Publication of: Society of Automotive Engineers, 2004
When compared to other accident modes, rollovers have a higher risk of injuries and fatalities an... more When compared to other accident modes, rollovers have a higher risk of injuries and fatalities and this risk increases dramatically for unbelted occupants. In this chapter, from a comprehensive text on occupant and vehicle responses in rollovers, the authors report on a comparative study between belted rollover occupants who did and did not receive head injuries from roof contact. The authors used the National Accident Sampling System (NASS) database to investigate whether headroom reduction increases the risk of head injury. The authors determine headroom for 155 belted occupants involved in rollover crashes. Results showed that headroom was reduced more in those crashes where the occupant had head injuries than in cases where there were no head injuries; thus, the risk of head injury increases with reduced headroom. The authors conclude that to improve rollover crashworthiness of vehicles, headroom reduction and the belt system should be evaluated simultaneously to upgrade occupant protection.
This study was designed to identify and compare the Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi ... more This study was designed to identify and compare the Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi complex on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) and corn (Zea mays L.) crops grown in southern Georgia, and to determine their influence on potential fumonisin production. Pearl millet and corn samples were collected in Georgia in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Three percent of the pearl millet seeds had fungi similar to the Fusarium species of the G. fujikuroi species complex. One hundred and nineteen representative isolates visually similar to the G. fujikuroi species complex from pearl millet were paired with mating population A (Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg), mating population D (F. proliferatum (Matsushima) Nirenberg) and mating population F (F. thapsinum (Klittich, Leslie, Nelson and Marasas) tester strains. Successful crosses were obtained with 50.4%, 10.1% and 0.0% of these isolates with the A, D and F tester strains, while 39.5% of the isolates did not form perithecia with any tester strains. Two of the typical infertile isolates were characterized by DNA sequence comparisons and were identified as Fusarium pseudonygamai (Nirenberg and O'Donnell), which is the first known isolation of this species in the United States. Based on the pattern of cross-compatibility, conidiogenesis, colony characteristics and media pigmentation, a majority of the infertile isolates belong to this species. Fumonisins FB 1 and FB 2 were not detected in any of the 81 pearl millet samples analyzed. The species of the G. fujikuroi species complex were dominant in corn and were isolated from 84%, 74% and 65% of the seed in 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively. Representative species of the G. fujikuroi species complex were isolated from 1996 to 1998 Georgia corn survey (162, 104 and 111 isolates, respectively) and tested for mating compatibility. The incidence of isolates belonging to mating population A (F. verticillioides) ranged from 70.2% to 89.5%. Corn survey samples were assayed for fumonisins, and 63% to 91% of the 1996, 1997 and 1998 samples were contaminated. The total amount of fumonisins in the corn samples ranged from 0.6 to 33.3 lg/g.
US cotton producers are motivated to optimize planter performance to ensure timely and uniform st... more US cotton producers are motivated to optimize planter performance to ensure timely and uniform stand establishment early in the season, especially when planting in sub-optimal field conditions. Field studies were conducted in 2017, 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the effect of seeding depth and planter downforce on crop emergence and yield in cotton planted in different soil moisture conditions. Field conditions representative of dry, normal and wet soil moisture conditions were attained by applying 0, 1.27 and 2.54 cm of irrigation within the same field. Two cotton cultivars (representing a small-seeded and a large-seeded cultivar, 9259–10,582 and 11,244–14,330 seeds kg−1, respectively), were planted at seeding depths of 1.3, 2.5 and 3.8 cm with each seeding depth paired with three different planter downforces of 0, 445 and 890 N in each block. Cotton was planted in plots that measured 3.66 m (four-rows) wide by 10.67 m long. Results indicated that crop emergence was affected by the seed...
