was circulated among the farmers who used these agricultural agencies, and a total of 180 responses were submitted. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to prove our thesis. The study shows that the agricultural assistance provided by the Machinery Operators did help in ameliorating the shortage of labor, and resulted in high customer satisfaction. In particular, it was analyzed that Assurance and responsiveness had a significant positive effect on satisfaction. In addition, satisfaction was analyzed to fully mediate between service quality and intention to reuse. This study provides further support for the need to expand the institution of Machinery Operators and to encourage agricultural agencies in order to address the shortage of labor in rural areas due to aging.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2015

Purpose: A system to measure the visibility of agricultural tractor operators was designed and evaluated according to ISO standards, and a blind area diagram around the tested tractor was created based on the manual method recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Methods: A visibility measurement system was designed and evaluated based on the ISO 5006 and ISO 5721-1 standards. Two bulbs used to simulate the operator's eyes were mounted on a bar with a supporting frame. A wooden frame was used to determine the seat index point position. The 12-m visibility test circle was divided into six sectors of vision, and the test tractor was placed at the center of the circle. Artificial light was supplied in the darkened environment, and shadow or masking effects were measured manually around the 12-m circle. Results: When the bulbs were placed at the operator's eye level, front visibility was good; no masking was found in the "A" vision sector, but larger masking widths were found in the "B" and "C" vision sectors. Since the masking width exceeded 700 mm, additional tests, such as movement of the light sources to both sides of the operator's eye level, were performed. Less than six masking effects were found in the semi-circle of vision to the front, and more than one masking was found in the "B" and "C" visual fields. The minimum distance between the centers of two masking effects exceeded 2500 mm when measured as a chord on the semi-circle of vision. A blind area diagram was created to define the exact nature of the blind spots and mirror visibility. Conclusions: Visibility evaluation is an effective way to enable proper and safe operation for agricultural tractor operators. Inclusion of this visibility evaluation test in the general testing process might aid tractor manufacturers.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.434-438
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was performed in order to improve problems and to seek the efficient operating plan by surveying and analyzing the actual status of operating the agricultural machinery rental business supported by the government. Method: The data was collected through two times of survey targeting lease business operators and the leasing business reports published for the past 3 years ('08~'10) 120 cities and counties. Results: As a result of surveying 120 cities and counties nationwide of operating the agricultural machinery rental business, 96% of agricultural machinery rental businesses were indicated to be operated in the form of short-term rent for about 1~3 days centering on small-sized agricultural machinery and attachment for upland crop. As for the unit number of possessing rental agricultural machinery and the purchase cost, it was indicated to be greatly reduced the agricultural machinery for rice farming and to be expanded into upland crop whose mechanization is insufficient. The annual rental days ('10) are 9.5 days/unit, thereby being a little insufficient. Rental fee for 1 day is 0.2~0.8% of the initial purchase cost of agricultural machine, thereby being greatly lower compared to 2.0% (annually 10-day rent) of the proper rents, resulting in being demanded improvement. Conclusions: To be continuously driven the rental business of agricultural machinery with having the ability to propagate, it is judged to be likely to necessarily collect optimum rental fee in consideration of rental days as well as increasing the use days per unit by buying the agricultural machinery, which is secured the rental demand, and by possessing the reasonable unit number.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.389-399
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was aimed at developing a tractor-driving simulator for the safety training of agricultural tractor operators. Methods: The developed simulator consists of five principal components: mock operator control devices, a data acquisition and processing device, a motion platform, a visual system that displays a computer model of the tractor, a motion platform, and a virtual environment. The control devices of a real tractor cabin were successfully converted into mock operator control devices in which sensors were used for relevant measurements. A 3D computer model of the tractor was also implemented using 3ds Max, tractor dynamics, and the physics of Unity 3D. The visual system consisted of two graphic cards and four monitors for the simultaneous display of the four different sides of a 3D object to the operator. The motion platform was designed with two rotational degrees of freedom to reduce cost, and inverse kinematics was used to calculate the required motor positions and to rotate the platform. The generated virtual environment consisted of roads, traffic signals, buildings, rice paddies, and fields. Results: The effectiveness of the simulator was evaluated by a performance test survey administered to 128 agricultural machinery instructors, 116 of whom considered the simulator as having potential for improving safety training. Conclusions: From the study results, it is concluded that the developed simulator can be effectively used for the safety training of agricultural tractor operators.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.191-199
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• 2010

