Automated Navigation Control for Agricultural Mobile Equipment with Guidance Sensors
Q. Zhang,* J. F. Reid
Case Corp.

This research intends to develop the automated navigation technology, which will provide vehicle guidance information based on multiple guidance sensors, for agricultural equipment to perform various agricultural operations. This study will address changing technical problems in developing automated navigation control, including perception of confusing guidance information, identifying and compensating vehicle disturbances, and developing high-performance steering controller. The lack of skillful operators, the aging of the farm labor force, and the application of new agricultural technology make this research technologically significant and important to the society.

Farm Machinery Selection and Management
J. C. Siemens*
University of Illinois

A computer program has been developed and released which determines the optimum machinery set for a farm. With specification of the desired field operations and corresponding work hours and areas to be covered, the program schedules the operations and calculates the costs of different machinery sets. The least cost (optimum) machinery set is determined using an optimization procedure. Management details of the least cost set or other sets are provided.

Fuzzy Controls for Mechatronized Off-Road Equipment
Q. Zhang,* J. F. Reid, C. E. Goering
U.S. Department of Agriculture HATCH Funds

This research intends to develop an automated guidance control system for off-road equipment. The hypothesis of this research is that experienced human operators, using their experience and common-sense intelligence, can maneuver off-road equipment well for all operations. One of the fundamental tasks is to guide a vehicle following certain path. The specific objectives of this program are to develop (1) redundant guidance sensing technology, (2) a vehicle path planning technology, (3) sensor fusion technology, and (4) fuzzy controls for electro-hydraulic steering control. This guidance control system has been partially developed and implemented on an agricultural tractor on crop production fields. Further efforts will be focused on the development of a sensor fusion-based vehicle path planner.

Soil Compaction Caused by Wheel Traffic
J. C. Siemens*
University of Illinois

A soil compaction study is underway to determine effects of wheel and track traffic on crop growth and yield. Treatments include no extra traffic, extra traffic on every other row, and traffic over the entire plot area before planting. Crop yields have decreased due to soil compac-tion in some years, especially in years when compaction causes drainage to be inadequate.

Tillage Systems
J. C. Siemens,* J. W. Hummel
University of Illinois

Several tillage systems for crop production are being evaluated. Tillage treatments vary from moldboard plow or chisel plow to no-tillage systems for corn and soybean production. Principal factors being studied are crop establishment, growth, and yield; soil condition and fertility; soil erosion; weed control; and economics.

Vision-based Guidance and Control of Field Machinery
J. F. Reid*
University of Illinois; Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research

Machine vision sensing has been developed as an information source for a variety of applications in agricultural vehicle guidance and control. Applications include vehicle guidance based on pathways defined by crops, rows, or artificial markers. Machine vision as a sensor for precision agriculture is a primary focus of this research.