Peach scab, caused by Venturia carpophila, is a damaging disease of peach in the southeastern Uni... more Peach scab, caused by Venturia carpophila, is a damaging disease of peach in the southeastern United States. Thus, fungicides are applied to reduce peach scab. Tractor speed was investigated as a variable affecting spray deposition and disease control in relation to volume applied. In experiments in 2015 and 2016, trees were sprayed with fungicide to control scab at petal fall to 1% shuck split and at shuck split to 10% shuck off. Speeds were 3.2, 4.8, and 6.4 kph resulting in 1,403, 935, and 701 liters/ha, respectively, with the dose of active ingredient (a.i.) per ha kept constant. Deposition declined for all speeds with later spray dates. There was a negative linear relationship between tractor speed and spray coverage on three of four dates the experiment was repeated. Tractor speed (different volumes, equal doses) affected peach scab. In 2015 and 2016, mean incidence at 3.2, 4.8, and 6.4 kph was 68.6, 59.2, and 38.3%, and 64.2, 53.0, and 40.4% of fruit scabbed, respectively. Ef...
In this review, we examine opportunities and challenges for 21st-century robotic agricultural cot... more In this review, we examine opportunities and challenges for 21st-century robotic agricultural cotton harvesting research and commercial development. The paper reviews opportunities present in the agricultural robotics industry, and a detailed analysis is conducted for the cotton harvesting robot industry. The review is divided into four sections: (1) general agricultural robotic operations, where we check the current robotic technologies in agriculture; (2) opportunities and advances in related robotic harvesting fields, which is focused on investigating robotic harvesting technologies; (3) status and progress in cotton harvesting robot research, which concentrates on the current research and technology development in cotton harvesting robots; and (4) challenges in commercial deployment of agricultural robots, where challenges to commercializing and using these robots are reviewed. Conclusions are drawn about cotton harvesting robot research and the potential of multipurpose robotic...
a b s t r a c t Agricultural technology has increased farm production to unprecedented levels. Ho... more a b s t r a c t Agricultural technology has increased farm production to unprecedented levels. However, return on investment is diminishing and environmental concerns conflict with current input intensive farm practices. Conventional technologies and their application such as crop breeding and management practices have focused on monocultural systems that are dependent on chemical inputs to produce optimum yields. Current profit margins are low or non-existent with these conventional non-sustainable practices and must be changed if the family farm is to survive. We propose an ecologically based approach to farm management that strives to reduce reliance on chemically intensive inputs through better use of multiple attributes inherent within agroecosystems. This approach requires a redirection in the development and application of current and emerging technologies. Examples of redirections in research and development programs for pest management practices, genetic engineering, and pr...
On March 19, 1997, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a Final R... more On March 19, 1997, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a Final Rule amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No 208 to allow manufacturers to de-power air bags in their passenger vehicles. This is considered an interim solution to the problems associated with aggressive air bag deployments. Consequently, the amended rule has a sunset provision that removes the amendment, with the addition of "advanced" air bag requirements to be developed in the future. As part of the process to develop test procedures, a study was conducted to test the capabilities of advanced air bag technologies, and evaluate less-aggressive air bags designed for a belted market in Australia. Testing consisted of static air bag deployments and dynamic HYGE sled and crash testing using Hybrid III adult and child dummies. Advanced systems testing indicate that Multi-stage inflation can tailor bag deployments for the crash severity. However, it was still chall...
In an effort to reduce injuries to vehicle occupants by roof intrusion in rollover accidents, the... more In an effort to reduce injuries to vehicle occupants by roof intrusion in rollover accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering upgrading Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 216. Currently, this standard sets requirements for roof crush resistance using a quasi-static load applied to the vehicle roof. This load application has been criticized as not representative of real-world loading rates of roof structures in a rollover incident. This study examines roof crush resistance in passenger vehicles in order to determine the correlation between roof crush performance measured quasi-statically and dynamically. Tests comparing quasi-static roof loading versus dynamic roof loading were conducted to determine how static and dynamic tests can be correlated and if the static test can be transformed to a dynamically equivalent result. Nine vehicles were subjected to quasi-static tests and then ranked for performance based on roof strength and stiffnes...
