Transcript GPS and Agriculture - Princeton University

GPS and Agriculture
FRS 142
Casey McComsey
Traditional Thought
FARMER
+
TECHNOLOGY = …
Traditional Thought (cont’d)
Utter Confusion
A Brave New World
• Yesterday’s Farmers
– Plow Fields With Mules
– Rely on Posts and
Outdated Maps
– Work Sun-up to Sun-down
• Today’s Farmers
– Flip on Autopilot and Take
in the Scenery
– Have Real-time Maps on
an LCD Screen
– Work 24 Hours a Day if
need be
GPS Applications
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Field preparation, Planting and Cultivation
Fertilizing and Crop Protection
Mapping, Scouting, and Sampling
Harvesting
Planning and Analysis
Enter GPS…yee haw
The 3 P’s—Prep, Plan, Cultivate
• Increase
productivity driving
straight, centimeteraccurate swaths
• Save Time driving
faster and more
accurately, even in
reduced light
• Precision Planting of
Seeds
The 3 P’s (cont’d)
• Multi-tasking
laying drip tape as
you create a crop
bed
• Create and Maintain
Detailed Records
• Overall Best
Utilization
Fertilization & Crop Protection
•Optimization
•Less fertilizer or
protectant material
and apply it only
where it's needed.
•More Efficient than
the Old Method 
Mapping, Scouting, and
Sampling
• All About Data and
Details
• Optimize Water
Management
• Scout Crops and
Collect Map Data
Mapping, Scouting, and
Sampling (cont’d)
• Map and navigate
around field
boundaries, point, line,
or area features
• Map hard-to-reach
features from a
vehicle or airplane
• Accurately scout crops
and navigate to
weeds, pests and
diseased areas
Harvesting
• Monitor the quality of
harvesting operations
• Minimize fuel and
other costs with more
accurate driving
• Maintain detailed
records of harvest
operations
• Create yield maps
Planning and Analysis
• Easy to use
software
packages
• Eliminate a lot of
guess-work
• Accessible when
it’s needed—on
location
RTK Technology
• Real-Time Kinematic
• Pioneered by Trimble
in 1992
• Sub-meter DGPS
Accuracy Not Enough
• RTK offers centimeter
level accuracy
• Currently also used
for mining, survey,
and construction
applications.
RTK II—What is Needed?
• Base Station on Known Surveyed
Point
• 1 or More Mobile Receivers w/in
10 km Range
• UHF, VHF, or Spread Spectrum
Radio Link
• Radios Work Best w/Line of Sight
Visibility
RTK II—What is Needed?
RTK III—How does it work?
• Base station transmits corrections via
radio to the mobile receivers in the field
• RTK base stations transmit data once per
second
• Data in format called CMR (Compact
Measurement Record)
• Dual frequency data format transmits
data in a more compact and robust way
than other formats
RTK IV
• Track the Second
Carrier Phase Signal
• This Signal Allows for
Trimble RTK to lock
into Higher Accuracy
• Also Initializes More
Quickly
RTK vs. DGPS
• RTK Requires 5 Satellites to Initialize, Can Work
w/4 – DGPS 3, works well w/4
• RTK Requires a Dual Frequency Receiver
• RTK needs one minute to initialize/DGPS
immediately
• Accuracy of cm’s in 3 dimensions—RTK
• Sub-meter accuracy in horizontal position only—
DGPS
• RTK must have own base station in 10 km range
• DGPS can use base station, correction service
provider, or free radio beacons
Trimble GPS Products
• AgGPS 252 Receiver
• AgGPS EZ-Guide Plus Lightbar Guidance
System
• ApGPS EZ-Map Software
• AgGPS Autopilot
AgGPS 252 Receiver
• 12 Channel GPS
Engine
• RTK
• Highly Portable
• 5 lb Design
AgGPS EZ-Guide Plus
• Lightbar Guiding
System
• LCD Screen
• Eliminates
Weather
Concerns/LowLight Worries
ApGPS EZ-Map Software
• Runs on Handheld
PCs and PDAs
• Mapping Software
Helps at All Stages
of Production
• Great Way to Show
Proof of Work to
Customers/Investors
AgGPS Autopilot
• Steering Assistant
• Must Have Driver
Present However
• Connects to
Tractor’s Hyrdaulic
Power Steering
System
Testimonials
“With GPS, we are quicker and have increased our
work-load within an 8-hour workday. The GPS
swathing system lets me do more work per day
than I was doing before.”
Tommy Barham
JT Barham Farming
“We use the AgGPS PSO for straight guidance, headlands,
and A/B lines. Our efficiency before and after getting our
PSO is night and day, literally. Optimally, with the PSO
we can do 1200 acres a day.”
Darryl and Kyle Cochrane
Cochrane Spraying, Canada
That’s all folks.