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  • GRA-WHO-TCN Combination Model for Forecasting Cold Chain Logistics Demand of Agricultural Products

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] As a critical component of agricultural product supply chain management, cold chain logistics demand prediction encounters challenges such as inadequate feature extraction, high nonlinearity of data, and the propensity for algorithms to become trapped in local optima during the digital transformation process. To address these issues and enhance the accuracy of demand prediction, achieve intelligent management of the agricultural product supply chain, a combined forecasting model that integrates grey relational analysis (GRA), the wild horse optimizer (WHO), and temporal convolutional networks (TCN) is proposed in this research. [Methods] Firstly, a cold chain logistics indicator system was established for the data of Zhejiang province, China, spanning the years 2000 to 2020. This system covered four key aspects: the economic scale of agricultural products, logistics transportation, digital technology, and agricultural product supply. Then, the GRA was applied to identify relevant indicators of cold chain logistics for agricultural products in Zhejiang province, with 17 indicators selected that had a correlation degree higher than 0.75. Sliding window technology, a problem-solving approach for data structures and algorithms, suitable for reducing the time complexity of data to a better level and improving the execution efficiency of algorithms, was used to partition the selected indicators. Secondly, the TCN model was employed to extract features of different scales by stacking multiple convolutional layers. Each layer utilized different-sized convolutional kernels to capture features within different time ranges. By utilizing the dilated convolutional module of TCN, temporal and spatial relationships within economic data were effectively mined, considering the temporal characteristics of socio-economic data and logistics information in the agricultural supply chain, and exploring the temporal and spatial features of economic data. Simultaneously, the WHO algorithm was applied to optimize five hyperparameters of the TCN model, including the number of TCN layers, the number of filters, residual blocks, Dense layers, and neurons within the Dense layer. Finally, the optimized GRA-WHO-TCN model was used to extract and analyze features from highly nonlinear multidimensional economic data, ultimately facilitating the prediction of cold chain logistics demand. [Results and Discussions] For comparative analysis of the superiority of the GRA-WHO-TCN model, the 17 selected indicators were input into long short-term memory (LSTM), TCN, WHO-LSTM, and WHO-TCN models. The parameters optimized by the WHO algorithm for the TCN model were set respectively: 2 TCN layer was, 2 residual blocks, 1 dense layer, 60 filters, and 16 neurons in the dense layer. The optimized GRA-WHO-TCN temporal model can effectively extract the temporal and spatial features of multidimensional data, fully explore the implicit relationships among indicator factors, and demonstrating good fitting effects. Compared to GRALSTM and GRA-TCN models, the GRA-TCN model exhibited superior performance, with a lower root mean square error of 37.34 and a higher correlation coefficient of 0.91, indicating the advantage of the TCN temporal model in handling complex nonlinear data. Furthermore, the GRA-WHO-LSTM and GRA-WHO-TCN models optimized by the WHO algorithm had improved prediction accuracy and stability compared to GRA-LSTM and GRA-TCN models, illustrating that the WHO algorithm effectively optimized model parameters to enhance the effectiveness of model fitting. When compared to the GRA-WHO-LSTM model, the GRA-WHO-TCN model displayed a lower root mean square error of 11.3 and an effective correlation coefficient of 0.95, predicting cold chain logistics demand quantities in Zhejiang province for the years 2016−2020 as 29.8, 30.46, 24.87, 26.45, and 27.99 million tons, with relative errors within 0.6%, achieving a high level of prediction accuracy. This achievement showcases a high level of prediction accuracy and underscores the utility of the GRA-WHO-TCN model in forecasting complex data scenarios. [Conclusions] The proposed GRA-WHO-TCN model demonstrated superior parameter optimization capabilities and predictive accuracy compared to the GRA-LSTM and GRA-TCN models. The predicted results align well with the development of cold chain logistics of agricultural products in Zhejiang province. This provides a scientific prediction foundation and practical reference value for the development of material flow and information flow in the agricultural supply chain under the digital economy context.

  • Severity Grading Model for Camellia Oleifera Anthracnose Infection Based on Improved YOLACT

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] Camellia oleifera is one of the four major woody oil plants in the world. Diseases is a significant factor leading to the decline in quality of Camellia oleifera and the financial loss of farmers. Among these diseases, anthracnose is a common and severe disease in Camellia oleifera forests, directly impacting yields and production rates. Accurate disease assessment can improve the prevention and control efficiency and safeguarding the farmers’ profit. In this study, an improved You Only Look at CoefficienTs (YOLACT) based method was proposed to realize automatic and efficient grading of the severity of Camellia oleifera leaf anthracnose. [Methods] High-resolution images of Camellia oleifera anthracnose leaves were collected using a smartphone at the National Camellia oleifera Seed Base of Jiangxi Academy of Forestry, and finally 975 valid images were retained after a rigorous screening process. Five data enhancement means were applied, and a data set of 5 850 images was constructed finally, which was divided into training, validation, and test sets in a ratio of 7:2:1. For model selection, the Camellia-YOLACT model was proposed based on the YOLACT instance segmentation model, and by introducing improvements such as Swin-Transformer, weighted bi-directional feature pyramid network, and HardSwish activation function. The Swin Transformer was utilized for feature extraction in the backbone network part of YOLACT, leveraging the global receptive field and shift window properties of the self-attention mechanism in the Transformer architecture to enhance feature extraction capabilities. Additionally, a weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network was introduced to fuse feature information from different scales to improve the detection ability of the model for objects at different scales, thereby improving the detection accuracy. Furthermore, to increase the the model’s robustness against the noise in the input data, the HardSwish activation function with stronger nonlinear capability was adopted to replace the ReLu activation function of the original model. Since images in natural environments usually have complex background and foreground information, the robustness of HardSwish helped the model better handling these situations and further improving the detection accuracy. With the above improvements, the Camellia- YOLACT model was constructed and experimentally validated by testing the Camellia oleifera anthracnose leaf image dataset. [Results and Discussions] A transfer learning approach was used for experimental validation on the Camellia oleifera anthracnose severity grading dataset, and the results of the ablation experiments showed that the mAP75 of Camellia-YOLACT proposed in this study was 86.8%, mAPall was 78.3%, mAR was 91.6% which were 5.7%, 2.5% and 7.9% higher than YOLACT model. In the comparison experiments, Camellia-YOLACT performed better than Segmenting Objects by Locations (SOLO) in terms of both accuracy and speed, and its detection speed was doubled compared to Mask R-CNN algorithm. Therefore, the Camellia-YOLACT algorithm was suitable in Camellia oleifera gardens for anthracnose real-time segmentation. In order to verify the outdoors detection performance of Camellia-YOLACT model, 36 groups of Camellia oleifera anthracnose grading experiments were conducted. Experimental results showed that the grading correctness of Camellia oleifera anthracnose injection severity reached 94.4%, and the average absolute error of K-value was 1.09%. Therefore, the Camellia-YOLACT model proposed in this study has a better performance on the grading of the severity of Camellia oleifera anthracnose. [Conclusions] The Camellia-YOLACT model proposed got high accuracy in leaf and anthracnose segmentation of Camellia oleifera, on the basis of which it can realize automatic grading of the severity of Camellia oleifera anthracnose. This research could provide technical support for the precise control of Camellia oleifera diseases.

