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The segmentation and extraction of oilseed rape crop rows are crucial steps in visual navigation line extraction. Agricultural autonomous navigation robots face challenges in path recognition in field environments due to factors such as complex crop backgrounds and varying light intensities, resulting in poor segmentation and slow detection of navigation lines in oilseed rape crops. Therefore, this paper proposes VC-UNet, a lightweight semantic segmentation model that enhances the U-Net model. Specifically, VGG16 replaces the original backbone feature extraction network of U-Net, Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) are integrated at the upsampling stage to enhance focus on segmentation targets. Furthermore, channel pruning of network convolution layers is employed to optimize and accelerate the model. The crop row trapezoidal ROI regions are delineated using end-to-end vertical projection methods with serialized region thresholds. Then, the centerline of oilseed rape crop rows is fitted using the least squares method. Experimental results demonstrate an average accuracy of 94.11% for the model and an image processing speed of 24.47 fps/s. After transfer learning for soybean and maize crop rows, the average accuracy reaches 91.57%, indicating strong model robustness. The average yaw angle deviation of navigation line extraction is 3.76°, with a pixel average offset of 6.13 pixels. Single image transmission time is 0.009 s, ensuring real-time detection of navigation lines. This study provides upper-level technical support for the deployment of agricultural robots in field trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of robotics has great implications for future food security, sustainable agricultural development, improving resource efficiency, reducing chemical pesticide use, reducing manual labor, and maximizing field output. Aiming at the problems of high labor intensity and labor shortage in the fields of pesticide application, weeding, and field information collection, a multifunctional and electric field management robot platform is designed, which has four switching steering modes (Ackermann steering, four-wheel steering, crab steering, and zero-radius steering), and its wheel-track can be automatically adjusted. Commonly used spraying booms, weeders, crop information collectors, and other devices can be easily installed on the robot platform. A multi-sensor integrated navigation system including a satellite positioning system, an RGB camera, and a multi-line lidar is designed to realize the unmanned driving of the robot platform in a complex field environment. Field tests have shown that the robot can follow the set route, and tests under simulated conditions have indicated that it can also dynamically correct paths based on crop rows by using a visual system. Results from multiple trials showed that the trajectory tracking accuracy meets the requirements of various field management operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the problem that removing abnormal plants in breeding rape requires a large amount of labor and is inefficient, combined with the planting requirements of breeding rape, a shovel-tooth end-effector was designed, and a shovel-tooth removal test bench was built. A simulation model based on MBD (Multibody Dynamics)-DEM (Discrete Element Method) coupling was constructed. Then we conducted a Box-Behnken test with four factors and three levels. Taking the angle of soil penetration, speed of soil penetration, depth of soil penetration and speed of shovel-tooth gathering as the test factors, the soil penetration force and shovel-tooth gathering force as the test indicators. The mathematical regression model between test indicators and test factor was established. After optimizing the parameters of the model, the best combination of parameters with low soil penetration force and low shovel-tooth gathering force was obtained: angle of soil penetration of 84°, speed of soil penetration of 9 cm/s, depth of soil penetration of 8cm, and speed of shovel-tooth gathering of 6 cm/s. The simulation model was validated by field experiments. The average soil penetration force and average shovel-tooth gathering force of the three groups of pull-out tests were 34.8 N and 763.0 N, respectively. The removal rates were 96%, 92%, and 94%, all greater than 90%, indicating that the removal effect of the shovel-tooth end-effector was good, and the parameters were reasonably designed. The results can serve as reference for the design of rape abnormal plants removal device and the operation of MBD-DEM coupling simulation end-effector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are existing interplant weed control devices for soybeans, they mostly rely on image recognition and intelligent navigation platforms. Simultaneously, automated weed control devices are not yet fully mature, resulting in issues such as high seedling injury rates and low weeding rates. This paper proposed a reciprocating interplant weed control device for soybeans based on the idea of intermittent reciprocating opening and closing of weeding execution components. The device consists of a laser ranging sensor, servo motor, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and weeding mechanism. Firstly, this paper explained the overall structure and working principle of the weed control device, and discussed the theoretical analysis and structural design of the critical component, elastic comb teeth. This paper also analyzed the working principle of the elastic comb teeth movement trajectory and seedling avoidance action according to soybean agronomic planting requirements. Then, field experiments were conducted, and the experiment was designed by the quadratic regression general rotation combination experimental