Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.


If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

A Method of Evaluating Different Guidance Systems

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  Paper number  021155,  2002 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.9153) @2002
Authors:   M. Reza Ehsani, Matthew Sullivan, Dr. Joel T. Walker, T. L. Zimmerman
Keywords:   Guidance systems, Global positioning systems, Precision agriculture, WAAS, Lightbar guidance

Knowing the accuracy of the many different guidance systems available on the market is of concern to growers and farmers who own, rent, or are considering purchasing one of these systems. This paper outlines the issues that need to be considered in comparing the accuracy of different guidance systems. Also, it introduces a method of evaluating and comparing the accuracy of different guidance systems. Six commercially available guidance systems were evaluated for overall performance in a series of field tests. All systems used WAAS as a source of differential signal. The data collected was evaluated by examining the mean error and standard deviation of error calculated from the differences in actual position of the tractor in field relative to the calculated (desired) position. The results indicate that with the exception of two systems, the accuracy of guidance systems on the straight line are not significantly different from each other.

(Download PDF)    (Export to EndNotes)