Search Results (44)

Coriander is a significant crop, playing an essential role in daily life for various purposes, including flavouring curries and medicinal uses, among others. Despite its importance, coriander is still harvested manually. To address this, developed a self-propelled battery-operated coriander harvester, designed with ergonomics, environmental sustainability and affordability for small and marginal farmers in mind. The harvester is equipped with a main frame, a lead-acid battery, a BLDC motor, a reciprocating cutter bar, a PU conveyor belt, a collection bag, a handle, and transport wheels. The harvester was tested on the coriander crop, and the results were analyzed using Design Expert software to optimize various operational parameters. The harvester’s performance was evaluated at three forward speeds: 1.5 km/h, 2 km/h, and 2.5 km/h, resulting in covered areas of 0.114 ha, 0.164 ha, and 0.22 ha, with field efficiency values of 76%, 82%, and 88%, respectively. Optimal harvesting conditions were identified by design expert software at a forward speed of 1.64 km/h, with a conveyor driving pulley at level 3 (50.8 mm) and a cutting height at level 2 (75 mm). Under these conditions, the harvester achieved a harvesting efficiency of 97.24% and a cutting efficiency of 98.2%, with minimal conveying loss of 0.96%. The theoretical field capacity was 0.16 ha/h, the actual field capacity was 0.131 ha/h, and the overall field efficiency was 81.8%. Full article

Semantic similarity, the task of determining whether two sentences convey the same meaning, is central to applications such as paraphrase detection, semantic search, and question answering. Despite the widespread adoption of transformer-based models for this task, their performance is influenced by both the choice of similarity measure and BERT (bert-base-nli-mean-tokens), RoBERTa (all-roberta-large-v1), and MPNet (all-mpnet-base-v2) on the Microsoft Research Paraphrase Corpus (MRPC). Sentence embeddings were compared using cosine similarity, dot product, Manhattan distance, and Euclidean distance, with thresholds optimized for accuracy, balanced accuracy, and F1-score. Results indicate a consistent advantage for MPNet, which achieved the highest accuracy (75.6%), balanced accuracy (71.0%), and F1-score (0.836) when paired with cosine similarity at an optimized threshold of 0.671. BERT and RoBERTa performed competitively but exhibited greater sensitivity to the choice of Similarity metric, with BERT notably underperforming when using cosine similarity compared to Manhattan or Euclidean distance. Optimal thresholds varied widely (0.334–0.867), underscoring the difficulty of establishing a single, generalizable cut-off for paraphrase classification. These findings highlight the value of fine-tuning of both Similarity metrics and thresholds alongside model selection, offering practical guidance for designing high-accuracy semantic similarity systems in real-world NLP applications. Full article

To address the issues of low efficiency, high cost of manual harvesting, and the lack of mechanized harvesting technology and equipment for high-stem Chrysanthemum coronarium, a self-propelled orderly harvester was designed to perform key harvesting operations such as row alignment, clamping and cutting, orderly conveying, and collection. Based on the analysis of agronomic requirements for cultivation and mechanized harvesting needs, the overall structure and working principle of the machine were described. Meanwhile, the key components such as the reciprocating cutting mechanism and orderly conveying mechanism were structurally designed and theoretically analyzed. The main structural and operating parameters of the harvester were determined based on the geometric and kinematic conditions of high-stem Chrysanthemum coronarium during its movement along the conveying path, as well as the mechanical model of the conveying process. In addition, a three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken field experiment was also conducted with the experimental factors including the machine’s forward, cutting, and conveying speed, and evaluation indicators like harvesting loss rate and orderliness. A second-order polynomial regression model was established to analyze the relationship between the evaluation indicators and the factors using the Design-Expert 13 software, which revealed the influence patterns of the machine’s forward speed, reciprocating cutter cutting speed, conveying device speed, and their interaction influence on the evaluation indicators. Moreover, the optimal parameter combination, obtained by solving the optimization model for harvesting loss rate and orderliness, was forward speed of 260 mm/s, cutting speed of 250 mm/s, and conveying speed of 300 mm/s. Field test results showed that the average harvesting loss rate of the prototype was 4.45% and the orderliness was 92.57%, with a relative error of less than 5% compared to the predicted values. The key components of the harvester operated stably, and the machine was capable of performing cutting, orderly conveying, and collection in a single pass. All performance indicators met the mechanized orderly harvesting requirements of high-stem Chrysanthemum coronarium. Full article

