Seeding Cultivation - ME459 Project Presentation (Dr. AlSaibie)

Agriculture has been a fundamental and essential part of human life since ancient times. With the advancement of technology and modern living, relying on traditional and old methods has become challenging for many farmers due to the significant amount of time and effort required. Our goal in this project is to design an agricultural device specifically for planting seedlings, which will facilitate the planting process for farmers. It operates on a battery, and when the battery is depleted, it can be recharged to continue farming again, thereby increasing efficiency compared to relying on laborers who take considerable time and effort. This device has four wheels for movement, the reason for choosing four wheels for stability, and can be controlled via a remote control. At the top of the device, a movable PVC belt is used to transport the seedlings, and at the end of this belt, there is a transplanter that transfers the seedlings into the ground by a specific mechanism to complete the planting process. Also, the device has an irrigation system for watering the seedlings when the planting process is achieved. At the beginning of the project, several farms were visited to survey the problems faced by farmers and how to solve these problems. After gathering farmers' opinions, some concept generations were sketched by hand identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each concept. Finally, a concept with a reasonable price, high efficiency, good precision, and many other criteria important to farmers and anyone interested in this field was chosen. After selecting the final concept, it was drawn using SolidWorks software, and the essential mathematical calculations for this device were performed manually. Some parts of the device, such as the wheels, transplanter, and frame, were analyzed using SolidWorks software. After completing the design and manufacturing of the device, it was tested in the workshop and the farm to ensure it worked properly.

Supervisor: Dr. Ali AlSaibie

Semester: Spring 2024