Automated Rainout Shelter

Rainout shelter structure before motor installation.

Research usage

  • Simulate the precipitation-reducing effect that climate change may cause in the Sierra Foothills and quantify the change in forage yield

Personal involvement

  • Research prior rainout shelter designs for automated movement method
  • Design a tracked wheel assembly that prevents lift-up in windy conditions using Solidworks
  • Design a rack-and-pinion style, electric drivetrain to move rainout shelter up and down a slope with chain and wire cable
  • Program a Campbell Scientific datalogger (CR300) to trigger a subroutine in a separate, primary PLC during precipitation event
  • Program a primary/secondary PLC network over 4-20mA analog signal to issue deploy/retract commands to an array of 16 rainout shelters
  • Program secondary PLC logic for safe deployment of rainout shelter
  • Plan radio network for remote data collection and datalogger control over hilly terrain using LOGGERNET
  • Suggest best practices for integration of hydraulic motor and PLC automation
  • Order building material from local vendors
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Kyle Cheung
Graduate Student

Working on applying advanced remote sensing and AI to next generation of agricultural decisions.