Design and Fabrication of Automated Smart Solar Grass Cutter Using GPS Technology
Design and Fabrication of Automated Smart Solar Grass Cutter Using GPS Technology
ABSTRACT: Due to the continuous increase in the cost of fuel and the effect of emission of gases from the burnt fuel into the atmosphere,
this necessarily indicate the use of the abundant solar energy from the sun as a source of power to drive a lawn mower. A solar powered
lawn mower was designed and developed, based on the general principle of mowing. The designed solar powered lawnmower comprises of
direct current (D.C) motor, a rechargeable battery, solar panel, a stainless-steel blade and control switch. Mowing is achieved by the D.C
motor which provides the required torque needed to drive the stainless-steel blade which is directly coupled to the shaft of the D.C motor.
The solar powered lawnmower is operated by the switch on the board which closes the circuit and allows the flow of current to the motor
which in turn drive the blade used for mowing. The battery recharges through the solar charging controller. Performance evaluation of the
developed machine was carried out with different types of grasses.
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This can eliminate wear patterns in the lawn caused by the agriculture industry by decreasing the time and work cost,
mower only being able to follow one wire back to the station. A as well as enhancing output efficiency.
robotic lawn mower is an autonomous robot used to cut lawn
grass. A typical robotic lawn mower requires the user to set up 4. Author has illustrated how an automatic lawn cutter can
a border wire around the lawn that defines the area to be aid the employer to clip the grass in their lawn with
mowed. The robot uses this wire to locate the boundary of the minimal labours. Distinct sensors are used, they will
area to be trimmed and in some cases to locate a recharging discover and evade targets and humans while clipping.
dock. Robotic mowers are capable of maintaining up to 20,000 The major goal of this automatic lawn cutter is that the
m 2 (220,000 sq-ft) of grass. employer can assign the region that is to be clipped and also
Automated solar grass cutter are increasingly sophisticated, are the height of grass.
self-docking and some contain rain sensors if necessary,
5. Author developed an autonomous lawn mower that will
nearly eliminating human interaction. Robotic lawn mowers
permit the employers to clip their grass with less time and
represented the second largest category of domestic robots used
labour. Dissimilar other robotic lawn mowers in the shop,
by the end of 200Possibly the first commercial robotic lawn
this scheme needs no circumference wires to keep the robot
mower was the MowBot, introduced and patented in 1969 and
within the lawn. Through an array of sensors, this robot will
already showing many features of today's most popular
not only remain within the lawn, but it will also evade and
products. In 2012, the growth of robotic lawn mower sales was
discover targets and humans. This scheme is yet in the
15 times that of the traditional styles. With the emergence of prototype period due to financial and time reconstructions.
smart phones some robotic mowers have integrated features
within custom apps to adjust settings or scheduled mowing 6. Author invented grass clipping tool with rotary blades by
times and frequency, as well as manually control the mower utilizing solar energy. The solar energy is trapped in the
with a digital joy-stick. photovoltaic cell to produce electricity. The cells may be
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gathered in the shape of plates or arrays. Solar panel is
designed such that to absorb high intensity from the sun.
2 LITERATURE REVIEWS The major job of solar charger is raised current during
batteries after that solar is charging and releasing when
they are totally charged.
1. At first author had enhanced a new lawn cutting -
equipment. The system consists of a solar-powered revival
release reaper that uses suitable power to work itself. This 3 PROBLEM FORMULATION
robot is provided with 34 solar -cells established on top of
the frameworks scheme and has the ability of processing
A solar grass cutter is a machine that uses a revolving-blades to
possessions up to 13, 500sq-ft. The device works at the same
cut a lawn at an even height. Lawn mowers employing a blade
rule as the Lawn Ranger exclude it employs a cable under
that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers,
the surface of a person’s lawn. The mower utilizes this cable
while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a
along with its sensors to permit the robot to shunt around
horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel mowers. Many
while conservation the system on the path. The mower will
designs have been made, each suited to a particular purpose.
keep to run as long as the mower has capacity, from the sun.
