Automatically steered and autonomous tractors are starting have a major impact on the agricultural community. They provide the means to cultivate large plots of land with an overall increase in cost savings and productivity, while minimizing the effort of the driver. As this technology becomes more widespread, better control systems for the tractors are a must because more people will be using these things in many different configurations and conditions. Examples of different configurations and conditions include the tractor outfitted with duals vs. no duals, 2/4 wheel drive, varying ballasts, different hitched and towed implements used at varying depths, weight transfer due to tillage, side hills, and varying ground conditions. We are working to improve and expand the technology that someone else has given movement to.
This lab with funding from Deere & Co. is doing research to improve the control system on Deere's AutoTrac tractors. The research focuses on modeling of system variations and adaptive control in order to effectively create a more robust control system. Modeling the system variations is an attempt to quantify the changes due to the different configurations and conditions on the tractor yaw dynamic system. If these changes can indeed be quantified, the tractor controller will be able to compensate for them and enjoy better control. Adaptive control seeks to create control algorithms that can adapt to different systems. If the tractor controller can sense that parameters have changed for a certain configuration, it can effect the necessary changes to maintain its performance.
Research Assistants:
- Evan Gartley
- Paul Pearson
Sponsors:
Publications:
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