Der vorliegende Tagungsband erscheint zu KongreBbeginn und enthalt die schriftlichen Fassungen de... more Der vorliegende Tagungsband erscheint zu KongreBbeginn und enthalt die schriftlichen Fassungen der Vortrage und Poster. Aus zeitlichen Grunden muBte die Drucklegung vor Eingang samtlicher Beitrage erfolgen. Daher ist teilweise nur die jeweilige Kurzfassung abgedruckt. The Proceedings are published at the beginning of the conference and contain the written versions of the oral presentations and posters. Due to the shortage of time, printing had to commence prior to receipt of all contributions. Therefore partly only the abstract had been printed.
Maintaining adequate planter downforce is critical for achieving timely and uniform crop emergenc... more Maintaining adequate planter downforce is critical for achieving timely and uniform crop emergence across the field. On-farm research studies were conducted in different regions across South Georgia, USA to investigate the effect of planter downforce in varying soil textures. Six fields were planted in cotton with four different growers from 2017 to 2019. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) was mapped in each field to characterize areas of varying soil textures into low, medium and high soil EC zones. For each field, the downforce treatments consisted of a grower-preferred downforce along with a relatively lower and higher downforce dependent on prevalent field conditions and the downforce system available on the grower’s planter. Results varied from field to field depending on soil texture variability or the type of downforce system. In three out of six fields, emergence was delayed and reduced in areas of high soil EC (heavy textured soils) whereas soil EC or downforce did not affect crop emergence in two fields. In one field, increasing planter downforce from the grower preferred value of 555 N to 1110 N improved crop emergence in heavy textured soils. In some cases, it was noted that even the highest downforce (1110 N) was not sufficient to place seeds at the desired seeding depth in the heavy textured soils. More on-farm studies are required to thoroughly understand planter downforce response in varying field conditions that exist during planting. Future studies should consider better quantification of in-field soil variability and changes in planter downforce during field operation.
Automation continues to play a greater role in agricultural production with commercial systems no... more Automation continues to play a greater role in agricultural production with commercial systems now available for machine vision identification of weeds and other pests, autonomous weed control, and robotic harvesters for fruits and vegetables. The growing availability of autonomous machines in agriculture indicates that there are opportunities to increase automation in cotton production. This article considers how current and future advances in automation has, could, or will impact cotton production practices. The results are organized to follow the cotton production process from land preparation to planting to within season management through harvesting and ginning. For each step, current and potential opportunities to automate processes are discussed. Specific examples include advances in automated weed control and progress made in the use of robotic systems for cotton harvesting.
Improving plant photosynthesis provides the best possibility for increasing crop yield potential,... more Improving plant photosynthesis provides the best possibility for increasing crop yield potential, which is considered a crucial effort for global food security. Chlorophyll fluorescence is an important indicator for the study of plant photosynthesis. Previous studies have intensively examined the use of spectrometer, airborne, and spaceborne spectral data to retrieve solar induced fluorescence (SIF) for estimating gross primary productivity and carbon fixation. None of the methods, however, had a spatial resolution and a scanning throughput suitable for applications at the canopy and sub-canopy levels, thereby limiting photosynthesis analysis for breeding programs and genetics/genomics studies. The goal of this study was to develop a hyperspectral imaging approach to characterize plant photosynthesis at the canopy level. An experimental field was planted with two cotton cultivars that received two different treatments (control and herbicide treated), with each cultivar-treatment com...
Multiple small rovers can repeatedly pick cotton as bolls begin to open until the end of the seas... more Multiple small rovers can repeatedly pick cotton as bolls begin to open until the end of the season. Several of these rovers can move between rows of cotton, and when bolls are detected, use a manipulator to pick the bolls. To develop such a multi-agent cotton-harvesting system, each cotton-harvesting rover would need to accomplish three motions: the rover must move forward/backward, turn left/right, and the robotic manipulator must move to harvest cotton bolls. Controlling these actions can involve several complex states and transitions. However, using the robot operating system (ROS)-independent finite state machine (SMACH), adaptive and optimal control can be achieved. SMACH provides task level capability for deploying multiple tasks to the rover and manipulator. In this study, a center-articulated hydrostatic cotton-harvesting rover, using a stereo camera to locate end-effector and pick cotton bolls, was developed. The robot harvested the bolls by using a 2D manipulator that mov...