  • Identification Method of Kale Leaf Ball Based on Improved UperNet

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] Kale is an important bulk vegetable crop worldwide, its main growth characteristics are outer leaves and leaf bulbs. The traits of leaf bulb kale are crucial for adjusting water and fertilizer parameters in the field to achieve maximum yield. However, various factors such as soil quality, light exposure, leaf overlap, and shading can affect the growth of in practical field conditions. The similarity in color and texture between leaf bulbs and outer leaves complicates the segmentation process for existing recognition models. In this paper, the segmentation of kale outer leaves and leaf bulbs in complex field background was proposed, using pixel values to determine leaf bulb size for intelligent field management. A semantic segmentation algorithm, UperNet-ESA was proposed to efficiently and accurately segment nodular kale outer leaf and leaf bulb in field scenes using the morphological features of the leaf bulbs and outer leaves of nodular kale to realize the intelligent management of nodular kale in the field. [Methods] The UperNet-ESA semantic segmentation algorithm, which uses the unified perceptual parsing network (UperNet) as an efficient semantic segmentation framework, is more suitable for extracting crop features in complex environments by integrating semantic information across different scales. The backbone network was improved using ConvNeXt, which is responsible for feature extraction in the model. The similarity between kale leaf bulbs and outer leaves, along with issues of leaf overlap affecting accurate target contour localization, posed challenges for the baseline network, leading to low accuracy. ConvNeXt effectively combines the strengths of convolutional neural networks (CNN) and Transformers, using design principles from Swin Transformer and building upon ResNet50 to create a highly effective network structure. The simplicity of the ConvNeXt design not only enhances segmentation accuracy with minimal model complexity, but also positions it as a top performer among CNN architectures. In this study, the ConvNeXt- B version was chosen based on considerations of computational complexity and the background characteristics of the knotweed kale image dataset. To enhance the model’s perceptual acuity, block ratios for each stage were set at 3:3:27:3, with corresponding channel numbers of 128, 256, 512 and 1 024, respectively. Given the visual similarity between kale leaf bulbs and outer leaves, a high-efficiency channel attention mechanism was integrated into the backbone network to improve feature extraction in the leaf bulb region. By incorporating attention weights into feature mapping through residual inversion, attention parameters were cyclically trained within each block, resulting in feature maps with attentional weights. This iterative process facilitated the repeated training of attentional parameters and enhanced the capture of global feature information. To address challenges arising from direct pixel addition between up-sampling and local features, potentially leading to misaligned context in feature maps and erroneous classifications at kale leaf boundaries, a feature alignment module and feature selection module were introduced into the feature pyramid network to refine target boundary information extraction and enhance model segmentation accuracy. [Results and Discussions] The UperNet-ESA semantic segmentation model outperforms the current mainstream UNet model, PSPNet model, DeepLabV3+ model in terms of segmentation accuracy, where mIoU and mPA reached 92.45% and 94.32%, respectively, and the inference speed of up to 16.6 frames per second (fps). The mPA values were better than that of the UNet model, PSPNet model, ResNet-50 based, MobilenetV2, and DeepLabV3+ model with Xception as the backbone, showing improvements of 11.52%, 13.56%, 8.68%, 4.31%, and 6.21%, respectively. Similarly, the mIoU exhibited improvements of 12.21%, 13.04%, 10.65%, 3.26% and 7.11% compared to the mIoU of the UNet-based model, PSPNet model, and DeepLabV3+ model based on the ResNet-50, MobilenetV2, and Xception backbones, respectively. This performance enhancement can be attributed to the introduction of the ECA module and the improvement made to the feature pyramid network in this model, which strengthen the judgement of the target features at each stage to obtain effective global contextual information. In addition, although the PSPNet model had the fastest inference speed, the overall accuracy was too low to for developing kale semantic segmentation models. On the contrary, the proposed model exhibited superior inference speed compared to all other network models. [Conclusions] The experimental results showed that the UperNet-ESA semantic segmentation model proposed in this study outperforms the original network in terms of performance. The improved model achieves the best accuracy-speed balance compared to the current mainstream semantic segmentation networks. In the upcoming research, the current model will be further optimized and enhanced, while the kale dataset will be expanded to include a wider range of samples of nodulated kale leaf bulbs. This expansion is intended to provide a more robust and comprehensive theoretical foundation for intelligent kale field management.

  • Recognition Method of Facility Cucumber Farming Behaviours Based on Improved SlowFast Model

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] The identification of agricultural activities plays a crucial role for greenhouse vegetables production, particularly in the precise management of cucumber cultivation. By monitoring and analyzing the timing and procedures of agricultural operations, effective guidance can be provided for agricultural production, leading to increased crop yield and quality. However, in practical applications, the recognition of agricultural activities in cucumber cultivation faces significant challenges. The complex and ever-changing growing environment of cucumbers, including dense foliage and internal facility structures that may obstruct visibility, poses difficulties in recognizing agricultural activities. Additionally, agricultural tasks involve various stages such as planting, irrigation, fertilization, and pruning, each with specific operational intricacies and skill requirements. This requires the recognition system to accurately capture the characteristics of various complex movements to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the entire recognition process. To address the complex challenges, an innovative algorithm: SlowFast-SMC-ECA (SlowFast-Spatio-Temporal Excitation, Channel Excitation, Motion Excitation-Efficient Channel Attention) was proposed for the recognition of agricultural activity behaviors in cucumber cultivation within facilities. [Methods] This algorithm represents a significant enhancement to the traditional SlowFast model, with the goal of more accurately capturing hand motion features and crucial dynamic information in agricultural activities. The fundamental concept of the SlowFast model involved processing video streams through two distinct pathways: the Slow Pathway concentrated on capturing spatial detail information, while the Fast Pathway emphasized capturing temporal changes in rapid movements. To further improve information exchange between the Slow and Fast pathways, lateral connections were incorporated at each stage. Building upon this foundation, the study introduced innovative enhancements to both pathways, improving the overall performance of the model. In the Fast Pathway, a multi-path residual network (SMC) concept was introduced, incorporating convolutional layers between different channels to strengthen temporal interconnectivity. This design enabled the algorithm to sensitively detect subtle temporal variations in rapid movements, thereby enhancing the recognition capability for swift agricultural actions. Meanwhile, in the Slow Pathway, the traditional residual block was replaced with the ECA-Res structure, integrating an effective channel attention mechanism (ECA) to improve the model’s capacity to capture channel information. The adaptive adjustment of channel weights by the ECA-Res structure enriched feature expression and differentiation, enhancing the model’s understanding and grasp of key spatial information in agricultural activities. Furthermore, to address the challenge of class imbalance in practical scenarios, a balanced loss function (Smoothing Loss) was developed. By introducing regularization coefficients, this loss function could automatically adjust the weights of different categories during training, effectively mitigating the impact of class imbalance and ensuring improved recognition performance across all categories. [Results and Discussions] The experimental results significantly demonstrated the outstanding performance of the improved SlowFast- SMC-ECA model on a specially constructed agricultural activity dataset. Specifically, the model achieved an average recognition accuracy of 80.47%, representing an improvement of approximately 3.5% compared to the original SlowFast model. This achievement highlighted the effectiveness of the proposed improvements. Further ablation studies revealed that replacing traditional residual blocks with the multi-path residual network (SMC) and ECA-Res structures in the second and third stages of the SlowFast model leads to superior results. This highlighted that the improvements made to the Fast Pathway and Slow Pathway played a crucial role in enhancing the model’s ability to capture details of agricultural activities. Additional ablation studies also confirmed the significant impact of these two improvements on improving the accuracy of agricultural activity recognition. Compared to existing algorithms, the improved SlowFast-SMC-ECA model exhibited a clear advantage in prediction accuracy. This not only validated the potential application of the proposed model in agricultural activity recognition but also provided strong technical support for the advancement of precision agriculture technology. In conclusion, through careful refinement and optimization of the SlowFast model, it was successfully enhanced the model’s recognition capabilities in complex agricultural scenarios, contributing valuable technological advancements to precision management in greenhouse cucumber cultivation. [Conclusions] By introducing advanced recognition technologies and intelligent algorithms, this study enhances the accuracy and efficiency of monitoring agricultural activities, assists farmers and agricultural experts in managing and guiding the operational processes within planting facilities more efficiently. Moreover, the research outcomes are of immense value in improving the traceability system for agricultural product quality and safety, ensuring the reliability and transparency of agricultural product quality.

