Control algorithm for intra-row weeding claw device based on trochoidal motion

For intra-row crop weeding application in the field, a claw tooth weeding device was designed, whose movement trajectory was based upon the trochoidal motion model. A control algorithm was developed to calculate the appropriate movement trajectory for the weeding device to achieve precise intra-row weeding without damaging to crop plants. The machine forward speed, the angular velocity of the weeding claw and the spatial layout of the crop plants were considered in the algorithm. The simulation of the algorithm was carried out using Matlab to evaluate the dynamic response of claw movement. The simulation results showed that the control algorithm could make the claw tooth avoid crop plants while it is weeding, and that the effect of varied forward speed on intra-row weeding coverage rate is very little. However, the coverage rate is related to the rotation radius of the weeding claw teeth. The larger the rotation radius, the lesser is the number of weeding claw teeth which operate in the intra-row area and the lower the intra-row weeding coverage rate. The experiment results show that the number of the weeding claw teeth in the intra-row area and the intra-row weeding coverage rate agree with the simulation results.