Abstract
Intra-row weeding is a time consuming and challenging task. Therefore, a rotary weeder implement for an autonomous electrical robot was developed. It can be used to remove the weeds of the intra-row area of orchards and vineyards. The hydraulic motor of the conventional tool was replaced by an electric motor and some mechanical parts were refabricated to reduce the overall weight. The side shift, the height and the tilt adjustment were performed by linear electric motors. For detecting the trunk positions, two different methods were evaluated: A conventional electromechanical sensor (feeler) and a sonar sensor. The robot performed autonomous row following based on two dimensional laser scanner data. The robot prototype was evaluated at a forward speed of 0.16 ms−1 and a working depth of 40 mm. The overall performance of the two different trunk detection methods was tested and evaluated for quality and power consumption. The results indicated that an automated intra-row weeding robot could be an alternative solution to actual machinery. The overall performance of the sonar was better than the adjusted feeler in the performed tests. The combination of autonomous navigation and weeding could increase the weeding quality and decrease power consumption in future.
Highlights
The impact of chemical pesticides became an important global issue for the sustainability of the food production system
The overall goal of the current research was to develop and test the performance of a rotating electrical tiller weeder mechanism, built for automated intra-row weeding for vineyards
An autonomous tiller weeder for intra-row weeding in vineyards was developed and tested at the University of Hohenheim
Summary
The impact of chemical pesticides became an important global issue for the sustainability of the food production system. One reason for the use of chemical pesticides is to reduce weeds, as they can be responsible for high yield losses [1]. In order to reduce chemical weed control, mechanical weeding approaches are promising alternatives. Mechanical weed control can be conducted between the tree/crop rows (inter-row) and within the tree/crop rows (intra-row). The main challenge of mechanical weed control is the realization at the intra-row area [5]. Weeding close to the crop/trunk and the use of intra-row weeding tools needs a very accurate steering for not damaging the crop/trunk [6]. Navigation has been improved by the use of new automatic row guidance systems using feelers, Global Navigation
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