  • Design and Test of Dust Removal Seeding Rate Monitoring System for Rapeseed Seeders

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] The pneumatic rapeseed seeder easily inhales the dust generated during live broadcast operations into the seeding pipe, and then releases it along with the rapeseed. Consequently, when monitoring the rapeseed flow, dust interference can affect the flow, detection sensitivity and accuracy. This research aims to develop a dust removal rapeseed seeding rate monitoring system suitable for air-assisted pneumatic rapeseed seeders to improve the transparency and intelligence of the sowing process. [Methods] The monitoring system comprised a dust removal rapeseed seed flow detection device and a sowing monitoring terminal, which could be adjusted for different seeders widths by altering the number of detection devices. The rapeseed stream sensing structure operated on the principle of photoelectric induction. A delicate light layer was generated using an LED light source and a narrow slit structure. The convex lens condenses the light and directed it onto the sensing area of the silicon photovoltaic cell. When the rapeseed seeds pass through the sensing light layer, the silicon photovoltaic cell produced a voltage change signal. The signal converts it into a pulse signal that can be recognized by the microcontroller. A dust removal mechanism was designed by analyzing dust sources in the seeding system during normal field operation of the air-assisted rapeseed seeding machine and understanding the impact mechanism of the dust detection device on the accuracy of rapeseed flow monitoring. This mechanism employed a transparent plate to protect the photoelectric induction device in a relatively enclosed space and used a stepper motor screw mechanism to generate friction between the transparent plate and the dust removal cloth for effective dust removal. The appropriate size of the dust shield was determined by comparing its movement stroke with other structural dimensions of the detection device. The relationship between the silicon photocells voltage and detection accuracy was established through experiments at seeding frequencies of 10‒40 Hz. To ensure that the real-time detection accuracy was not less than 90%, the dust removal control threshold was set at 82% of the initial voltage value. In order to prevent congestion and data loss during data transmission and improve the scalability and compatibility of the monitoring system, data transmission between the detection device and the monitoring terminal was implemented based on the CAN2.0A communication protocol. The structural framework and monitoring terminal functions of the rapeseed sowing monitoring system were outlined. Software functions of the detection device were designed to meet the dust removal, communication, and rapeseed flow detection needs. The program execution process of the detection device was explained. In order to provide data support for the dust flow rate that should be controlled at various seeding frequencies during the bench test, experiments were conducted in the field to obtain theoretical data. [Results and Discussions] The comparison bench test of the detection device indicates that with the average seeding frequency ranging from 12.4 to 36.3 Hz and the average dust flow rate ranging from 252 to 386 mg/s, the detection accuracy after two dust removal cycles without a dustproof and dust removal detection device was not higher than 80.2%. The dust detection device with dust removal got an accuracy rate of not less than 90.2%, and the average detection accuracy rate within a single dust removal cycle was not less than 93.6%. The seeding amount monitoring bench test showed that when the average seeding frequency was no higher than 37.6 Hz, the seeding rate monitoring accuracy was not less than 92.2%. Furthermore, the field sowing experiment results demonstrated that at a normal operating speed (2.8‒4.6 km/h) of the rapeseed direct seeder, with a field sowing frequency of 14.8‒31.1 Hz, the accuracy of sowing quantity monitoring was not less than 93.1%. [Conclusions] The rapeseed sowing quality monitoring system provides effective support for precise detection even when operating in dusty conditions with the pneumatic rapeseed direct seeder. In the future, by integrating positioning data, sowing information, and fertilization monitoring data through CAN bus technology, a comprehensive field sowing and fertilization status map can be created to further enhance the system’s capabilities.

  • Localization Method for Agricultural Robots Based on Fusion of LiDAR and IMU

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] High-precision localization technology serves as the crucial foundation in enabling the autonomous navigation operations of intelligent agricultural robots. However, the traditional global navigation satellite system (GNSS) localization method faces numerous limitations, such as tree shadow, electromagnetic interference, and other factors in the agricultural environment brings challenges to the accuracy and reliability of localization technology. To address the deficiencies and achieve precise localization of agricultural robots independent of GNSS, a localization method was proposed based on the fusion of three-dimensional light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data and inertial measurement unit (IMU) information to enhance localization accuracy and reliability. [Methods] LiDAR was used to obtain point cloud data in the agricultural environment and realize self-localization via point cloud matching. By integrating real-time motion parameter measurements from the IMU with LiDAR data, a high-precision localization solution for agricultural robots was achieved through a specific fusion algorithm. Firstly, the LiDAR-obtained point cloud data was preprocessed and the depth map was used to save the data. This approach could reduce the dimensionality of the original LiDAR point cloud, and eliminate the disorder of the original LiDAR point cloud arrangement, facilitating traversal and clustering through graph search. Given the presence of numerous distinct crops like trees in the agricultural environment, an angle-based clustering method was adopted. Specific angle-based clustering criteria were set to group the point cloud data, leading to the segmentation of different clusters of points, and obvious crops in the agricultural environment was effectively perceived. Furthermore, to improve the accuracy and stability of positioning, an improved three-dimensional normal distribution transform (3D-NDT) localization algorithm was proposed. This algorithm operated by matching the LiDAR-scanned point cloud data in real time with the pre-existing down sampled point cloud map to achieve real-time localization. Considering that direct down sampling of LiDAR point clouds in the agricultural environment could result in the loss of crucial environmental data, a point cloud clustering operation was used in place of down sampling operation, thereby improving matching accuracy and positioning precision. Secondly, to address potential constraints and shortcomings of using a single sensor for robot localization, a multi-sensor information fusion strategy was deployed to improve the localization accuracy. Specifically, the extended Kalman filter algorithm (EKF) was chosen to fuse the localization data from LiDAR point cloud and the IMU odometer information. The IMU provided essential motion parameters such as acceleration and angular velocity of the agricultural robot, and by combining with the LiDAR-derived localization information, the localization of the agricultural robot could be more accurately estimated. This fusion approach maximized the advantages of different sensors, compensated for their individual limitations, and improved the overall localization accuracy of the agricultural robot. [Results and Discussions] A series of experimental results in the Gazebo simulation environment of the robot operating system (ROS) and real operation scenarios showed that the fusion localization method proposed had significant advantages. In the simulation environment, the average localization errors of the proposed multi-sensor data fusion localization method were 1.7 and 1.8 cm, respectively, while in the experimental scenario, these errors were 3.3 and 3.3 cm, respectively, which were significantly better than the traditional 3D-NDT localization algorithm. These findings showed that the localization method proposed in this study could achieve high-precision localization in the complex agricultural environment, and provide reliable localization assistance for the autonomous functioning of agricultural robots. [Conclusions] The proposed localization method based on the fusion of LiDAR data and IMU information provided a novel localization solution for the autonomous operation of agricultural robots in areas with limited GNSS reception. Through the comprehensive utilization of multi-sensor information and adopting advanced data processing and fusion algorithms, the localization accuracy of agricultural robots could be significantly improved, which could provide a new reference for the intelligence and automation of agricultural production.

