Application of the Wide-Span Implement Carrier (WSIC) Technology for the Implementation of Controlled-Traffic Farming in Canadian Agriculture

在农业生产中发展适应和可持续的机械化系统需要考虑经济、能源、环境、健康和安全以及社会因素。目前已成为发达国家和许多发展中国家规范的以拖拉机为基础的农业机械化系统，在考虑到诸如尽量减少对作物和土壤的负面影响、提高田间作业的及时性和由此产生的作物产量、最大限度地提高农业作业的能源和田间效率、尽量减少健康和安全风险等标准时，可能不是若干作物生产系统的最佳解决方案，也不是最可持续的解决方案。在过去的20年里，申请人已经开发了大跨度实施载体（WSIC）的概念，作为基于拖拉机的农业机械化系统的有前途的替代品。******拟议研究计划的总体和长期目标是确定适用于加拿大和国外其他大田和园艺作物的基于wsic的机械化系统的工程要求。拟定的研究计划的具体目标是：1。2.确定基于wsic的可控交通耕种自动化的定位和制导要求。2 .确定农机具从液压传动转向全混合静压传动时的控制和操作要求。3 .确定从以拖拉机为基础的农业转向WSIC农业时需要对农具进行的修改；用实测的机器人平台响应数据验证控制模型的有效性。******加拿大农业每年产生超过400亿美元的收入，其中大田作物占近一半。它为全国近40万人提供了就业机会。我国还有一个充满活力的农业机械行业，年总收入约为30亿美元。确定不同作物对WSIC系统的要求将直接有利于加拿大可持续农业机械工业的发展、增长和多样化。

Economic, energy, environmental, health and safety, and social considerations need to be considered for the development of adapted and sustainable mechanization systems in production agriculture. The current tractor-based agricultural mechanization system that has become the norm in developed and many developing countries may not constitute the optimal nor the most sustainable solution for a number of crop production systems when considering criteria such as minimizing negative impacts on crops and soils, improving timeliness of field operations and resulting crop yields, maximizing energy and field efficiency of agricultural operations, minimizing health and safety risks, etc. Over the course of the past 20 years, the applicant has developed the concept of Wide-Span Implement Carrier (WSIC) as a promising alternative to tractor-based agricultural mechanization systems.******The general and long-term objective of the proposed research program is to determine the engineering requirements for WSIC-based mechanization systems adapted to other field and horticultural crops in Canada and abroad. The specific objectives of the proposed research program are: 1. To determine the positioning and guidance requirements for automation of WSIC-based controlled traffic farming, 2. To determine the control and operation of the agricultural implement requirements when switching from hydraulic power transmission to a full hybrid hydrostatic drive train, 3. To identify the required modifications to agricultural implements when switching from tractor-based to WSIC farming, and 4. To verify the efficiency of the control model with measured robotic platform response data. ******Canadian agriculture generates more than $40B in revenues each year with field crops accounting for close to half of that total. It provides employment to nearly 400,000 people across the country. Our country also features a dynamic agricultural machinery industry with gross annual revenues of about $3B. The identification of the requirements of WSIC systems for different crops will directly benefit the development, growth, and diversification of a sustainable Canadian agricultural machinery industry.