To cut a long story short, the term “emotion” is predominantly employed as a comprehensive designation, encompassing phenomena such as feelings, affective processing, experiences, expressions, and, on occasion, cognitive processes. This has given rise to a plethora of schools of thought that diverge in their inclusion of these phenomena, not to mention the discordance regarding what emotions belong to the so-called set of discrete emotions in the first place. This is a problem, because clear and operational definitions are paramount for ensuring the comparability of research findings across studies and also across different disciplines. In response to this disagreement, it is here proposed to simplify the definition of the term “emotion”, instead of using it as an umbrella term overarching an unclear set of multiple phenomena, which is exactly what left all of us uncertain about the question what an emotion actually is. From an etymological perspective, the simplest suggestion is to understand an emotion as behavior (from the Latin verb ‘emovere’, meaning to move out, and thus the noun ‘emotion’ meaning out-movement). This suggests that an emotion should not be understood as something felt, nor as a physiological reaction, or anything including cognition. Instead, emotions should be understood as behavioral outputs (not as information processing), with their connection to feelings being that they convey them. Consider fear, which should not be classified as an emotion, it should be understood as a feeling (fear is felt). The specific body posture, facial expression, and other behavioral manifestations resulting from muscle contractions should be classified as emotions with their purpose being to communicate the felt fear to conspecifics. The underlying causative basis for all that exists is affective processing (i.e., neural activity), and it provides evaluative information to support decision-making. The essence of this model is that if affective processing responds above a certain threshold, chemicals are released, which leads to a feeling (e.g., felt fear) if the respective organism is capable of conscious experience. Finally, the communication of these feelings to conspecifics is happening by emotion-behavior (i.e., emotions). In summary, affective processing guides behavior, and emotions communicate feelings. This perspective significantly simplifies the concept of an emotion and will prevent interchangeable use of emotion-related terms. Last but not least, according to the current model, emotions can also be produced voluntarily in order to feign a certain feeling, which is performed in various social settings. Applications of this model to various fields, including clinical psychology, show how beneficial it is. Full article

At present, the problems of the low cutting reliability and poor cutting quality of carrot harvesters in China are particularly prominent, directly leading to the problems of high root and stem damage rates, low stem and leaf cutting rates, and low cutting surface flatness rates. In order to solve these problems, we developed a disc-type double-disc cutting device. Based on the structural analysis and the central combination design theory of Box–Behnken, using three factors as influencing factors, namely, clamping and conveying speed, the rotary speed of the disc cutter, and the thickness of the disc cutter. A response surface experiment was carried out to analyze the influence of each factor on the high damage rates of the rhizome, the clean rates of stems and leaves, and the flatness rate of cutting surfaces to optimize the influencing factors. According to the test results, a regression mathematical model between test parameters and performance indexes was established, and optimization verification was carried out according to the regression model between test factors and indexes. Finally, the optimal parameter combination is as follows: a clamping and conveying speed of 1.0 m/s, a rotary speed of the disc cutter of 193.5 r/min, and a thickness of the disc cutter of 3.6 mm. The results of the field experiment showed that the root and stem damage rate was 2.61%, the stem and leaf-cutting rate was 87.32%, and the cutting surface flatness rate was 89.87%. Compared with a set of parameters commonly used in double-disc cutters to harvest carrots under the same conditions, the corresponding root and stem damage rates, stem and leaf-cutting rates, and productivity decreased by 2.16%, 1.97%, and 1.87%, respectively, and the comprehensive performance was obviously improved. The proposed research method can well simulate the cutting process in carrot harvesting and provide support for the development of carrot harvesting equipment. Full article

As the iron and steel industry needs to cut its CO₂ emissions drastically, much effort has been put into establishing new—less greenhouse-gas-intensive—production lines fueled by hydrogen and electricity. Blast furnaces, as a central element of hot iron production, are expected to lose importance, at least in European production strategies. Yet, blast furnaces could play a significant role in the transitional phase, as they allow for the implementation of another CO₂-reducing fuel, carbonized wood reducing agents, as a substitute for coal in auxiliary injection systems, which are currently widely used. Wood carbonization yields vastly differing fuel types depending on the severity of the treatment process, mainly its peak temperature. The goal of this study is to define the lowest treatment temperature, i.e., torrefaction temperature, which results in a biogenic reducing agent readily employable in existing coal injection systems, focusing on their conveying properties. Samples of different treatment temperatures ranging from 285 to 340 °C were produced and compared to injection coal regarding their chemical and mechanical properties. The critical conveyability in a standard dense-phase pneumatic conveying system was demonstrated with a sample of pilot-scale high-temperature torrefaction. Full article