  • Adaptive Time Horizon MPC Path Tracking Control Method for Mowing Robot

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] The traditional predictive control approach usually employs a fixed time horizon and often overlooks the impact of changes in curvature and road bends. This oversight leads to subpar tracking performance and inadequate adaptability of robots for navigating curves and paths. Although extending the time horizon of the standard fixed time horizon model predictive control (MPC) can improve curve path tracking accuracy, it comes with high computational costs, making it impractical in situations with restricted computing resources. Consequently, an adaptive time horizon MPC controller was developed to meet the requirements of complex tasks such as autonomous mowing. [Methods] Initially, it was crucial to establish a kinematic model for the mowing robot, which required employing Taylor linearization and Euler method discretization techniques to ensure accurate path tracking. The prediction equation for the error model was derived after conducting a comprehensive analysis of the robot’s kinematics model employed in mowing. Second, the size of the previewing area was determined by utilizing the speed data and reference path information gathered from the mowing robot. The region located a certain distance ahead of the robot’s current position, was identified to as the preview region, enabling a more accurate prediction of the robot’s future traveling conditions. Calculations for both the curve factor and curve change factor were carried out within this preview region. The curvature factor represented the initial curvature of the path, while the curvature change factor indicated the extent of curvature variation in this region. These two variables were then fed into a fuzzy controller, which adjusted the prediction time horizon of the MPC. The integration enabled the mowing robot to promptly adjust to changes in the path’s curvature, thereby improving its accuracy in tracking the desired trajectory. Additionally, a novel technique for triggering MPC execution was developed to reduce computational load and improve real-time performance. This approach ensured that MPC activation occurred only when needed, rather than at every time step, resulting in reduced computational expenses especially during periods of smooth robot motion where unnecessary computation overhead could be minimized. By meeting kinematic and dynamic constraints, the optimization algorithm successfully identified an optimal control sequence, ultimately enhancing stability and reliability of the control system. Consequently, these set of control algorithms facilitated precise path tracking while considering both kinematic and dynamic limitations in complex environments. [Results and Discussion] The adaptive time-horizon MPC controller effectively limited the maximum absolute heading error and maximum absolute lateral error to within 0.13 rad and 11 cm, respectively, surpassing the performance of the MPC controller in the control group. Moreover, compared to both the first and fourth groups, the adaptive time-horizon MPC controller achieved a remarkable reduction of 75.39% and 57.83% in mean values for lateral error and heading error, respectively (38.38% and 31.84%, respectively). Additionally, it demonstrated superior tracking accuracy as evidenced by its significantly smaller absolute standard deviation of lateral error (0.025 6 m) and course error (0.025 5 rad), outperforming all four fixed time-horizon MPC controllers tested in the study. Furthermore, this adaptive approach ensured precise tracking and control capabilities for the mowing robot while maintaining a remarkably low average solution time of only 0.004 9 s, notably faster than that observed with other control data sets-reducing computational load by approximately 10.9 ms compared to maximum time-horizon MPC. [Conclusions] The experimental results demonstrated that the adaptive time-horizon MPC tracking approach effectively addressed the trade-off between control accuracy and computational complexity encountered in fixed time-horizon MPC. By dynamically adjusting the time horizon length the and performing MPC calculations based on individual events, this approach can more effectively handle scenarios with restricted computational resources, ensuring superior control precision and stability. Furthermore, it achieves a balance between control precision and real-time performance in curve route tracking for mowing robots, offering a more practical and reliable solution for their practical application.

  • Trajectory Tracking Method of Agricultural Machinery Multi-Robot Formation Operation Based on MPC Delay Compensator

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] The technology of multi-machine convoy driving has emerged as a focal point in the field of agricultural mechanization. By organizing multiple agricultural machinery units into convoys, unified control and collaborative operations can be achieved. This not only enhances operational efficiency and reduces costs, but also minimizes human labor input, thereby maximizing the operational potential of agricultural machinery. In order to solve the problem of communication delay in cooperative control of multi-vehicle formation and its compensation strategy, the trajectory control method of multi-vehicle formation was proposed based on model predictive control (MPC) delay compensator. [Methods] The multi-vehicle formation cooperative control strategy was designed, which introduced the four-vehicle formation cooperative scenario in three lanes, and then introduced the design of the multi-vehicle formation cooperative control architecture, which was respectively enough to establish the kinematics and dynamics model and equations of the agricultural machine model, and laied down a sturdy foundation for solving the formation following problem later. The testing and optimization of automatic driving algorithms based on real vehicles need to invest too much time and economic costs, and were subject to the difficulties of laws and regulations, scene reproduction and safety, etc. Simulation platform testing could effectively solve the above question. For the agricultural automatic driving multi-machine formation scenarios, the joint simulation platform Carsim and Simulink were used to simulate and validate the formation driving control of agricultural machines. Based on the single-machine dynamics model of the agricultural machine, a delay compensation controller based on MPC was designed. Feedback correction first detected the actual output of the object and then corrected the model-based predicted output with the actual output and performed a new optimization. Based on the above model, the nonlinear system of kinematics and dynamics was linearized and discretized in order to ensure the real-time solution. The objective function was designed so that the agricultural machine tracks on the desired trajectory as much as possible. And because the operation range of the actuator was limited, the control increment and control volume were designed with corresponding constraints. Finally, the control increment constraints were solved based on the front wheel angle constraints, front wheel angle increments, and control volume constraints of the agricultural machine. [Results and Discussions] Carsim and MATLAB/Simulink could be effectively compatible, enabling joint simulation of software with external solvers. When the delay step size d=5 was applied with delay compensation, the MPC response was faster and smoother; the speed error curve responded faster and gradually stabilized to zero error without oscillations. Vehicle 1 effectively changed lanes in a short time and maintains the same lane as the lead vehicle. In the case of a longer delay step size d =10, controllers without delay compensation showed more significant performance degradation. Even under higher delay conditions, MPC with delay compensation applied could still quickly respond with speed error and longitudinal acceleration gradually stabilizing to zero error, avoiding oscillations. The trajectory of Vehicle 1 indicated that the effectiveness of the delay compensation mechanism decreased under extreme delay conditions. The simulation results validated the effectiveness of the proposed formation control algorithm, ensuring that multiple vehicles could successfully change lanes to form queues while maintaining specific distances and speeds. Furthermore, the communication delay compensation control algorithm enables vehicles with added delay to effectively complete formation tasks, achieving stable longitudinal and lateral control. This confirmed the feasibility of the model predictive controller with delay compensation proposed. [Conclusions] At present, most of the multi-machine formation coordination is based on simulation platform for verification, which has the advantages of safety, economy, speed and other aspects, however, there’s still a certain gap between the idealized model in the simulation platform and the real machine experiment. Therefore, multi-machine formation operation of agricultural equipment still needs to be tested on real machines under sound laws and regulations.

  • Ecological Risk Assessment of Cultivated Land Based on Landscape Pattern: A Case Study of Tongnan District, Chongqing

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] Farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas can alter the landscape pattern, elevation, slope and microgeomorphology of cultivated land. It is of great significance to assess the ecological risk of cultivated land to provide data reference for the subsequent farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization. This study aims to assess the ecological risk of cultivated land before and after farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas, and to explore the relationship between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope. [Methods] Twenty counties in Tongnan district of Chongqing city was selected as the assessment units. Based on the land use data in 2010 and 2020 as two periods, ArcGIS 10.8 and Excel software were used to calculate landscape pattern indices. The weights for each index were determined by entropy weight method, and an ecological risk assessment model was constructed, which was used to reveal the temporal and spatial change characteristics of ecological risk. Based on the principle of mathematical statistics, the correlation analysis between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope was carried out, which aimed to explore the relationship between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope. [Results and Discussions] Comparing to 2010, patch density (PD), division (D), fractal dimension (FD), and edge density (ED) of cultivated land all decreased in 2020, while meant Patch Size (MPS) increased, indicating an increase in the contiguity of cultivated land. The mean shape index (MSI) of cultivated land increased, indicating that the shape of cultivated land tended to be complicated. The landscape disturbance index (U) decreased from 0.97 to 0.94, indicating that the overall resistance to disturbances in cultivated land has increased. The landscape vulnerability index (V) increased from 2.96 to 3.20, indicating that the structure of cultivated land become more fragile. The ecological risk value of cultivated land decreased from 3.10 to 3.01, indicating the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization effectively improved the landscape pattern of cultivated land and enhanced the safety of the agricultural ecosystem. During the two periods, the ecological risk areas were primarily composed of low-risk and relatively low-risk zones. The area of low-risk zones increased by 6.44%, mainly expanding towards the northern part, while the area of relatively low-risk zones increased by 6.17%, primarily spreading towards the central-eastern and southeastern part. The area of moderate-risk zones increased by 24.4%, mainly extending towards the western and northwestern part, while the area of relatively high-risk zones decreased by 60.70%, with some new additions spreading towards the northeastern part. The area of high-risk zones increased by 16.30%, with some new additions extending towards the northwest part. Overall, the ecological safety zones of cultivated relatively increased. The cultivated land slope was primarily concentrated in the range of 2° to 25°. On the one hand, when the cultivated land slope was less than 15°, the proportion of the slope area was negatively correlated with the ecological risk value. On the other hand, when the slope was above 15°, the proportion of the slope area was positively correlated with the ecological risk value. In 2010, there was a highly significant correlation between the proportion of slope area and ecological risk value for cultivated land slope within the ranges of 5° to 8°, 15° to 25°, and above 25°, with corresponding correlation coefficients of 0.592, 0.609, and 0.849, respectively. In 2020, there was a highly significant correlation between the proportion of slope area and ecological risk value for cultivated land slope within the ranges of 2° to 5°, 5° to 8°, 15° to 25°, and above 25°, with corresponding correlation coefficients of 0.534, 0.667, 0.729, and 0.839, respectively. [Conclusions] The assessment of cultivated land ecological risk in Tongnan district of Chongqing city before and after the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization, as well as the analysis of the correlation between ecological risk and cultivated land slope, demonstrate that the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization can reduce cultivated land ecological risk, and the proportion of cultivated land slope can be an important basis for precision guidance in the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization. Considering the occurrence of moderate sheet erosion from a slope of 5° and intense erosion from a slope of 10° to 15°, and taking into account the reduction of ecological risk value and the actual topographic conditions, the subsequent farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in Tongnan district should focus on areas with cultivated land slope ranging from 5° to 8° and 15° to 25°.