How to determine rental rates of agricultural machinery operation is the most important factor for economic units which are consigned to practice agricultural operations. Economic units as consigner for agricultural operations include agricultural cooperatives, local government, and farm operators, and so on. Thus the methods to set a rental rate of agricultural machinery operation are different across these economic units. This study describes benefits and problems associated with the model of cost accounting which is used as a method to determine a rental rate of agricultural machinery operation, and suggests a theoretical desirability of the rental pricing method, based on an accounting system and information on costs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1993.10a
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• pp.246-255
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• 1993

The paper presents the experimental studies on the effectiveness of some vibration isolators developed for reducing transmission of vibration from the powered knapsack sprayer to the back and shoulders of the operator. A test rig was used to conduct detailed experimental studies on the powered knapsack sprayer mounted on it and fitted with different vibration isolators. Structural features of vibration isolators have been presented and their effectiveness of isolating transmission of vibration, from the engine-blower of the sprayer to its main frame and the operator, has been presented and discussed. Vibration measurements and analyses made by using B & K equipment have proved that the vibration isolators are quite effective in reducing the vibration transmission. The operators felt much less discomfort when they used the sprayer fitted with the isolators developed for the purposes, as compared to the existing arrangement.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.343-347
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• 2011

Precise traveling and tillage operation using an autonomous tractor is difficult with the data from the Geographic Information System(GIS) because it does not include the data of the width and inclination of the field to work. The minimum turing radius of the tractor could be different from the value presented by the tractor maker due to the moisture content of the field soil or operators' skill. Two programs were developed to process data obtained with the tillage path measuring system: one for recognizing coordinates of the 4 field corners, and the other for recognizing the minimum turning radius of the tractor.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 1995

When farmer loads and unloads farm products with a trailer, linked to a tractor, the tractor-trailer is backed up to the loading duck. However, travelling backward is not easy and takes a time for even skilled operators. Therefore, unmanned backing up is necessary to save the effort. A backward controller of tractor-trailer was simulated using fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms. Operators drive the tractor-trailer back and forth several times for backing up to the loading duck. As the operators did it, a backward controller was designed using fuzzy logic. And genetic algorithms was applied to improve the performance of the backward controller. With the strings coded with the fuzzy membership functions, genetic operations were carried out. After 30 generations, the best fitted fuzzy membership functions were found. Those membership functions were used in the fuzzy backward controller. The fuzzy controller combined with genetic algorithms showed the better results than the fuzzy controller did alone.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1993.10a
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• pp.648-655
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• 1993

The hydraulic coconut dehusking machine consists of three main parts ie. The frame , the power unit including the hydraulic accessories, the lifting and dehusking mechanisms. Two sets of the hydraulic coconut dehusking machine were developed . their hydraulic and electrical control circuits were connected in series to enable them operating contemporaneously. Two operators are required to operate the machine. Each of them put a coconut on the lifting mechanism in order to start the working cycle automatically. As a result, the nut are immediately pushed up and seized by the holding teeth under the supplement of the hydraulic reducing circuit. After that the dehusking mechanism started operating via the sequence circuit. At the end of the cycle, both mechanisms return to their original positions. Some remaining fibrous is taken out manually from the nut subsequently . The continuous dehusking speed was found to be 22.2 seconds per 2 coconuts.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Purpose: The gear strength of a new mechanical transmission designed to increase the loading weight of small 4.8 kW tracked agricultural transporters was analyzed. Design improvements to increase the gear strength and reduce the gear weight were proposed after examining the parameters. Methods: Sixteen operators from three regions were surveyed to obtain the usage profile of small 4.8 kW transporters. Gear strength was evaluated by calculating contact stress and tooth root stress using commercial software following ISO 6336. Results: From the strength calculation for each gear pair, contact stress smaller than tooth root stresses were produced in all gear pairs. The safety factors in most cases exceeded 1.0, except in the case of gear pair II in group II. The design life of the transporter using gear pair II in group II was 42% under harsh conditions-thus, this design life needs improvement. A robust design was proposed by examining the relevant parameters (face width and profile shift coefficient) to increase the design life of the transporter. In addition, a lightweight design for gear pair I in group II that was considered overdesigned was proposed by examining the face width to reduce the weight of the drive gear by 42% and that of the driven gear by 30%. Conclusions: The Safety factor for the design life was examined through a gear strength analysis. After examining the relevant parameters, conditions for strength improvement were proposed to increase design life or adjust overdesigned gear. However, load conditions differ depending on the working conditions or user's preferences; therefore, it is necessary to conduct further studies in various regions.