Product category:
Electromechanical Components
News Release from: Animatics | Subject: Microphor
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 16 May 2001
Taking the backache out of roadside weed
spraying
The Animatics SmartMotor is at the heart of a novel and effective solution to weed control on the highways of California.
Noxious weeds growing in the cracks and under the guardrails along the nation's roadways cause millions of dollars in damage every year The imposed challenge is to find an efficient, cost effective, and environmentally safe solution that will eliminate the weeds
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 7 Dec 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Animatics has applied its miniaturised motion control technology to a free-standing controller amplifier called the RTC-3000.
The SmartMotor, developed by Animatics Corporation in Santa Clara, California, helped to solve this problem by employing a novel approach.
The SmartMotor is a stand-alone, brushless DC servomotor with built in controller, drive and network capability.
A NEMA 56 size SmartMotor is used to actuate a boom in a roadside weed spraying system developed by Microphor in Willits, California.
Further reading
Fully integrated servo at a stepper-type price
Like other SmartMotors, the Animatics SM2315 is a controller, amplifier and encoder built into a true brushless DC servomotor, but at a one-off cost of just $499.
IP65 sealing extends integrated motor range
Animatics has released its 2300 series and 3400 series IP65 SmartMotors for wash-down, dusty, corrosive or outdoor environments.
The automated system mounts the motor, a 110 gallon spray tank, and other hardware on the bed of a pick-up truck.
Weed killer is sprayed from both a fixed boom underneath the truck as well as a retractable boom that rotates and extends five feet to each side of the vehicle to cover a range of 13ft (4m).
As the truck drives along dirt or paved roads, a light sensing spray head activates when the light spectrum associated with chlorophyll is detected.
A total of 13 spray heads independently seek and spray individual weeds but do not spray bare surfaces.
To spray weeds and avoid obstacles while maintaining a truck speed of between 5-15mph (8-25km/h), the motion of the boom must be affected quickly.
The high torque of the SmartMotor is enough to extend and retract the boom in 0.5s.
Sensors at the front of the truck register obstacles such as utility poles and street signs.
The spray arm automatically retracts when an obstacle larger than 6 x 50mm is within sensor range.
The SmartMotor receives inputs from the truck's radar, speedometer and optical sensors.
As the SmartMotor scans the various inputs, the controller constantly makes real-time calculations of acceleration and velocity needed to position the boom.
A motion-control program is stored on a memory module in the motor itself.
The program employs a very rich command set that includes motion control, arithmetic functions, Boolean operators and conditional logic.
The resultant system is a self contained, mobile, highly efficient package that yields the operator significant savings in chemical costs.
Compared with conventional systems, 50 to 80% of chemicals costs savings are attained.
Additionally, reducing the amount of applied weedkiller addresses growing concerns about the overuse of agricultural chemicals.
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