  • Remote Sensing Extraction Method of Terraced Fields Based on Improved DeepLab v3+

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] The accurate estimation of terraced field areas is crucial for addressing issues such as slope erosion control, water retention, soil conservation, and increasing food production. The use of high-resolution remote sensing imagery for terraced field informa‐tion extraction holds significant importance in these aspects. However, as imaging sensor technologies continue to advance, traditional methods focusing on shallow features may no longer be sufficient for precise and efficient extraction in complex terrains and environments. Deep learning techniques offer a promising solution for accurately extracting terraced field areas from high-resolution remote sensing imagery. By utilizing these advanced algorithms, detailed terraced field characteristics with higher levels of automation can be better identified and analyzed. The aim of this research is to explore a proper deep learning algorithm for accurate terraced field area extraction in high-resolution remote sensing imagery. [Methods] Firstly, a terraced dataset was created using high-resolution remote sensing images captured by the Gaofen-6 satellite during fallow periods. The dataset construction process involved data preprocessing, sample annotation, sample cropping, and dataset partitioning with training set augmentation. To ensure a comprehensive representation of terraced field morphologies, 14 typical regions were selected as training areas based on the topographical distribution characteristics of Yuanyang county. To address misclassifications near image edges caused by limited contextual information, a sliding window approach with a size of 256 pixels and a stride of 192 pixels in each direction was utilized to vary the positions of terraced fields in the images. Additionally, geometric augmentation techniques were applied to both images and labels to enhance data diversity, resulting in a high-resolution terraced remote sensing dataset. Secondly, an improved DeepLab v3+ model was proposed. In the encoder section, a lightweight MobileNet v2 was utilized instead of Xception as the backbone network for the semantic segmentation model. Two shallow features from the 4th and 7th layers of the MobileNet v2 network were extracted to capture relevant information. To address the need for local details and global context simultaneously, the multi-scale feature fusion (MSFF) module was employed to replace the atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) module. The MSFF module utilized a series of dilated convolutions with increasing dilation rates to handle information loss. Furthermore, a coordinate attention mechanism was applied to both shallow and deep features to enhance the network’s understanding of targets. This design aimed to lightweight the DeepLab v3+ model while maintaining segmentation accuracy, thus improving its efficiency for practical applications. [Results and Discussions] The research findings reveal the following key points: (1) The model trained using a combination of near-infrared, red, and green (NirRG) bands demonstrated the optimal overall performance, achieving precision, recall, F1-Score, and intersection over union (IoU) values of 90.11%, 90.22%, 90.17% and 82.10%, respectively. The classification results indicated higher accuracy and fewer discrepancies, with an error in reference area of only 12 hm2. (2) Spatial distribution patterns of terraced fields in Yuanyang county were identified through the deep learning model. The majority of terraced fields were found within the slope range of 8º to 25º, covering 84.97% of the total terraced area. Additionally, there was a noticeable concentration of terraced fields within the altitude range of 1 000 m to 2 000 m, accounting for 95.02% of the total terraced area. (3) A comparison with the original DeepLab v3+ network showed that the improved DeepLab v3+ model exhibited enhancements in terms of precision, recall, F1-Score, and IoU by 4.62%, 2.61%, 3.81% and 2.81%, respectively. Furthermore, the improved DeepLab v3+ outperformed UNet and the original Deep‐ Lab v3+ in terms of parameter count and floating-point operations. Its parameter count was only 28.6% of UNet and 19.5% of the original DeepLab v3+, while the floating-point operations were only 1/5 of UNet and DeepLab v3+. This not only improved computational efficiency but also made the enhanced model more suitable for resource-limited or computationally less powerful environments. The lightweighting of the DeepLab v3+ network led to improvements in accuracy and speed. However, the slection of the NirGB band combination during fallow periods significantly impacted the model’s generalization ability. [Conclusions] The research findings highlights the significant contribution of the near-infrared (NIR) band in enhancing the model’s ability to learn terraced field features. Comparing different band combinations, it was evident that the NirRG combination resulted in the highest overall recognition performance and precision metrics for terraced fields. In contrast to PSPNet, UNet, and the original DeepLab v3+, the proposed model showcased superior accuracy and performance on the terraced field dataset. Noteworthy improvements were observed in the total parameter count, floating-point operations, and the Epoch that led to optimal model performance, outperforming UNet and DeepLab v3+. This study underscores the heightened accuracy of deep learning in identifying terraced fields from high-resolution remote sensing imagery, providing valuable insights for enhanced monitoring and management of terraced landscapes.

  • Remote Sensing Identification Method of Cultivated Land at Hill County of Sichuan Basin Based on Deep Learning

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Objective] To fully utilize and protect farmland and lay a solid foundation for the sustainable use of land, it is particularly important to obtain real-time and precise information regarding farmland area, distribution, and other factors. Leveraging remote sensing technology to obtain farmland data can meet the requirements of large-scale coverage and timeliness. However, the current research and application of deep learning methods in remote sensing for cultivated land identification still requires further improvement in terms of depth and accuracy. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential application of deep learning methods in remote sensing for identifying cultivated land in the hilly areas of Southwest China, to provide insights for enhancing agricultural land utilization and regulation, and for harmonizing the relationship between cultivated land and the economy and ecology. [Methods] Santai county, Mianyang city, Sichuan province, China (30°42’34"~31°26’35"N, 104°43’04"~105°18’13"E) was selected as the study area. High-resolution imagery from two scenes captured by the Gaofen-6 (GF-6) satellite served as the primary image data source. Additionally, 30-meter resolution DEM data from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2020 was utilized. A land cover data product, SinoLC-1, was also incorporated for comparative evaluation of the accuracy of various extraction methods’ results. Four deep learning models, namely Unet, PSPNet, DeeplabV3+, and Unet++, were utilized for remote sensing land identification research in cultivated areas. The study also involved analyzing the identification accuracy of cultivated land in high-resolution satellite images by combining the results of the random forest (RF) algorithm along with the deep learning models. A validation dataset was constructed by randomly generating 1 000 vector validation points within the research area. Concurrently, Google Earth satellite images with a resolution of 0.3 m were used for manual visual interpretation to determine the land cover type of the pixels where the validation points are located. The identification results of each model were compared using a confusion matrix to compute five accuracy evaluation metrics: Overall accuracy (OA), intersection over union (IoU), mean intersection over union (MIoU), F1-Score, and Kappa Coefficient to assess the cultivated land identification accuracy of different models and data products. [Results and Discussions] The deep learning models displayed significant advances in accuracy evaluation metrics, surpassing the performance of traditional machine learning approaches like RF and the latest land cover product, SinoLC-1 Landcover. Among the models assessed, the UNet++ model performed the best, its F1-Score, IoU, MIoU, OA, and Kappa coefficient values were 0.92, 85.93%, 81.93%, 90.60%, and 0.80, respectively. DeeplabV3+, UNet, and PSPNet methods followed suit. These performance metrics underscored the superior accuracy of the UNet++ model in precisely identifying and segmenting cultivated land, with a remarkable increase in accuracy of nearly 20% than machine learning methods and 50% for land cover products. Four typical areas of town, water body, forest land and contiguous cultivated land were selected to visually compare the results of cultivated land identification results. It could be observed that the deep learning models generally exhibited consistent distribution patterns with the satellite imageries, accurately delineating the boundaries of cultivated land and demonstrating overall satisfactory performance. However, due to the complex features in remote sensing images, the deep learning models still encountered certain challenges of omission and misclassification in extracting cultivated land. Among them, the UNet++ model showed the closest overall extraction results to the ground truth and exhibited advantages in terms of completeness of cultivated land extraction, discrimination between cultivated land and other land classes, and boundary extraction compared to other models. Using the UNet++ model with the highest recognition accuracy, two types of images constructed with different features—solely spectral features and spectral combined with terrain features—were utilized for cultivated land extraction. Based on the three metrics of IoU, OA, and Kappa, the model incorporating both spectral and terrain features showed improvements of 0.98%, 1.10%, and 0.01% compared to the model using only spectral features. This indicated that fusing spectral and terrain features can achieve information complementarity, further enhancing the identification effectiveness of cultivated land. [Conclusions] This study focuses on the practicality and reliability of automatic cultivated land extraction using four different deep learning models, based on high-resolution satellite imagery from the GF-6 in Santai county in China. Based on the cultivated land extraction results in Santai county and the differences in network structures among the four deep learning models, it was found that the UNet++ model, based on UNet, can effectively improve the accuracy of cultivated land extraction by introducing the mechanism of skip connections. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness and practical value of deep learning methods in obtaining accurate farmland information from high-resolution remote sensing imagery.

