Small Farm Mechanization
Bridging the gap between animal power and modern agriculture
This project presents a novel tractor architecture to enable mechanization of bullock power in India. Existing tractors are inadequate substitutes for bullocks. Bullock's compact dimensions, high maneuverability, and low capital cost have allowed them to remain a popular choice for small and large farmers. These bullocks, however, are slow at covering ground, incompatible with modern precision tools, and have higher maintenance costs than tractors. “Bullkey” (the name given to GEAR Lab’s new vehicle design) seeks to combine the benefits of bullocks and conventional tractors, leaving their drawbacks behind.
Current work is dedicated to refining the architecture to maximize the vehicle's utility and build a competitive, marketable product. New consultation with smallholder farmers, mechanics and other stakeholders yields design insights which help produce a vehicle which serves the user’s needs in earnest. By focusing on ergonomics and ethnographics, Bullkey is designed collaboratively with end users in mind.
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Investigation of viability to replace draft animals with all-wheel-drive motorcycles on small farms
Diaz Lankenau, G. F., and Winter V, A. G., ASME Journal of Mechanical Design (2021) || download
Design of a specialized tractor to replace draft animals in small farms
Diaz Lankenau, G. F., and Winter, V. A. G., ASME Journal of Mechanical Design (2020) || download
An Engineering Review of the Farm Tractor's Evolution to a Dominant Design
Diaz Lankenau, G., & Winter, A., ASME Journal of Mechanical Design (2019) || download
Peer-Reviewed Conference Articles
Design of a Human-Powered Roll Stabilization Attachment for Utilitarian Two-Wheeled Vehicles.
Diaz Lankenau, G.F., Daigle, L., Ihns, S.H., Koch, E., Saadi, J., Tornes, P., Wu, J.M., and Winter V, A.G., Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Advanced Vehicle Technologies, ASME IDETC/CIE, (2019) Anaheim, California.
An Engineering Review of the Farm Tractor’s Evolution to a Dominant Design.
Diaz Lankenau, G.F., Winter V, A.G., Proceedings of the 44th Design Automation Conference (DAC), ASME IDETC/CIE, (2018) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Proof-of-Concept Evaluation of a Low-Cost and Low-Weight Tractor for Small-Scale Farms
Arelekatti, V. N. M., Björkdal, D., Graves, C., Wong, A., Mkrtchyan, A., & Winter, A., ASME IDETC/CIE (2014)