This study proposes an algorithm that controls an autonomous, multi-purpose, center-articulated h... more This study proposes an algorithm that controls an autonomous, multi-purpose, center-articulated hydrostatic transmission rover to navigate along crop rows. This multi-purpose rover (MPR) is being developed to harvest undefoliated cotton to expand the harvest window to up to 50 days. The rover would harvest cotton in teams by performing several passes as the bolls become ready to harvest. We propose that a small robot could make cotton production more profitable for farmers and more accessible to owners of smaller plots of land who cannot afford large tractors and harvesting equipment. The rover was localized with a low-cost Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS), encoders, and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)s for heading. Robot Operating System (ROS)-based software was developed to harness the sensor information, localize the rover, and execute path following controls. To test the localization and modified pure-pursuit path-following controls, first, GNSS ...
Cotton harvesting is performed by using expensive combine harvesters which makes it difficult for... more Cotton harvesting is performed by using expensive combine harvesters which makes it difficult for small to medium-size cotton farmers to grow cotton economically. Advances in robotics have provided an opportunity to harvest cotton using small and robust autonomous rovers that can be deployed in the field as a “swarm” of harvesters, with each harvester responsible for a small hectarage. However, rovers need high-performance navigation to obtain the necessary precision for harvesting. Current precision harvesting systems depend heavily on Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) to navigate rows of crops. However, GNSS cannot be the only method used to navigate the farm because for robots to work as a coordinated multiagent unit on the same farm because they also require visual systems to navigate, avoid collisions, and to accommodate plant growth and canopy changes. Hence, the optical system remains to be a complementary method for increasing the efficiency o...
Publication of: Society of Automotive Engineers, 2004
When compared to other accident modes, rollovers have a higher risk of injuries and fatalities an... more When compared to other accident modes, rollovers have a higher risk of injuries and fatalities and this risk increases dramatically for unbelted occupants. In this chapter, from a comprehensive text on occupant and vehicle responses in rollovers, the authors report on a comparative study between belted rollover occupants who did and did not receive head injuries from roof contact. The authors used the National Accident Sampling System (NASS) database to investigate whether headroom reduction increases the risk of head injury. The authors determine headroom for 155 belted occupants involved in rollover crashes. Results showed that headroom was reduced more in those crashes where the occupant had head injuries than in cases where there were no head injuries; thus, the risk of head injury increases with reduced headroom. The authors conclude that to improve rollover crashworthiness of vehicles, headroom reduction and the belt system should be evaluated simultaneously to upgrade occupant protection.
This study was designed to identify and compare the Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi ... more This study was designed to identify and compare the Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi complex on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br) and corn (Zea mays L.) crops grown in southern Georgia, and to determine their influence on potential fumonisin production. Pearl millet and corn samples were collected in Georgia in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Three percent of the pearl millet seeds had fungi similar to the Fusarium species of the G. fujikuroi species complex. One hundred and nineteen representative isolates visually similar to the G. fujikuroi species complex from pearl millet were paired with mating population A (Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg), mating population D (F. proliferatum (Matsushima) Nirenberg) and mating population F (F. thapsinum (Klittich, Leslie, Nelson and Marasas) tester strains. Successful crosses were obtained with 50.4%, 10.1% and 0.0% of these isolates with the A, D and F tester strains, while 39.5% of the isolates did not form perithecia with any tester strains. Two of the typical infertile isolates were characterized by DNA sequence comparisons and were identified as Fusarium pseudonygamai (Nirenberg and O'Donnell), which is the first known isolation of this species in the United States. Based on the pattern of cross-compatibility, conidiogenesis, colony characteristics and media pigmentation, a majority of the infertile isolates belong to this species. Fumonisins FB 1 and FB 2 were not detected in any of the 81 pearl millet samples analyzed. The species of the G. fujikuroi species complex were dominant in corn and were isolated from 84%, 74% and 65% of the seed in 1996, 1997 and 1998, respectively. Representative species of the G. fujikuroi species complex were isolated from 1996 to 1998 Georgia corn survey (162, 104 and 111 isolates, respectively) and tested for mating compatibility. The incidence of isolates belonging to mating population A (F. verticillioides) ranged from 70.2% to 89.5%. Corn survey samples were assayed for fumonisins, and 63% to 91% of the 1996, 1997 and 1998 samples were contaminated. The total amount of fumonisins in the corn samples ranged from 0.6 to 33.3 lg/g.