  • Research Advances and Prospects on Rapid Acquisition Technology of Farmland Soil Physical and Chemical Parameters

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Significance] Soil stands as the fundamental pillar of agricultural production, with its quality being intrinsically linked to the efficiency and sustainability of farming practices. Historically, the intensive cultivation and soil erosion have led to a marked deterioration in some arable lands, characterized by a sharp decrease in soil organic matter, diminished fertility, and a decline in soil’s structural integrity and ecological functions. In the strategic framework of safeguarding national food security and advancing the frontiers of smart and precision agriculture, the march towards agricultural modernization continues apace, intensifying the imperative for meticulous soil quality management. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the rrapid acquisition of soil’s physical and chemical parameters. Interdisciplinary scholars have delved into soil monitoring research, achieving notable advancements that promise to revolutionize the way we understand and manage soil resource. [Progress] Utilizing the the Web of Science platform, a comprehensive literature search was conducted on the topic of "soil," further refined with supplementary keywords such as "electrochemistry", "spectroscopy", "electromagnetic", "ground-penetrating radar", and "satellite". The resulting literature was screened, synthesized, and imported into the CiteSpace visualization tool. A keyword emergence map was yielded, which delineates the trajectory of research in soil physical and chemical parameter detection technology. Analysis of the keyword emergence map reveals a paradigm shift in the acquisition of soil physical and chemical parameters, transitioning from conventional indoor chemical and spectrometry analyses to outdoor, real-time detection methods. Notably, soil sensors integrated into drones and satellites have garnered considerable interest. Additionally, emerging monitoring technologies, including biosensing and terahertz spectroscopy, have made their mark in recent years. Drawing from this analysis, the prevailing technologies for soil physical and chemical parameter information acquisition in agricultural fields have been categorized and summarized. These include: 1. Rapid Laboratory Testing Techniques: Primarily hinged on electrochemical and spectrometry analysis, these methods offer the dual benefits of time and resource efficiency alongside high precision; 2. Rapid Near-Ground Sensing Techniques: Leveraging electromagnetic induction, ground-penetrating radar, and various spectral sensors (multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal infrared), these techniques are characterized by their high detection accuracy and swift operation. 3. Satellite Remote Sensing Techniques: Employing direct inversion, indirect inversion, and combined analysis methods, these approaches are prized for their efficiency and extensive coverage. 4. Innovative Rapid Acquisition Technologies: Stemming from interdisciplinary research, these include biosensing, environmental magnetism, terahertz spectroscopy, and gamma spectroscopy, each offering novel avenues for soil parameter detection. An in-depth examination and synthesis of the principles, applications, merits, and limitations of each technology have been provided. Moreover, a forward-looking perspective on the future trajectory of soil physical and chemical parameter acquisition technology has been offered, taking into account current research trends and hotspots. [Conclusions and Prospects] Current advancements in the technology for rapaid acquiring soil physical and chemical parameters in agricultural fields have been commendable, yet certain challenges persist. The development of near-ground monitoring sensors is constrained by cost, and their reliability, adaptability, and specialization require enhancement to effectively contend with the intricate and varied conditions of farmland environments. Additionally, remote sensing inversion techniques are confronted with existing limitations in data acquisition, processing, and application. To further develop the soil physical and chemical parameter acquisition technology and foster the evolution of smart agriculture, future research could beneficially delve into the following four areas: Designing portable, intelligent, and cost-effective near-ground soil information acquisition systems and equipment to facilitate rapid on-site soil information detection; Enhancing the performance of low-altitude soil information acquisition platforms and refine the methods for data interpretation to ensure more accurate insights; Integrating multifactorial considerations to construct robust satellite remote sensing inversion models, leveraging diverse and open cloud computing platforms for in-depth data analysis and mining; Engaging in thorough research on the fusion of multi-source data in the acquisition of soil physical and chemical parameter information, developing soil information sensing algorithms and models with strong generalizability and high reliability to achieve rapaid, precise, and intelligent acquisition of soil parameters.

  • Research Advances and Development Trend of Mountainous Tractor Leveling and Anti-Rollover System

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-07-17 Cooperative journals: 《智慧农业(中英文)》

    Abstract: [Significance] The mechanization, automation and intelligentization of agricultural equipment are key factors to improve operation efficiency, free up labor force and promote the sustainable development of agriculture. It is also the hot spot of research and development of agricultural machinery industry in the future. In China, hills and mountains serves as vital production bases for agricultural products, accounting for about 70% of the country’s land area. In addition, these regions face various environmental factors such as steep slopes, narrow road, small plots, complex terrain and landforms, as well as harsh working environment. Moreover, there is a lack of reliable agricultural machinery support across various production stages, along with a shortage of theoretical frameworks to guide the research and development of agricultural machinery tailored to hilly and mountainous locales. [Progress] This article focuses on the research advances of tractor leveling and anti-overturning systems in hilly and mountainous areas, including tractor body, cab and seat leveling technology, tractor rear suspension and implement leveling slope adaptive technology, and research progress on tractor anti-overturning protection devices and warning technology. The vehicle body leveling mechanism can be roughly divided into five types based on its different working modes: parallel four bar, center of gravity adjustable, hydraulic differential high, folding and twisting waist, and omnidirectional leveling. These mechanisms aim to address the issue of vehicle tilting and easy overturning when traversing or working on sloping or rugged roads. By keeping the vehicle body posture horizontal or adjusting the center of gravity within a stable range, the overall driving safety of the vehicle can be improved to ensure the accuracy of operation. Leveling the driver’s cab and seats can mitigate the lateral bumps experienced by the driver during rough or sloping operations, reducing driver fatigue and minimizing strain on the lumbar and cervical spine, thereby enhancing driving comfort. The adaptive technology of tractor rear suspension and implement leveling on slopes can ensure that the tractor maintains consistent horizontal contact with the ground in hilly and mountainous areas, avoiding changes in the posture of the suspended implement with the swing of the body or the driving path, which may affect the operation effect. The tractor rollover protection device and warning technology have garnered significant attention in recent years. Prioritizing driver safety, rollover warning system can alert the driver in advance of the dangerous state of the tractor, automatically adjust the vehicle before rollover, or automatically open the rollover protection device when it is about to rollover, and timely send accident reports to emergency contacts, thereby ensuring the safety of the driver to the greatest extent possible. [Conclusions and Prospects] The future development directions of hill and mountain tractor leveling, anti-overturning early warning, unmanned, automatic technology were looked forward: Structure optimization, high sensitivity, good stability of mountain tractor leveling system research; Study on copying system of agricultural machinery with good slope adaptability; Research on anti-rollover early warning technology of environment perception and automatic interference; Research on precision navigation technology, intelligent monitoring technology and remote scheduling and management technology of agricultural machinery; Theoretical study on longitudinal stability of sloping land. This review could provide reference for the research and development of high reliability and high safety mountain tractor in line with the complex working environment in hill and mountain areas.

