Introduction Direct energy expenses (diesel, gasoline, propane, electricity) total more than $1 billion annually for Iowa’s farmers. Day-to-day farm management techniques such as adjusting tractor gear and throttle settings, reducing tillage depths, and monitoring tractor tire inflation pressures can reduce diesel fuel consumption for row crop production. This study is being conducted over mult...

The aim of this paper and its sequel is to introduce and classify the holonomy algebras of the projective Tractor connection. After a brief historical background, this paper presents and analyses the projective Cartan and Tractor connections, the various structures they can preserve, and their geometric interpretations. Preserved subbundles of the Tractor bundle generate foliations with Ricci-f...

Error is always present in the GPS guidance of a tractor along a desired trajectory. One way to reduce GPS guidance error is by improving the tractor positioning. The most commonly used ways to do this are either by employing more precise GPS receivers and differential corrections or by employing GPS together with some other local positioning systems such as electronic compasses or Inertial Nav...

Within a continuous development of mobile agricultural machinery the application and further introduction of electronic controls is offering the fare most potential for working processes optimization. The article gives an introduction to tractor and implement controls, especially targeting implement guided tractor control, underlined with two executed examples for this advanced control design. ...

We describe the development of the Safe Tractor Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a design-based tractor safety rating system that can be applied to new or used tractors to provide an objective assessment of their inherent safety features. A predictive rating system model, based on technical inspection, was used. Key principles underlying the system included the potential for design feature...

Timber transport in the forest is a very complex operation, and expensive from an energy point of view. Furthermore, in some cases, this operation can be very difficult and dangerous in unfavorable conditions of the road surface, which mainly occur in winter (frozen ground) and in spring (muddy ground). The goal of this study was to develop an innovative transmission hydraulic control system fo...

Tractor hydraulic power is used on a wide range of agricultural implements; however, the availability of operational hydraulic data at points other than full engine throttle position is limited. Operators could utilize this hydraulic data to maximize field efficiency and minimize machinery costs when determining suitable machinery for field operations. A field usable hydraulic test apparatus ca...

Prasanna Kumar G.V. (2015): Geometric performance parameters of three-point hitch linkage system of a 2WD Indian tractor. Res. Agr. Eng., 61: 47–53. Geometric performance parameters of three-point hitch system of a most sold model of a 2-wheel drive Indian tractor were determined by generating the path of upper and lower hitch points by kinematic linkage analysis. At various locations of pivot ...

Improved human-tractor interface designs, such as well-accommodated operator enclosures (i.e. cabs and protection frames) can enhance operator productivity, comfort and safety. This study investigated farm-worker anthropometry and determined the critical anthropometric measures and 3-D feature envelopes of body landmarks for the design of tractor operator enclosures. One hundred agriculture wor...

In the new agricultural scenarios, the interaction between autonomous tractors and a human operator is important when they jointly perform a task. Obtaining and exchanging accurate localization information between autonomous tractors and the human operator, working as a team, is a critical to maintaining safety, synchronization, and efficiency during the execution of a mission. An advanced loca...