Blog #8

                              Team 31- Beyza Kural, Syed Hussain, Nawaf Abulhaija

Progress Update 03/09/2024 - 03/23/2024

For the work period of March 23 - April 13, the team completed the assembly of the entire device and connected the internal electrical components as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The team also performed the necessary field tests for validation.


Figure 1: Internal  Electrical Components

Figure 2: Completed Device

The team conducted three field trials to validate the battery capacity, top speed, and reliability across various terrains. The target for battery capacity was a minimum of 30 minutes of continuous use. Remarkably, in all three tests, the device surpassed expectations, achieving over an hour of battery life each time. Regarding the device's maximum speed, the aim was 5 MPH with a fully loaded hopper. While two trials met this target, in the third, the speed only reached 4 MPH, possibly due to the battery's gradual power loss.

When testing reliability and functionality, the team adopted a pass/fail approach across different terrains. The device successfully passed tests on flat ground, wet soil, elevated slopes, and maneuverability around obstacles like trees and roots. However, the device failed on dug-up, rugged terrain. Overall, the team is satisfied with the results of the validation for this initial prototype and has thought of several improvements for future iterations.

One aspect of the device the team is not satisfied with is the hopper and seed distribution system as shown in Figure 3. With the time remaining before the final report, the team will work on improving this seed distribution system. The current issue is with the seeder motor not having enough power to send the seeds past the aerators and some seeds getting stuck inside the hopper. The solution is to redesign the hopper and seeder mechanism with a funnel and lower RPM motor. This will ensure a more consistent and reliable seed dispersion which will be shown in validation. 

Figure 3: Hopper and Seeding Mechanism

The team has not worked on a draft for the technical poster but will begin on April 15th.









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