  • Impact of User Heterogeneity on Knowledge Collaboration Effectiveness from a Network Structure Perspective

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-06-26 Cooperative journals: 《农业图书情报学报》

    Abstract: Purpose/Significance In the context of the digital age, knowledge collaboration platforms such as online Q&A communities, academic forums, and various professional networking platforms have become important venues for knowledge sharing and collective wisdom. These platforms bring together users from different fields, with diverse professional backgrounds and levels of expertise. They actively engage in problem solving, exchange views, and form complex and dynamic social networks. Online knowledge collaboration platforms not only enhance the accessibility of knowledge but also serve as incubators for interdisciplinary communication, problem solving, and innovative thinking by harnessing the collective wisdom and expertise of individuals. This article explores how to optimize the network structure of online knowledge collaboration platforms and balance the internal knowledge and expertise within teams. The goal is to promote cross-domain information flow, prevent the formation of information silos, and promote the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge through collective knowledge collaboration. Methods/Process Due to the diversity of participants’ backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints, effectively managing and coordinating this heterogeneity becomes a critical issue. Additionally, the quality and efficiency of knowledge collaboration is also influenced by the characteristics of the network structure, such as the flow of information paths, the role of key nodes, and the interaction patterns of small groups. This study is based on actual data from Stack Overflow, the world’s largest programming Q&A website. It focuses specifically on the following aspects of influence: clustering coefficient, node centrality, edge span, user knowledge heterogeneity, and user experience heterogeneity. By constructing a negative binomial regression model, the study investigates how network structure characteristics and team user heterogeneity affect the quality and efficiency of knowledge collaboration. Results/Conclusions The results show that, with respect to network structural characteristics, node centrality significantly improves the quality and efficiency of collaboration, and higher aggregation coefficients and larger span of connecting edges restrict information flow and are detrimental to the efficiency of knowledge collaboration. In terms of user heterogeneity, high heterogeneity in knowledge background and registration duration usually hinders collaboration, heterogeneity in experience heterogeneity in registration duration negatively affects collaboration effectiveness in both cases, heterogeneity in response acceptance rate only negatively affects collaboration quality, while heterogeneity in activity intensity positively affects it. In addition, this study still has shortcomings that deserve further exploration. First, future research could consider expanding the sample to include more questions on different topics and domains to increase the reliability and generalizability of the findings. Second, future research could focus on the dynamic changes of network structure and heterogeneity in order to better understand the impact of network structure on knowledge collaboration and to improve the prediction ability of collaboration effects; it could explore more deeply how different types of heterogeneity affect collaboration dynamics over time.

  • Prevention and Control of Information Fog from the Perspective of Overall National Security Concept

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-06-26 Cooperative journals: 《农业图书情报学报》

    Abstract: Purpose/Significance With the popularization of artificial intelligence technology, the cost of information fog has decreased, and its negative impact on national security is becoming increasingly apparent. Information fog not only creates cognitive barriers for users, but also poses serious challenges to various fields such as politics, economy, and society. This article explores the prevention and control of information fog from the perspective of the overall national security concept, with the aim of addressing the risks and challenges posed by information fog. There is a lack of research in the literature on the prevention and control of information fog from the perspective of overall national security. To fill the gap, this article not only provides a new perspective and strategy for the prevention and control of information fog, enriching the connotation of national security research, but also promotes the cross-integration of information security and national security disciplines, providing new theoretical support for research in related fields. It provides reference and guidance to relevant entities such as the government and online platforms in preventing and controlling information fog. Method/Process Based on the concept of overall national security, this article summarizes the academic achievements on information fog at home and abroad, including research on stages, scenario applications, governance strategies, and practical case analysis. We summarize the characteristics of information fog and analyze the methods and strategies for prevention and control. Results/Conclusions Information fog has the characteristics of wide dissemination, realistic experience, and difficulty in identification. Based on this feature, the article puts forward the following suggestions to strengthen the improvement of legal policies and clarify the division of responsibilities: 1) to strengthen the evaluation and risk warning of online accounts and utilize technology to update anti-counterfeiting tools and improve information authentication capabilities. Governments should intervene in a timely manner to prevent the information fog from escalating. 2) to improve public awareness of discrimination and the level of prevention. In addition, the article also has some shortcomings. First, it does not present other forms of information fog in the security domain. Second, it does not analyze information fog from an algorithmic perspective. Therefore, in future research, we will closely follow the development of society to analyze the characteristics and presentation methods of information fog in various security fields. At the same time, scholars in the fields of computer science, intelligence science, and national security are also invited to conduct in-depth analysis of information fog from the perspective of computer algorithms, in order to propose practical countermeasures and suggestions for preventing and managing information fog from a technological perspective.

  • Machine Functionalism and the Digital-Intelligence Divide:Evolutionary Pathways,Generative Logic and Regulatory Strategies

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-06-26 Cooperative journals: 《农业图书情报学报》

    Abstract: Purpose/Significance This study aims to critically analyze the social philosophical roots of the digital intelligence divide from the perspective of machine functionalism. By uncovering the theoretical origins and generation pathways of the digital intelligence divide, countermeasures can be proposed. The research contributes to understanding the divide’s impact on society and provides insights for promoting inclusive development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The study fills a gap in the literature by linking machine functionalism to the digital intelligence divide and offers a novel perspective on addressing the unequal use of AI technology. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, technology developers, and researchers in the fields of AI ethics, digital inequality, and social philosophy. Method/Process Using the theoretical lens of machine functionalism, this study examines the evolutionary pathways, generation mechanisms, and multiple risks of the digital intelligence divide. It draws on relevant theories, such as the extended mind thesis and the theory of technological determinism, to analyze how machine functionalism influences the design and application of AI technology. The study also draws on empirical evidence from case studies and surveys to illustrate the manifestation of the digital intelligence divide in different contexts. By synthesizing theoretical and empirical insights, the research proposes interventions that address the divide at different levels, from the philosophical underpinnings to the practical implementation of AI technology. Results/Conclusions The study shows that machine functionalism, which applies Turing machine principles to explain the mind and views the mind as a physically realized Turing machine. It has become the social philosophical foundation of AI technology. While breaking with the traditional biological essentialist view of the mind, machine functionalism inadvertently creates inequitable uses of AI through three main pathways: the mechanization of the mind, designer bias and algorithmic preference, and technological specialization and barriers to entry. This creates the digital intelligence divide and risks such as the evolution of information access inequality into social inequality and the weakening of information cocoons and public dialogue. The study argues that interventions are needed to mitigate these risks and promote a more equitable distribution of the benefits of AI technology. To bridge the digital intelligence divide, the study suggests a multi-pronged approach. First, future efforts should focus on promoting positive interaction between machines and humans through value-sensitive design, which incorporates ethical considerations into the development and deployment of AI systems. Second, developing ethical algorithms that eliminate designer bias and algorithmic preference is critical to ensuring fair and unbiased AI decision-making. Third, improving the digital intelligence skills of individuals and communities can help break down barriers to entry caused by technological specialization and enable more people to benefit from AI technology. Together, these policies can help break down the barriers of unequal technology use under machine functionalism. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of a collaborative effort among policymakers, technology developers, researchers, and the public in addressing the digital intelligence divide. It calls for further research on the social implications of machine functionalism and the development of inclusive AI governance frameworks. The findings of this study serve as a foundation for future work to mitigate the risks of the digital intelligence divide and promote the responsible and equitable development of AI technology.

