Mechatronic System for Mechanical Weed Control of the Intra-row Area in Row Crops

The dissertation discusses the problem of mechanical weed control within the intra-row area in row crops. A novel concept featuring an electrically driven weeding tool similar to that applied in rotational crop thinning systems is proposed. The special characteristics of the system include the ability to tune rotational speed of the hoeing tool according to forward speed of the carrier, estimated in-row distance between adjacent plants and observed angular position of the arms. A laboratory prototype including an interim solution for detection of the single plants was developed and tested.