Interface for indication and remote control of an unmanned vessel in automatic and manual modes

The article proposes a method for organizing the communication interface of an unmanned vessel and its operator. The interface contains manual controls for the course and speed of the vessel by regulating the angle of the rudder blade shift and the speed of rotation of the propeller shaft, an automatic system for keeping the vessel on a given trajectory for the purpose of navigating the vessel in automatic and manual modes. The interface comprises a system for obtaining filtration, storing the required kinematic and navigation data for identifying mathematical models of the vessel’s movement and the functioning of the autopilot. The interface allows adjusting the PID controller for automatic guidance of the vessel along the trajectory in real time to optimize automatic control, to correct the readings of the GPS and the Earth’s magnetic field sensors, to calibrate the Earth’s magnetic field sensor. The interface includes graphic and digital fields for displaying kinematic and navigation data on the vessel, autopilot and information on the operation of the operator-vessel complex. The interface allows the exchange of data between the operator and the vessel by means of a data transfer protocol via TCP-IP stack protocols on the radio frequencies of public Wi-Fi networks. The interface is created by means of appdesigner tools on the MATLAB platform.

Semi-Automatic Guidance vs. Manual Guidance in Agriculture: A Comparison of Work Performance in Wheat Sowing

The use of digital systems in precision agriculture is becoming more and more attractive for farmers at every level. A few years ago, the use of these technologies was limited to large farms, due to the considerable income needed to amortize the large investment required. Although this technology has now become more affordable, there is a lack of scientific data directed to demonstrate how these systems are able to determine quantifiable advantages for farmers. Thus, the transition towards precision agriculture is still very slow. This issue is not just negatively affecting the agriculture economy, but it is also slowing down potential environmental benefits that may result from it. The starting point of precision agriculture can be considered as the introduction of satellite tractor guidance. For instance, with semi-automatic and automatic tractor guidance, farmers can profit from more accuracy and higher machine performance during several farm operations such as plowing, harrowing, sowing, and fertilising. The goal of this study is to compare semi-automatic guidance with manual guidance in wheat sowing, evaluating parameters such as machine performance, seed supply and operational costs of both the configurations.

EFFICIENCY OF USING SELF-PROPELLED SPRINKLER EQUIPPED WITH THE SYSTEM OF AUTOMATIC GUIDING

Точное земледелие позволяет сократить затраты на внесение удобрений, семена, средства защиты растений и горюче-смазочные материалы в среднем на 20%. В настоящее время на рынке Республики Казахстан предлагают также различные элементы системы точного земледелия, как системы параллельного и автоматического вождения, контроля высева семян, картирования урожайности, дифференцированного внесения минеральных удобрений и СЗР, GPS-трекер с датчиком уровня топлива. При этом не до конца изучены возможности получения эффективности от применения систем точного земледелия в определенных условиях их использования. В статье приведены результаты сравнительных испытаний опрыскивателя самоходного на химической прополке посевов пшеницы и льна в условиях Северного Казахстана. Методика проведения сравнительных испытаний основывалась на требованиях государственных стандартов. В процессе проведения сравнительных испытаний определялись их условия, агротехнические, энергетические, эксплуатационно-технологические и экономические показатели опрыскивателя самоходного, оборудованного системой автоматического вождения, и без системы. Использование системы GPS навигации и автоматического управления на химпрополке зерновых и масличных культур способствует увеличению производительности на 14,6 %, снижению удельных энергозатрат на 8 %, расхода топлива на 17 %, а расхода рабочей жидкости на 14,5 %. При этом совокупные затраты денежных средств снижаются на 9 %, годовая экономия совокупных затрат денежных средств составляет 6562,6 тыс. тенге (1093,7 тыс. руб.). Precision agriculture reduces the cost for fertilizers, seeds, plant protection products, and petrol, oil, and lubricants by an average of 20%. Currently, the market of the Republic of Kazakhstan also offers various elements of precision agriculture systems, such as parallel and automatic guidance systems, seed control, yield mapping, differentiated application of mineral fertilizers and plant protection agents, and a GPS-tracker with a fuel level sensor. At the same time, the possibilities of obtaining efficiency from the use of precision agriculture systems in certain conditions of their use have not been fully studied yet. The article presents the results of comparative tests of a self-steering sprayer for chemical weeding of wheat and flax crops in Northern Kazakhstan. The method of conducting comparative tests was based on the requirements of state standards. When conducting comparative tests, their conditions, agrotechnical, energetic, operational, technological and economic indicators of a self-steering sprayer equipped with an automatic guidance system and without a system were determined. The use of the GPS navigation and automatic guidance systems in the chemical weeding of grain and oil crops increases productivity by 14.6 %, reduces specific energy consumption by 8 %, fuel consumption by 17 %, and working fluid consumption by 14.5 %. In such a case, total money costs are reduced by 9 %, and the annual saving of total money costs amounts to 6562.6 tenges (1093.7 rubles).