The smallest types, pushed by a human, are suitable for small
The robot is provided with elastic absorber that when
residential lawns and gardens, while larger, self-contained,
stimulated backs the mower up and keeps the robot on a
ride-on mowers are suitable for wide lawns, and the largest
several tracks.
multi-gang mowers pulled behind a tractor, are designed for
large expanses of grass such as golf courses and municipal
2. Authors have automated instrument for clipping the
parks.
grass. The machine comprises of linear blade which is
worked with the aid of the motor which is using battery as
power supply. Power supply and battery can be used for
charging the battery. Infra-red sensor is used for sensing THE PROBLEMS WITH AVAILABLE GRASS CUTTER ARE:
any obstacles in the track. If there is any changing in the
track, then the instrument employing free trend sensor and
discover the fresh way to departure. The main advantage of
this device the damage of this device is avoided. 1. Power consumption: the available grass cutter are
petrochemical powered or electrical powered which will
3. Authors presented a review of researches done on the consume large amount of conventional energy source.
subject of automated tractor. An autonomous tractor is a car 2. Human effort & safety: the mowing work always needs
that can work with least possible human monitoring, self- to get control with a worker for the proper mowing with
propelled and controlled automatically along a required foremost safety.
route. The advantages from such a device are benefit for
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International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 11, Issue 6, June-2020
ISSN 2229-5518 270
3. Time consumption: for mowing the land in different Disadvantages are high maintenance and low life-span for high
patterns and design it takes larger time and much human intensity uses. Maintenance involves regularly replacing the
effort. carbon brushes and springs which carry the electric current, as
well as cleaning or replacing the commutator. components are
necessary for transferring electrical power from outside the
motor to the spinning wire windings of the rotor inside the
motor. Brushes consist of conductors.
4 MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS USED
4.5 IR Sensors
4.1 Charging Station A Sensor converts the physical parameter (for example:
In practice, the maximum voltage is in the range of 0.6 volt and temperature, blood pressure, humidity, speed, etc.) into a signal
this occurs in open circuit, when no power is produced. The which can be measured electrically. Sensors are sophisticated
maximum power of a silicon cell occurs at an output voltage of devices that are frequently used to detect and respond to
approximately 0.45 volts when there is bright sunlight, the electrical or optical signals to detect and avoid the object to
current from a commercial cell is then roughly 270 amperes per reduce the chances of failure of blade.
sq.-m of exposed surface. The power is thus about 0.45 × 270 =
120 watts. The rate at which solar energy reaches the top of the
atmosphere is 1.353kW/sq.-m (Kalyan, 2013). Part of this energy 5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
is reflected back to the space and an electric switch is connected
to the circuit to control the flow of current.
• The Solar grass robot is made up of an induction motor,
a battery, an alternator, three collapsible blades, and a
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4.2 Battery link mechanism.
Batteries are available in various volts and ampere hour range.
• The power and charging system comprises of an
To determine the one to use, consideration was given to the
alternator which charges the battery while in operation.
voltage and the ampere hour rating. Since the motor is 1.5hp,
The D.C. motor forms the heart of the machine and
then a 12V battery was selected. The ampere hour measures the
provides the driving force for the collapsible blades.
length of time the battery will discharge while in use and is not
charging. A 17-ampere hour battery will give a 17 amp of
• This is achieved by the combined effect of mechanical
current for one hour and the current required by the motor is
action of the cutting blades and the forward thrust of
less than that.
the mower. The system is powered by an electrical
switch which completes the circuit comprising the
4.3 Arduino
induction motor and the battery.
Arduino is brain of overall system. Arduino is single-board
• The Ultra sonic sensor is finding the path to avoid the
microcontroller intended to make building interactive objects or
obstacles, machine damage and rotation. The shaft
environments more accessible. Introduced in 2005, the
fitting mechanism tasks with which the height of cut is
Arduino’s designers sought to provide an inexpensive and easy
altered.
