Performance evaluation of unmanned machine-tractor units

Abstract

The implementation of advanced digital, intelligent production technologies and robotic systems contributes to the achievement of the goal set for the agro-industrial complex for transition to a highly productive, environmentally friendly agricultural economy. Taking this into account, as well as the global trends in the development of unmanned mobile vehicles, three conceptual models for the development of unmanned mobile power tools are proposed: the creation of universal unmanned mobile vehicles of various traction classes and power based on commercially available tractors (conceptual model A), the creation of universal unmanned low-power mobile devices working in groups (conceptual model B) and the creation of energy modules (conceptual model C). In order to determine further prospects for their use, theoretical studies have been carried out on the issue of evaluating the productivity of agricultural aggregates in combination with unmanned mobile vehicles of the proposed conceptual models. The research was carried out on the basis of existing well-known methods and formulas for determining productivity. The analysis of factors affecting the productivity of an agricultural unit during field operations shows that when using unmanned mobile vehicles, an increase in the productivity of the unit can be ensured by increasing the utilization factor of the width of the grip and the time of main work by eliminating the time spent on rest and personal needs of the operator, reducing the time spent when turning the unit at the end of the rut. The developed methodological approaches to the issue of calculating the productivity of agricultural aggregates in combination with unmanned mobile agricultural vehicles made it possible to assess the increase in the productivity of aggregates using unmanned mobile means of the proposed conceptual models. The use of unmanned mobile vehicles of the considered conceptual models can increase the replaceable productivity of units for continuous cultivation compared with traditional manned tractors by a level from 3 to 24 %.

Keywords

• digital agriculture
• digital technologies
• concept
• tractor
• agricultural unit
• mobile energy facility
• agricultural unit productivity