Development of a low cost GPS guidance system for use in agriculture

Abstract

This project developed an accurate, cost effective GPS guidance system and developed conceptual designs of a hands-free guidance interface for use in the agricultural sector. The guidance system utilised two Garmin GPS 18-5 receivers to provide position data at a rate of 5Hz. The guidance system was built upon a previous incarnation that utilised Garmin GPS 35 receivers providing position data at a rate of 1Hz. The guidance system currently uses an indicating arrow on a computer screen to provide guidance information to operators. The accuracy with which the guidance system could guide an operator in a straight line up a paddock was quantifed by monitoring the path followed by the operators machine out and back along a defined trajectory and then compared to current industry standards. The accuracy of the guidance system to guide an operator along parallel paths offset a distance from each other was also quantifed. The ability for the software to offset over different distances was also determined. The information collected and conclusions drawn will be used to quantify the accuracy of the guidance system as a whole for agricultural applications. It is hoped that the conceptual designs for the hands-free guidance interface will be used to develop a working prototype and be tested with the guidance system in the near future.