  • Ontology Construction for Intelligent Control and Application of Crop Germplasm Resources

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-06-26 Cooperative journals: 《农业图书情报学报》

    Abstract: Purpose/Significance Breeding 4.0, characterized by biotechnology + artificial intelligence + big data information technology, has brought new requirements for the digital management and intelligent utilization of germplasm resources. In order to meet the diverse support needs for knowledge service forms under an intelligent background, this article aims to propose an effective method for knowledge organization and deep semantic association. This is essential to address the inconveniences that discrete germplasm resource data bring to researchers when collaborating across regions and institutions. Therefore, the article presents a method that integrates fragmented domain data into a systematic knowledge system, which is particularly important. Method/Process By analyzing the domain data descriptions and the current organizational status, the ontology construction was performed using the seven-step method developed by Stanford University Hospital. First, existing ontologies such as the Crop Ontology, Gene Ontology, and Darwin Core were referenced and reused, and then integrated with the knowledge framework from the Technical Specifications for Crop Germplasm Resources series and example datasets. Consequently, an ontology model was successfully constructed, which covers five major categories of crops: cereals, cash crops, vegetables, fruit trees, and forage and green manure crops. This model defines 11 core classes including phenotypes and genotypes, as well as identification methods and evaluation standards, along with 10 object properties and 56 data properties. Results/Conclusions Based on the ontology model, the article proposes a methodology for constructing a knowledge graph of crop germplasm resources. Using rice as an example, a domain-specific fine-grained knowledge graph is developed to facilitate semantic association and querying across multiple knowledge dimensions. The article also outlines prospective designs for new intelligent knowledge service scenarios driven by the knowledge graph, such as intelligent question and answer and knowledge computation, aiming to meet the knowledge service needs of researchers, breeding companies, and the general public. This is intended to provide more accurate and efficient support for computational breeding efforts. Currently, the research focuses only on rice as an example of a cereal crop, with economic crops, vegetables, and other types of crop germplasm resources not yet included in the study. Future work will expand the scope of the study and add new classes and properties specific to different germplasm resources to better address the diverse and personalized knowledge needs of users in the eraa of big data. This approach aims to promote the contextualization, ubiquity, and intelligence of knowledge services, and to further integrate them into different academic disciplines related to the development of new quality digital productivity.

  • Security Governance of Data Element Circulation: System Architecture and Practical Approach

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-06-26 Cooperative journals: 《农业图书情报学报》

    Abstract: Purpose/Significance Research on the governance system and policy of data elements circulation is an important issue to be solved in the field of data governance in China at present, and research on the policy formulation and governance system of its circulation plays an important role in grasping the security of data circulation in China and promoting the market-oriented allocation of data elements. Method/Process First, this study is based on the reality of China’s data factor market security and trustworthy, autonomous and controllable requirements. Based on the analysis of the security risk of data circulation, we put forward the data factor market risk governance countermeasures of the security-fairness-efficiency triangular structure. Then, based on the three-level system and five-dimensional standards of data factor market governance, we put forward the method of docking the security governance with the trusted ecosystem and the international data governance rule system for cross-border data flow, and constructed a governance system with Chinese characteristics for the national unified data factor market. Results/Conclusions Facing the security risks in data sovereignty, data market and data circulation, we should identify and monitor data sovereignty disputes and the operation situation of the circulation market, and establish a multi-party cooperative and joint governance model led by the government, operated by the platform owner, the main body of the enterprise and the participation of users. When assessing the market for data elements, a mixed assessment approach should be adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative aspects, combining expert opinion with objective data, and comparing objectives with results. For different types of data, the control boundaries and scope of use should be clarified in a hierarchical manner, and data ownership, use and income should be clarified; at the same time, a confirmation platform of data rights should be established to audit and register and certify the data service subject, data circulation process, and data circulation rules so as to ensure that the normative nature of data circulation is maintained.

  • Construction Model of AI-Ready for Scientific and Technological Intelligence Data Resources

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-06-26 Cooperative journals: 《农业图书情报学报》

    Abstract: Purpose/Significance The new quality productivity advancing AI technology, especially exemplified by large language models (LLMs), is rapidly updating and attracting wide attention. In order to accelerate the implementation of AI technologies, it is urgent for advanced AI technologies to acquire support from knowledge resources in scientific and technological (S & T) information and libraries. Meanwhile, S & T information provides significant potential service scenarios for the application of AI technologies such as LLMs. This study aims to explore and design the method and path for constructing AI-ready data resources in the field of S & T information, and proposes a comprehensive and operable construction model that adapts to the new technical environment of AI, thereby facilitating comprehensive readiness in the field of intelligence. Method/Process This study first focuses on the concept and development status of AI-ready construction, and examines the development of AI-ready construction at home and abroad from three aspects: governments, enterprises and research institutions. The survey shows that the application of artificial intelligence has been highly valued by various fields of scientific research and production. However, the groundwork and preparation for AI applications are still relatively lagging behind, and AI tools cannot be fully implemented in key application scenarios due to the lack of high-quality and refined data resources. Based on the research results, the study made a preliminary definition of AI-ready construction, that is, we defined AI-ready construction as: the various development and improvement actions to adapt the object to the AI technical environment and promote the long-term benefits. The research then focuses on the field of S & T information, and systematically discusses and designs the AI-ready construction mode in the field of S & T information from six aspects: connotation category, construction angle, construction object, construction principle, control dimension and types of construction mode. Results/Conclusions The construction of AI-ready S & T information resources is a comprehensive and multi-angle transformation and upgrading process, which is located between the knowledge resource end and the intelligence application end. It is carried out in four aspects, including standards, methods, tools and platforms. The main content of the construction includes channels of AI technology, data transformation, data resources, and data management. At the same time, the construction is comprehensively controlled by six principles and four control dimensions. Besides, this study proposes the way of the practi cal construction of AI-ready S & T data resources, including the construction of intelligent data systems, and the construction of integrated platforms for the whole life cycle of S&T information data. The path reflects the process of the variation of knowledge resources from diversification to organization and then to integration, which not only serves the scientific information field itself, but also provides more intelligent, convenient, rich and powerful S&T information support for various fields. In the future, it is hoped that further research can delve into more micro and practical aspects, review the specific characteristics of different AI technologies, and provide more detailed suggestions for specific application scenarios at the operational level, providing a solid guarantee for scientific research institutions to achieve the leading strategic position in research and development.

  • Three Waves of the Organization of Information Resources and the Development of the Statistical Evaluation Systems of Libraries

    Subjects: Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science >> Other Disciplines of Agriculture, Forestry,Livestock & Aquatic Products Science submitted time 2024-06-26 Cooperative journals: 《农业图书情报学报》

    Abstract: Purpose/Significance This paper aims to explore the development and evolution of the library statistical evaluation index system, highlighting its characteristics and changes at different stages of document management, information management, and data management. The research is conducted around three key stages: document level, information level, and data level, analyzing the main content and significance of the library statistical evaluation index system at different development stages. The innovation of this paper lies in the systematic analysis of these transitions, providing a comprehensive perspective that integrates theoretical and methodological advances with practical indicators. Method/Process The research methodology includes a systematic analysis of statistical evaluation indicators of libraries in different stages of development. The study uses historical review and theoretical analysis methods, analyzing the development of document organization, information digitization, and data management in libraries. By examining the development of classification, cataloging, and evaluation metrics, the research combines historical documentation with contemporary practices to provide a solid theoretical foundation. The study also draws on existing literature and integrates data from library management systems and user feedback to assess service quality and operational efficiency. This mixed-methods approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of the applicability and effectiveness of the evaluation indicators. Results/Conclusions The study shows that the library’s statistical evaluation index system has evolved significantly, reflecting the library’s adaptation to changing resource types and management needs. The main conclusions can be summarized as follows. The document level in the first stage, focusing on book circulation, including indicators such as book use efficiency, collection development quality, and reader engagement. Key metrics such as cumulative borrowing and utilization rates provide basic service performance data, but lack deep information insights. With the development of information technology, library statistical evaluation indicators have expanded to include service frequency, response time, user satisfaction, and growth rates, enabling libraries to evaluate and improve service strategies based on user feedback and service performance. Currently, the library’s statistical evaluation system focuses on research data management and data value assessment. Indicators now include not only resource- and service-related metrics but also operational efficiency, budget utilization, technological updates, scholarly contributions, and social impact. These indicators provide a comprehensive view of the library’s performance in resource management, service quality, and social contribution, helping to optimize resource allocation, enhance service quality, and increase impact. The study also acknowledges certain limitations, such as the evolving nature of technology and user needs, which may require continuous updates to the evaluation system. Future research should explore the integration of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to further refine evaluation metrics. In addition, ongoing studies are needed to adapt to emerging trends in data management and user behavior to ensure that libraries remain at the forefront of information services in the digital age.