Automated Steering Algorithm and Geospatial Positioning System for Wetland Boat Tractors: A Dual-Level Control Framework

¹ Program of Agriculture Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, 30139 Palembang, Indonesia
² Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, 30622 Ogan Ilir, Indonesia

Abstract

The modernization of wetland agriculture remains fundamentally constrained by the manual operation of boat tractors, necessitating advanced electromechanical and spatial positioning retrofits to achieve autonomy. This study engineered and validated the foundational steering and positioning subsystems for an automated boat tractor platform. An applied engineering approach was employed to integrate a hierarchical dual-level microcontroller architecture with a motor-actuated cable-pulley steering linkage and a global navigation satellite system. To ensure operational resilience, high-efficiency buck converters were incorporated to sustain logic-level stability and suppress voltage transients during high-torque actuation. Static positional precision was quantified using the Haversine formula, while electromechanical performance was evaluated under rigorous field load conditions. Empirical analyses revealed a mean static positional deviation of 3.17 m (± 1.87 m SD) in challenging agro-hydrological environments. The steering actuator required an effective force of 103.11 N, consuming 43.59 W of power and generating 6.94 Nm of torque, yielding a mechanical transmission efficiency of 70.05%. The corresponding 29.95% mechanical dissipation was primarily attributed to cable elasticity and pulley-guide frictional resistance. Furthermore, the hierarchical control architecture robustly executed electromechanical commands, ensuring reliable signal transmission and consistent actuator responsiveness. These validated subsystems provide a highly reliable hardware framework, establishing a robust architectural basis for transitioning toward fully autonomous mechanization in complex wetland agroecosystem.