Development of an electronic device for protection from agricultural machinery hazards

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an electronic device capable of being connected to agricultural machinery to protect operators from mechanical hazards. Material and Methods: The electronic device contains two electronic circuits for alarming and automatically shutting off. The device is equipped with a pair of passive infrared sensors with a daylight resistance to increase the devise sensitivity. The alarm circuit operates a siren that warns the operator when approaching dangerous objects such as rotors, knives, exposed gears, etc. The automatic disconnect circuit turns off the tractor's engine when the operator does not pay attention to the alarm. Four sensing distances of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.00 m were tested with three delay periods of 30, 60, and 90 s at two levels for the interstitial distances between the sensors of 150 and 200 mm. Results: The device was tested by simulating human hands to test the efficiency of the sensor response and the efficiency of the time delay. The addition of the day light resistance to the passive infrared sensor led to an increase in its response efficiency, from 90.67% to 95.83%. Conclusion: The developed electronic device can be attached to agricultural equipment to protect operators from operating risks.