Industrial hemp has significant utilization value, and China is the largest producer of industrial hemp in the world, primarily growing hemp for fiber. Heilongjiang Province is the largest area of hemp fiber cultivation in China. In response to issues such as inconsistent operating standards, low efficiency, and poor harvesting quality of industrial hemp harvesters in China, this study integrates the mechanical properties of the “Hanma 5” hemp stalk and applies cutting platform design theory to analyze and optimize the key components of existing hemp harvesters, aiming to obtain optimal operational parameters. First, by analyzing the motion laws of the cutting blade and the regression equations of shear power consumption and shear force, the relationship between cutting speed and time is established, and the cutting and conveying parameter ranges are derived, providing the basis for subsequent simulation analysis and field validation. Next, dynamic simulation analysis of the key components of the domestic 4GM-2.2 industrial hemp harvester for fiber is conducted using ADAMS and Workbench. The conveyor speed values and corresponding chain drive combinations under different conveyor speed ratios are obtained. Field experiments validated the optimal combination of key operational parameters for the industrial hemp harvester as follows: forward speed of 2.1 m/s, cutting speed of 2.5 m/s, conveyor speed ratio of 2.2, coefficient of variation for the laying angle of 6.88%, coefficient of variation for the laying thickness of 4.11%, and cutting height of 10.4 cm. Under the optimal operational parameter combination, the re-cut rate was 8.4%, with no missed cutting observed. This paper provides technical references for exploring the optimal operational parameters of industrial hemp harvesters for fiber to achieve high-quality harvesting operations. Full article

The LBS2ITS project, titled “Curricula Enrichment Delivered through the Application of Location-Based Services to Intelligent Transport Systems”, is a collaborative initiative funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. The primary objectives of the project were twofold: to develop new curricula and modernize existing programs at four universities in Sri Lanka. This effort was driven by the need to align educational offerings with the rapidly evolving fields of Location-Based Services (LBSs) and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITSs). A key feature of the LBS2ITS project is its interdisciplinary approach, which draws on expertise from a range of academic disciplines. The project has successfully developed curricula that integrate diverse fields such as geomatics, cartography, transport engineering, urban planning, environmental engineering, and computer science. By blending these perspectives, the curricula provide students with a holistic understanding of LBSs and ITSs, preparing them to address complex, real-world challenges that span multiple sectors. In this paper, the curriculum development and modernization process is detailed, with a particular focus on the two key phases: teacher training and curriculum development. The teacher training phase was crucial in equipping educators with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver the new and updated courses. This phase also provided an opportunity for teachers to familiarize themselves with the latest trends and technologies in LBSs and ITSs, ensuring that they could effectively convey this information to students. The development phase focused on the creation of the curriculum itself, ensuring that it met both academic standards and industry needs. The curriculum was designed to be flexible and responsive to emerging technologies and methodologies, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation. Additionally, the paper delves into the theoretical frameworks underpinning the methodologies employed in the project. These include Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Problem-Based e-Learning (PBeL), both of which encourage active student engagement and foster critical thinking by having students tackle real-world problems. The emphasis on PBL ensures that students not only acquire theoretical knowledge but also develop practical problem-solving skills applicable to their future careers in LBSs and ITSs. Furthermore, the project incorporated rigorous quality assurance (QA) mechanisms to ensure that the teaching methods and curriculum content met high standards. This included regular feedback loops, stakeholder involvement, and iterative refinement of course materials based on evaluations from both students and industry experts. These QA measures are essential for maintaining the relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the curricula over time. In summary, the LBS2ITS project represents a significant effort to enrich and modernize university curricula in Sri Lanka by integrating cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary approaches. Through a combination of innovative teaching methodologies, comprehensive teacher training, and robust quality assurance practices, the project aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the fields of LBSs and ITSs. Full article

To address the limitations of current cabbage harvesters in China, which are often designed for a single variety and lack adaptability to different cabbage varieties, we developed an electric side-mounted cabbage harvester suitable for field operations in the Jiangsu region of China. This design is informed by the statistical analysis of the physical and agronomic parameters of major cabbage varieties. The harvester consists of key components, including an extraction device, a leaf-stripping device, a clamping and conveying device, and a root-cutting device. Powered by a 120 Ah direct current (DC) power source, it is capable of performing cabbage extraction, feeding, clamping, conveying, root cutting, and boxing in a single operation for three hours. Through theoretical analysis of the key components, specific parameters were determined, and field tests were conducted to verify the design. The results of the field experiments indicate that all components of the cabbage harvester operated effectively. Optimal performance was observed when the extraction roller speed was set between 100 and 110 RPM, the conveyor belt speed at 60 RPM, and the cutter speed between 160 and 220 RPM, resulting in a low cabbage harvest loss rate. The harvest loss rates from the three experiments were 11.3%, 13.3%, and 12%, respectively, which meets the mechanical harvesting requirements for cabbage. Full article

