A research on steering optimization to prevent deviation from the driving path trajectory of an onion harvester

Agriculural harvesters currently used in rural areas are configured in a manual manner in which all drving operations are directly operated by the driver. However automation is possible because the driving path is a repetitive, regular, and standardized pattern. In order to implement drving automation of agricultural harvesters, theoretical research on steering control, the most important element, is necessary. Accordingly, a study was conducted to analyze and derive the driving environment, steering kinematics of the driving mechanism, steering control algorithm, and steering angle for onion harvesters that are actually used in field agriculture. In this paper, we would like to introduce a steering control method that allows agricultural harvesters to drive stably without deviating from a certain path made of ridges and furrows.