way for hobbyists, students, and professionals to create devices
that interact with their environment using and actuators. The 10 watts solar panel is used to charge the batteries
which are rechargeable. the solar panel gives maximum 18v
4.4 DC Motor
and 580mA-current we need charging circuit between solar
panel and batteries. The charging circuit has voltage
A DC motor relies on the fact that like magnet poles repel and
regulator which regulates voltage to 15v and one transistor
unlike magnetic poles attract each other. A coil of wire with a
to amplify the maximum current to circuit and diode is
current running through it generates an electromagnetic field
aligned with the centre of the coil. By switching the current on or used. We use 12 voltage battery for entire circuit and
off in a coil its magnetic field can be switched on or off or by another 12v volts for cutting blade. The microcontroller
switching the direction of the current in the coil the direction of 8051 takes the input from the ultrasonic sensors, when any
the generated magnetic field can be switched 180°. A simple DC interrupt or obstacle occurs the ultrasonic sensor senses the
motor typically has a stationary set of magnets in the stator and obstacle and gives feedback to microcontroller then
an armature with a series of two or more windings of wire according to the program which was given to
wrapped in insulated stack slots around iron pole pieces (called microcontroller its turns left or right. It waits until some
stack teeth) with the ends of the wires terminating on a delay and senses again and same procedure works if no
commutator. Advantages of a brushed DC motor include low detection occurs to ultra-sonic range then it moves forward
initial cost, high reliability, and simple control of motor speed. until it finds some detection. B The movement of bot is done
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International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 11, Issue 6, June-2020
ISSN 2229-5518 271
by using the two DC motors of 100 rpm. The motors are 6 MODEL-ILLUSTRATION
driven by using motor driver (L293D). It is known as H-
Bridge. The main purpose of using motor driver is because
that DC motors require the minimum voltage as 9v as input.
But the microcontroller gives output as only 5v so we
require 9v to 12v for driving the motors. Then we use motor
driver which takes 5v as input and gives the 12v for motors.
The L293D motor driver drives only two motors which can
move in both directions. And the cutting blade is used to
cut the grass.to cut any type grass we need high rpm motor,
so we used 1400 rpm motor for cutting blade. The motors
runs directly by 12v rechargeable battery. The DPDT
switches are used for movement of bot and cutting blade
separately.
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Figure 6.1: Solar Powered Lawn Mower
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International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 11, Issue 6, June-2020
ISSN 2229-5518 272
reasoned out and placed carefully, thus contributing to the best
working of the unit. Secondly, using highly advanced IC’s with
7 DESIGN PARAMETERS the help of growing technology, the project has been
successfully implemented. Thusly the project has been
successfully designed and tested. This lawn mower will meet
8.1 Selection of electric motor the challenge of environmental production and low cost of
operation since there is no cost for fuel-filling. A lawn mower
A) 30 RPM DC motor SPEED = 30 has been developed for the use of residences and establishments
B) RPM VOLTAGE = 12 VOLT that have lawns where tractor driven mowers could not be used.
C) WATTS = 18 WATT
A) Torque = (P X 60) / (2 X 3.14 X N) To allow for greater flexibility in the design, a custom-built
B) Torque = (18X 60) / (2 X 3.14 X 30) platform will be used. Much experience has already been
C) Torque = 5.72 Nm Torque = 5.72 x 10³ N-m gained with the other sensors working on the first two
D) The shaft is made of MS and its allowable shear stress = 42 generations of autonomous lawn mowers. This is the key
M-Pa system that will enable the mower to recognize objects, avoid
E) Torque = 3.14 x fs x d ³ / 16 5.72 x 10³ = 3.14 x 42 x d ³ / 16 D them, and can move also in a pattern. We completed our project
= 8.85 mm successfully with the available sources. But the results and
F) The nearest standard size is d = 9 mm. modifications are not up to the expectations. This can be further
improved by incorporating the following modifications to
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obtain better results. The efficiency can be increased by using
8.3 Electrical (electric) power equation some other mechanism. and speed of motor is reduced because
we have used heavy material and this material can be replaced
A) Power P = I × V Where V = 12 W = 18 I=18/12=1.5 by using light weight material .and design of blades should be
B) A H.P = .02414 done based on types of grass is used to cut.
Sample plot Average height of the Average height of the Expected height of the
grass before mowing grass after mowing (mm) grass after mowing (mm)
(mm)
Elephant grass 224 90 100
Stubborn grass 234 92 100
Spare grass 111 70 80
Carpet grass 70.5 56.5 50
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International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 11, Issue 6, June-2020
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[6]."Smart Solar Grass Cutter Robot for Grass Trimming" by
Ashish kumar chaudhari, Yuvraj sahu, Pramod kumar sahu,
Subhash Chandra verma , in Vol 7, June 2008.
11 APPLICATIONS
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12 ADVANTAGES
13 REFERENCES
[3]. Ms. Bhagyashri R. Patil, Mr. Sagar S. Patil. Solar Based Grass
Cutting in International Journal of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IJEEE). Vol.4, January-June 2017.
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