Dynamics Simulation and Field Test Verification of Multi-Functional Beekeeping Loading Box Based on the Tracked Vehicle

Abstract

The Korean beekeeping industry is continuously declining owing to the aging worker population and a lack of automation. To solve the problem of manual transportation and low automation of transportation tools in Korean apiculture, a multifunctional beekeeping transport loading box was developed by modifying a tracked vehicle developed in previous studies. To ensure the safety of the modified beekeeping vehicle in an apiary, a dynamic analysis of the vehicle in virtual simulation conditions and a field test inside an actual apiary were conducted. Firstly, the TRACK_LM module in multibody dynamics software RecurDyn was used to model the vehicle. Then, the model was analyzed in two use cases (bee frame loading and beehive loading), three geological conditions (clayey soil, dry sand, and upland sandy loam), and two types of terrain (s-turn and 8° slope). Meanwhile, tests under similar conditions were conducted in an actual apiary. The simulation results indicated that the modified beekeeping vehicle operated stably in the simulated agricultural apiary ground (clayey soil and upland sandy loam). The maximum pitch angles in the clayey soil and upland sandy loam conditions were 11.77° and 12.74°, respectively. However, the vehicle cannot operate under dry sand conditions on a slope because it exceeded the calculated maximum angle (34°) during operation. The maximum pitch angle of only 8.8° in the apiary transport experiment proved that the modified beekeeping vehicle could be driven safely in actual apiaries. Moreover, a comparison of the field test results with the simulation results revealed that the field test further verifies the reference value and correctness of the simulation results.