US cotton producers are motivated to optimize planter performance to ensure timely and uniform st... more US cotton producers are motivated to optimize planter performance to ensure timely and uniform stand establishment early in the season, especially when planting in sub-optimal field conditions. Field studies were conducted in 2017, 2018 and 2019 to evaluate the effect of seeding depth and planter downforce on crop emergence and yield in cotton planted in different soil moisture conditions. Field conditions representative of dry, normal and wet soil moisture conditions were attained by applying 0, 1.27 and 2.54 cm of irrigation within the same field. Two cotton cultivars (representing a small-seeded and a large-seeded cultivar, 9259–10,582 and 11,244–14,330 seeds kg−1, respectively), were planted at seeding depths of 1.3, 2.5 and 3.8 cm with each seeding depth paired with three different planter downforces of 0, 445 and 890 N in each block. Cotton was planted in plots that measured 3.66 m (four-rows) wide by 10.67 m long. Results indicated that crop emergence was affected by the seed...
Peach scab, caused by Venturia carpophila, is a damaging disease of peach in the southeastern Uni... more Peach scab, caused by Venturia carpophila, is a damaging disease of peach in the southeastern United States. Thus, fungicides are applied to reduce peach scab. Tractor speed was investigated as a variable affecting spray deposition and disease control in relation to volume applied. In experiments in 2015 and 2016, trees were sprayed with fungicide to control scab at petal fall to 1% shuck split and at shuck split to 10% shuck off. Speeds were 3.2, 4.8, and 6.4 kph resulting in 1,403, 935, and 701 liters/ha, respectively, with the dose of active ingredient (a.i.) per ha kept constant. Deposition declined for all speeds with later spray dates. There was a negative linear relationship between tractor speed and spray coverage on three of four dates the experiment was repeated. Tractor speed (different volumes, equal doses) affected peach scab. In 2015 and 2016, mean incidence at 3.2, 4.8, and 6.4 kph was 68.6, 59.2, and 38.3%, and 64.2, 53.0, and 40.4% of fruit scabbed, respectively. Ef...
In this review, we examine opportunities and challenges for 21st-century robotic agricultural cot... more In this review, we examine opportunities and challenges for 21st-century robotic agricultural cotton harvesting research and commercial development. The paper reviews opportunities present in the agricultural robotics industry, and a detailed analysis is conducted for the cotton harvesting robot industry. The review is divided into four sections: (1) general agricultural robotic operations, where we check the current robotic technologies in agriculture; (2) opportunities and advances in related robotic harvesting fields, which is focused on investigating robotic harvesting technologies; (3) status and progress in cotton harvesting robot research, which concentrates on the current research and technology development in cotton harvesting robots; and (4) challenges in commercial deployment of agricultural robots, where challenges to commercializing and using these robots are reviewed. Conclusions are drawn about cotton harvesting robot research and the potential of multipurpose robotic...
a b s t r a c t Agricultural technology has increased farm production to unprecedented levels. Ho... more a b s t r a c t Agricultural technology has increased farm production to unprecedented levels. However, return on investment is diminishing and environmental concerns conflict with current input intensive farm practices. Conventional technologies and their application such as crop breeding and management practices have focused on monocultural systems that are dependent on chemical inputs to produce optimum yields. Current profit margins are low or non-existent with these conventional non-sustainable practices and must be changed if the family farm is to survive. We propose an ecologically based approach to farm management that strives to reduce reliance on chemically intensive inputs through better use of multiple attributes inherent within agroecosystems. This approach requires a redirection in the development and application of current and emerging technologies. Examples of redirections in research and development programs for pest management practices, genetic engineering, and pr...