Application of new turbulent method for determining vertical refraction

This paper is concerned with the study of new turbulent method technique for the determining of vertical refraction when total stations are used. Required measurement accuracy of vertical refraction by conventional methods is extremely difficult due to rapid random changes in the angle of refraction. Geodetic observations are recommended to performing only during periods of indifferent temperature stratification, while the refraction is close to zero and practically unvaried. However, this period is extremely short and its boundaries are not defined, so the inefficiency of all known methods for determining refraction must be attention. The complete liberation of geodetic observations from the influence of turbulent and fluctuation processes in the atmosphere is possible only by directly measuring the angle of refraction at the time of observation. The creation of electronic total stations with automatic guidance to the target allows to successfully solving the problem of determining refraction by a turbulent method. The aim of this work is to study the new method for determining refraction in a turbulent atmosphere. The measurements are performed with a Trimble total station. The obtained results confirm that the accuracy for determining refraction is ~2″, which almost corresponds to the instrumental accuracy of the device used.

EFFECTIVE APPLICATION AND PROSPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT OF ANTI-TANK ROCKET COMPLEX MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Tanks are one of the main means of implementing aggressive plans to capture land territory. To combat tanks and other armored vehicles the projectiles with different types of warheads and anti-tank guided missiles are used. The best means of defeating tanks are anti-tank missile systems (ATMS), which are classified by aiming methods. The purpose of this work is to review the prospects for development and use of existing ATMS by analyzing the trends of new national and foreign weapons control systems. Anti-tank missile systems of most advanced world‟s armed forces are, predominantly, second-generation systems with a semi-automatic infrared or laser beam guided systems. Missiles of these systems have a high probability of hitting the target (and penetration of armor) when firing under good visibility conditions. The retrofit of the second- generation systems is being done by increasing the protection against jamming caused to aiming systems due to creating combined infrared and thermal coordinators, improving signal processing methods, and increasing the flight speed of missiles and the reliability of command transmission. The tank engine is a powerful contrasting source of thermal energy. The main weak links of systems with semi-automatic guidance systems in terms of jamming counteraction are the operator who tracks the target along the missile's flight, and the coordinator of the missile's command aiming that can be “blinded”. Large-scale works on the creation of next generation anti-tank missile systems based on the latest scientific and technological achievements have been considered. The system‟s operator is one of the weakest links. Careful attitude to the life of every Ukrainian warrior should be a priority, as it is in the modern militaries of the world. This attitude can be ensured by using a reliable missile weapons both natioanl and foreign that would be capable of hitting enemy tanks from a safe distance with a remote control using “fire-and- forget”principle.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) for Material Movement in Plants & Warehouses

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) defined AGVs as Machines without drivers that can move along pre-programmed routes, or use sensory and navigation devices to find their own way around, Vehicles that are equipped with automatic guidance systems and are capable of following prescribed paths, driverless vehicles that are programmed to follow a guide path. The AGV robot described here is a PIC microcontroller based, and is developed with three degrees of freedom. (Light following, wall following & pit avoidance capability). The robot contains the USB 2.ocompliant PIC 18F455o microcontroller, motors, sensors, wheels, battery, etc. The robot uses four IR sensor modules and two LDR circuits. ALL the sensors of the robot are precise and sensitivity can be varied.

Automatic Guidance (and Misguidance) of Visuospatial Attention by Acquired Scene Memory: Evidence From an N1pc Polarity Reversal

Visual search is facilitated when the target is repeatedly encountered at a fixed position within an invariant (vs. randomly variable) distractor layout—that is, when the layout is learned and guides attention to the target, a phenomenon known as contextual cuing. Subsequently changing the target location within a learned layout abolishes contextual cuing, which is difficult to relearn. Here, we used lateralized event-related electroencephalogram (EEG) potentials to explore memory-based attentional guidance ( N = 16). The results revealed reliable contextual cuing during initial learning and an associated EEG-amplitude increase for repeated layouts in attention-related components, starting with an early posterior negativity (N1pc, 80–180 ms). When the target was relocated to the opposite hemifield following learning, contextual cuing was effectively abolished, and the N1pc was reversed in polarity (indicative of persistent misguidance of attention to the original target location). Thus, once learned, repeated layouts trigger attentional-priority signals from memory that proactively interfere with contextual relearning after target relocation.