Underwater optics have seen a notable surge of interest in recent years, emerging as a critical medium for conveying information crucial to underwater resource exploration, autonomous underwater vehicle navigation, etc. The intricate dynamics of underwater optical transmission, influenced by factors such as the absorption by the water and scattering by multiple particles, present considerable challenges. One of the most critical issues is that the optical information representation methods fail to take into account the impact of the underwater physical environment. We conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of recent advancements in underwater optical transmission laws and models. We summarized and analyzed relevant research on the effects of underwater particles and turbulence on light and analyzed the polarization effects in various environments. Then, the roles of various types of underwater optical propagation models were analyzed. Although optical models in complex environments are still mostly based on Monte Carlo methods, many underwater optical propagation mechanisms have been revealed and can promote the impacts of optical information expression. We delved into the cutting-edge research findings across three key domains: the enhancement of underwater optical image quality, the 3D reconstruction from monocular images, and the underwater wireless optical communication, examining the pivotal role played by light transmission laws and models in these areas. Drawing upon our extensive experience in underwater optics, including underwater optical sensor development and experiments, we identified and underscored future directions in this field. We advocate for the necessity of further advancements in the comprehension of underwater optical laws and physical models, emphasizing the importance of their expanded application in underwater optical information representations. Deeper exploration into these areas is not only warranted but essential for pushing the boundaries of current underwater optical technologies and unlocking new potential for their application in underwater optical sensor developments, underwater exploration, environmental monitoring, and beyond. Full article

This paper explores the interaction between cutting parameters and the geometric accuracy of machined holes in a variety of engineering plastics, with the aim of improving manufacturing processes in the plastic processing industry. In the context of fast and precise manufacturing technology, the accuracy of drilled holes in polymers is of paramount importance, given their essential role in the assembly and functionality of finished parts. The objective of this research was to determine the influence of cutting speed and feed rate on the diameter and cylindricity of machined holes in six diverse types of plastics using a multilevel factorial design for analysis. The key message conveyed to the reader highlights that careful selection of cutting parameters is crucial to achieving high standards of accuracy and repeatability in plastic processing. The methodology involved structured experiments, looking at the effect of changing cutting parameters on a set of six polymer materials. A CNC machining center for drills and high-precision measuring machines were used to evaluate the diameter and cylindricity of the holes. The results of ANOVA statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between cutting parameters and hole sizes for some materials, while for others the relationship was less evident. The conclusions drawn highlight the importance of optimizing cutting speed and feed rate according to polymer type to maximize accuracy and minimize deviations from cylindricity. It was also observed that, under selected processing conditions, high- and medium-density polyurethane showed the best results in terms of accuracy and cylindricity, suggesting potential optimized directions for specific industrial applications. Full article

Rapeseed blanket seedling transplanters have developed rapidly due to their high efficiency and adaptability to the soil in many areas of China. However, during the transplanter’s longitudinal seedling conveying process, seedling blanket compression leads to inaccurate conveying and thus declined seedling picking performance. In this paper, a mechanical compression test was carried out on rapeseed seedling blankets. The longitudinal compression force of the rapeseed seedling blanket on a transplanter was calculated through mechanical analysis. A compression model of the rapeseed seedling blanket was established to determine how the blanket’s mechanical characteristics and the device’s structural parameters affect blanket compression. In addition, with the index of longitudinal compression Y₁, the coefficient of variation in the longitudinal seedling conveying distance Y₂, and the qualified-block-cutting rate Y₃, the interactive influence between the seedling tray tilt angle A, the seedling blanket moisture content B, and the seedling blanket thickness C were analyzed using response surface analysis. Aiming to reduce blanket compression and enhance the accuracy of longitudinal seedling conveying and block-cutting quality, the optimized results show that the predicted optimal parameters were a 50.14° seedling tray tilt angle, a 71.86% seedling blanket moisture content, and a 22.13 mm seedling blanket thickness. Using these optimized parameters, the transplanter achieved a blanket longitudinal compression of 18.17 mm, a coefficient of variation in the longitudinal seedling conveying distance of 1.142, and a qualified-block-cutting rate of 90%. Subsequently, a validation test was performed, revealing a high degree of conformity between the optimization model and the experimental data. Thus, the predicted optimal parameters can provide significantly reduced compression and a high seedling conveying performance. The results of this study provide theoretical and empirical support for the optimized design and operation of mechanized rapeseed blanket seedling transplanting. Full article