On March 19, 1997, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a Final R... more On March 19, 1997, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a Final Rule amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No 208 to allow manufacturers to de-power air bags in their passenger vehicles. This is considered an interim solution to the problems associated with aggressive air bag deployments. Consequently, the amended rule has a sunset provision that removes the amendment, with the addition of "advanced" air bag requirements to be developed in the future. As part of the process to develop test procedures, a study was conducted to test the capabilities of advanced air bag technologies, and evaluate less-aggressive air bags designed for a belted market in Australia. Testing consisted of static air bag deployments and dynamic HYGE sled and crash testing using Hybrid III adult and child dummies. Advanced systems testing indicate that Multi-stage inflation can tailor bag deployments for the crash severity. However, it was still chall...
In an effort to reduce injuries to vehicle occupants by roof intrusion in rollover accidents, the... more In an effort to reduce injuries to vehicle occupants by roof intrusion in rollover accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering upgrading Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 216. Currently, this standard sets requirements for roof crush resistance using a quasi-static load applied to the vehicle roof. This load application has been criticized as not representative of real-world loading rates of roof structures in a rollover incident. This study examines roof crush resistance in passenger vehicles in order to determine the correlation between roof crush performance measured quasi-statically and dynamically. Tests comparing quasi-static roof loading versus dynamic roof loading were conducted to determine how static and dynamic tests can be correlated and if the static test can be transformed to a dynamically equivalent result. Nine vehicles were subjected to quasi-static tests and then ranked for performance based on roof strength and stiffnes...
Der vorliegende Tagungsband erscheint zu KongreBbeginn und enthalt die schriftlichen Fassungen de... more Der vorliegende Tagungsband erscheint zu KongreBbeginn und enthalt die schriftlichen Fassungen der Vortrage und Poster. Aus zeitlichen Grunden muBte die Drucklegung vor Eingang samtlicher Beitrage erfolgen. Daher ist teilweise nur die jeweilige Kurzfassung abgedruckt. The Proceedings are published at the beginning of the conference and contain the written versions of the oral presentations and posters. Due to the shortage of time, printing had to commence prior to receipt of all contributions. Therefore partly only the abstract had been printed.
Maintaining adequate planter downforce is critical for achieving timely and uniform crop emergenc... more Maintaining adequate planter downforce is critical for achieving timely and uniform crop emergence across the field. On-farm research studies were conducted in different regions across South Georgia, USA to investigate the effect of planter downforce in varying soil textures. Six fields were planted in cotton with four different growers from 2017 to 2019. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) was mapped in each field to characterize areas of varying soil textures into low, medium and high soil EC zones. For each field, the downforce treatments consisted of a grower-preferred downforce along with a relatively lower and higher downforce dependent on prevalent field conditions and the downforce system available on the grower’s planter. Results varied from field to field depending on soil texture variability or the type of downforce system. In three out of six fields, emergence was delayed and reduced in areas of high soil EC (heavy textured soils) whereas soil EC or downforce did not affect crop emergence in two fields. In one field, increasing planter downforce from the grower preferred value of 555 N to 1110 N improved crop emergence in heavy textured soils. In some cases, it was noted that even the highest downforce (1110 N) was not sufficient to place seeds at the desired seeding depth in the heavy textured soils. More on-farm studies are required to thoroughly understand planter downforce response in varying field conditions that exist during planting. Future studies should consider better quantification of in-field soil variability and changes in planter downforce during field operation.
