📋 Case Study

Precision Rice Paddy Tire Management in Vietnam

Excessive sinkage (>18 cm) causing transplanting misalignment and seedling mortality

🏗️ Project Overview

Mechanized transplanting system for 85-hectare Mekong Delta rice farms

🎯 Challenge

Excessive sinkage (>18 cm) causing transplanting misalignment and seedling mortality

🔧 Design Approach

Custom low-pressure radial tires (120 kPa) with extended footprint and integrated pressure sensors linked to auto-steer GPS

📐 Design Diagram

(Janosi-Hanamoto)Lateral Stability
Index = 0.31Target: z ≤ 17.5 cmReal-time
Alert if z > 17.5 cm(via sensor + model)

AI-generated project design illustration

📐 Key Calculations

Sinkage Prediction (Janosi-Hanamoto)

z = k₁(b/θ) + k₂(σ/τₘₐₓ)

Result: 17.3 cm

Validated within 0.8 cm of field measurements

Lateral Stability Index

Lateral Force / Vertical Load

Result: 0.31

Below 0.35 threshold for safe paddy operation

📊 Results

Transplanting accuracy improved from ±8.2 cm to ±2.1 cm; seedling survival increased from 74% to 91%

💡 Lessons Learned

• •Lateral stability matters more than vertical pressure in saturated soils
• •Sensor feedback enables closed-loop pressure control

✅ Key Takeaways

• 1Lateral stability matters more than vertical pressure in saturated soils
• 2Sensor feedback enables closed-loop pressure control