method. The number of combs, the speed of the field management robot, and the stabbing depth were taken as the test factors to investigate their effects on the test indexes of weeding rate and seedling injury rate. The experiment utilized a response surface analysis method and designed a three-factor, three-level quadratic regression general rotation combination experimental method. The results demonstrate that the number of comb teeth has the most significant impact on the weeding rate, while the forward speed has the most significant impact on the seedling injury rate. The optimal combination of 29.06 mm stabbing depth, five comb teeth, and a forward speed of 0.31 m/s achieves an optimal operational weeding rate of 98.2% and a seedling injury rate of 1.69%. Under the optimal parameter combination conditions, the machine's performance can meet the requirements of intra-row weeding operations in soybean fields, and the research results can provide a reference for the design and optimization of mechanical weed control devices for soybean fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the time-consuming, laborious, and inefficient process of removing abnormal rape plants during breeding, combined with the agronomic requirements for planting rapeseed, a clamping manipulator was designed. This manipulator is mainly composed of hollow splints, grip-force sensors, connecting rods, cylinders and other components. Additionally, a removing test platform was built. Single-factor and Box-Behnken experiments were conducted. Taking the output air pressure, pulling angle and pulling speed as the test factors, the rape uprooted removal rate, rape removal breakage rate and pulling force were the test indicators. Mathematical models for multiple regression were established separately for each evaluation index, and analysis of variance was conducted. Objective optimization was performed using the Numerical component to obtain the optimal combination of operating parameters: output air pressure of 0.47 MPa, pulling angle of 68.8° and extraction speed of 8 cm/s. The field validation test showed that the uprooted removal rate was 83.33%, the removal breakage rate was 6.67% and the pulling force was 84.9 N at the output air pressure of 0.5 MPa, pulling angle of 70° and pulling speed of 8 cm/s. The validation test values are in good agreement with the parameter optimization values, indicating that the parameter optimization model is reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the boom sprayer works in the field, the boom must be parallel to the undulating ground or crop canopy. Aiming at the problem of low control accuracy and poor stability caused by parameter uncertainties and time-varying disturbances in the electro-hydraulic active boom suspension system, this paper proposes an adaptive robust precision control algorithm based on disturbance estimation. Firstly, the dynamic analysis modeling method is adopted to establish the nonlinear dynamic model and mechanism geometric equation of the pendulum active and passive suspension. Then, the controller was designed based on the nonlinear model of the suspension system. The proposed controller uses the backstepping design method to integrate the disturbance observer into the adaptive robust controller, which can effectively deal with the parameter uncertainties and time-varying disturbances in the suspension system model. Finally, a large number of experiments were carried out by taking a 28 m large boom active suspension driven by a single-rod hydraulic pressure as an example. Using an established rapid control prototype of a large boom suspension, a variety of control algorithm comparison experiments were carried out, and a 6-DOF motion platform was used to simulate the motion coupling interference of the sprayer chassis. The experiment results illustrate the high-performance characteristics of the proposed controller and improve the tracking performance of the active pendulum suspension system under various parameter uncertainties and time-varying disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic behavior modeling and parameter optimization of the spray boom based on multi-body vibration were developed to study the influence of the boom sprayer's motion in a complex working environment on the dynamic behavior of the spray boom. First, a geometric continuous model of spray boom vibration was established considering the influence of the boom sprayer body and boom suspension. Then, the dynamic behavior of the spray boom under step excitation was studied on a SWAN3WP-500 self-propelled boom spray experimental platform. The time-domain response of spray boom movement was characterized using a multi-channel dynamic test system, and the simulation results of the geometric continuous model were verified. The correlation coefficient between the simulated and experimental results is 0.917, and the maximum relative error is 12.16%. Finally, the effects of boom sprayer speed, spray boom length, and spray boom cross-section shape on spray boom vibration were analyzed through the geometric continuous model. (1) The amplitude and period of vibration at the extremity of the spray boom gradually decline with a rise in boom sprayer speed. (2) The amplitude and period of vibration at the extremity of the spray boom gradually increase when the unilateral spray boom is shorter than 5 m but slowly decrease when it is longer than 5 m. To avoid excessive static elastic deformation of the spray boom, the length of the unilateral spray boom should be controlled within 6 m. (3) A reasonable cross-sectional shape can improve the spray boom vibration, and the spray boom with a type B cross-section can better inhibit the vertical vibration of the spray boom under the same cross-sectional area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]