Automation continues to play a greater role in agricultural production with commercial systems no... more Automation continues to play a greater role in agricultural production with commercial systems now available for machine vision identification of weeds and other pests, autonomous weed control, and robotic harvesters for fruits and vegetables. The growing availability of autonomous machines in agriculture indicates that there are opportunities to increase automation in cotton production. This article considers how current and future advances in automation has, could, or will impact cotton production practices. The results are organized to follow the cotton production process from land preparation to planting to within season management through harvesting and ginning. For each step, current and potential opportunities to automate processes are discussed. Specific examples include advances in automated weed control and progress made in the use of robotic systems for cotton harvesting.
Improving plant photosynthesis provides the best possibility for increasing crop yield potential,... more Improving plant photosynthesis provides the best possibility for increasing crop yield potential, which is considered a crucial effort for global food security. Chlorophyll fluorescence is an important indicator for the study of plant photosynthesis. Previous studies have intensively examined the use of spectrometer, airborne, and spaceborne spectral data to retrieve solar induced fluorescence (SIF) for estimating gross primary productivity and carbon fixation. None of the methods, however, had a spatial resolution and a scanning throughput suitable for applications at the canopy and sub-canopy levels, thereby limiting photosynthesis analysis for breeding programs and genetics/genomics studies. The goal of this study was to develop a hyperspectral imaging approach to characterize plant photosynthesis at the canopy level. An experimental field was planted with two cotton cultivars that received two different treatments (control and herbicide treated), with each cultivar-treatment com...
Multiple small rovers can repeatedly pick cotton as bolls begin to open until the end of the seas... more Multiple small rovers can repeatedly pick cotton as bolls begin to open until the end of the season. Several of these rovers can move between rows of cotton, and when bolls are detected, use a manipulator to pick the bolls. To develop such a multi-agent cotton-harvesting system, each cotton-harvesting rover would need to accomplish three motions: the rover must move forward/backward, turn left/right, and the robotic manipulator must move to harvest cotton bolls. Controlling these actions can involve several complex states and transitions. However, using the robot operating system (ROS)-independent finite state machine (SMACH), adaptive and optimal control can be achieved. SMACH provides task level capability for deploying multiple tasks to the rover and manipulator. In this study, a center-articulated hydrostatic cotton-harvesting rover, using a stereo camera to locate end-effector and pick cotton bolls, was developed. The robot harvested the bolls by using a 2D manipulator that mov...
This study proposes an algorithm that controls an autonomous, multi-purpose, center-articulated h... more This study proposes an algorithm that controls an autonomous, multi-purpose, center-articulated hydrostatic transmission rover to navigate along crop rows. This multi-purpose rover (MPR) is being developed to harvest undefoliated cotton to expand the harvest window to up to 50 days. The rover would harvest cotton in teams by performing several passes as the bolls become ready to harvest. We propose that a small robot could make cotton production more profitable for farmers and more accessible to owners of smaller plots of land who cannot afford large tractors and harvesting equipment. The rover was localized with a low-cost Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS), encoders, and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)s for heading. Robot Operating System (ROS)-based software was developed to harness the sensor information, localize the rover, and execute path following controls. To test the localization and modified pure-pursuit path-following controls, first, GNSS ...
Cotton harvesting is performed by using expensive combine harvesters which makes it difficult for... more Cotton harvesting is performed by using expensive combine harvesters which makes it difficult for small to medium-size cotton farmers to grow cotton economically. Advances in robotics have provided an opportunity to harvest cotton using small and robust autonomous rovers that can be deployed in the field as a “swarm” of harvesters, with each harvester responsible for a small hectarage. However, rovers need high-performance navigation to obtain the necessary precision for harvesting. Current precision harvesting systems depend heavily on Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) to navigate rows of crops. However, GNSS cannot be the only method used to navigate the farm because for robots to work as a coordinated multiagent unit on the same farm because they also require visual systems to navigate, avoid collisions, and to accommodate plant growth and canopy changes. Hence, the optical system remains to be a complementary method for increasing the efficiency o...
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Papers by Glen Rains