Conveying and baling are two important links in the mechanized harvesting of ramie, in the face of ramie cutting and baling harvesting technology research gaps, low stalk conveying rate, high breaking rate and other problems. In this paper, according to the technical requirements of ramie harvesting, we designed a conveying and baling device, the hand-held ramie cutter. First, the key mechanism of the conveying and baling device of the equipment was designed. Then, we analyzed the location of stem clogging and the reasons for the breaking problem during the conveying and baling process. The field harvesting experiments were carried out according to the principles of Box–Behnken experimental design. Taking the machine travelling speed, conveying speed and ramie raking frequency as the test factors and using the Design-Expert V8.0.6.1 to process the data, we established a regression model for each experimental factor on the conveying rate and breaking rate. The order of influence of several factors on the breaking rate is: X₂ > X₁ > X₃; and the effects of the three factors on the conveying rate were X₃ > X₂ > X₁. Through response surface analysis (RSA), the effects of the factors on the indicators were explained, as was the impact of the factors on the indicators. Finally, the parameter optimization was carried out with the delivery rate as the core index. The best combination of motion parameters was obtained as follows: the travelling speed was 0.37 m/s, the chain conveying speed was 1.1 m/s, and the raking frequency was 144 times/min. With the combination of parameters under the field test verification, the results show that compared with the original work quality, the stalk delivery rate increased from 85.2% to 93% (an increase of 7.8%), the stalk breaking rate fell from 31.1% to 20.4% (a decrease of 10.7%). The performance of ramie harvesting and baling was greatly improved, and we achieved relatively satisfactory results. Full article

One of the most delicate operations in the sugar beet harvesting process is removing the tops from the heads of the root crops without any mechanical damages. The aim of this study is to improve the design of the conveying and unloading system of the sugar beet topper machine. In this paper, a mathematical model of the motion of a cut beet tops particle M, along the conveying and unloading system, has been developed to support the evaluation of kinematic and design parameters, depending on the rotational speed of the thrower blade, the air flow speed, the required ejection speed of particle M, and the position of the trailer that moves alongside the harvester. It has been established that increasing the speed Va of the top particle M, which has left the end of the blade of the thrower, leads to an increase in the arc coordinate S(t) of its movement along the cylindrical section of the casing. Within the range of the speed change from 4 m·s^–1 to 8 m·s^–1, the value of the arc coordinate S(t) increases by 1.4 times during time t = 0.006 s. Moreover, a rapid decrease in speed V is observed with an increase in the length x of the discharge chute. Full article

In view of the low level of mechanized harvesting of white radish in China and other developing countries and the current situation of “no machine can be used” due to the expensive imported machines, a self-propelled white radish combine harvester was designed based on the material, growth characteristics, and agronomic pattern of white radish. This combines harvester can realize the functions of white radish tassel gathering, deep soil loosening, clamping and conveying, tassel cutting, and collecting. In this research, the overall design of the harvester is described, and the structural and working parameters and kinematic requirements of the tassel gathering device, clamping and conveying device, tassel cutting device, and vibrating deep loosening device are determined by mechanical and kinematic analysis. Innovatively, a range of values for the tassel gathering speed ratio of 1.7–4.2 is proposed for the operation of the tassel gathering device suitable for white radish harvesting. The prototype was bench tested with the loss rate, damaged rate, and impurity rate as performance evaluation indexes. The results show that under the pitch of 240 mm between the taper angle of the tassel-raising device, a speed of 80 rpm for the tassel gathering device gathering claw belt rotation, a speed of 120 rpm for the clamping and conveying pulley rotation, a vibration frequency of 2 Hz and an amplitude of 15 mm for the vibrating deep loosening device, and a forward speed of 0.5 m/s (tassel gathering speed ratio: 1.7). The loss rate was 2.75%, the damage rate was 4.99%, and the impurity rate was 1.64%. During the operation, the innovatively designed white radish leaf gathering device can better fulfill the function of tassel gathering, and the systems worked well together, meeting the requirements of mechanized combined harvesting of white radish, but the adaptability to complex working conditions in the field needs to be further strengthened. This research can provide a reference for the design and optimization of mechanized white radish harvesting equipment. Full article