First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a Farm
This study evaluates the safety aspects of a prototype electric vehicle designed to enable wheelchair users to independently perform simple farm tasks in rural settings, like sample collection and crop monitoring. The vehicle, built at CREA, features four in-wheel electric motors, a pneumatic suspen...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1132 |
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| author | Laura Fornaciari Roberto Tomasone Daniele Puri Carla Cedrola Renato Grilli Roberto Fanigliulo Daniele Pochi Mauro Pagano |
| author_facet | Laura Fornaciari Roberto Tomasone Daniele Puri Carla Cedrola Renato Grilli Roberto Fanigliulo Daniele Pochi Mauro Pagano |
| author_sort | Laura Fornaciari |
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| description | This study evaluates the safety aspects of a prototype electric vehicle designed to enable wheelchair users to independently perform simple farm tasks in rural settings, like sample collection and crop monitoring. The vehicle, built at CREA, features four in-wheel electric motors, a pneumatic suspension system, and a secure wheelchair anchoring system. Tests at the CREA experimental farm assessed the vehicle’s whole-body vibrations on different surfaces (asphalt, headland, dirt road) using two tyre models and multiple speeds. A triaxial accelerometer on the wheelchair seat measured vibrations, which were analysed in accordance with ISO standards. Frequency analysis revealed significant vibrations in the 2–40 Hz range, with the <i>Z</i>-axis consistently showing the highest accelerations, which increased with the speed. Tyre A generally induced higher vibrations than Tyre B, likely due to the tread design. At high speeds, the effective accelerations exceeded safety thresholds on asphalt and headland. Statistical analysis confirmed speed as the dominant factor, with the surface type also playing a key role—headland generated the highest vibrations, followed by dirt road and asphalt. The results of these first tests highlighted the high potential of the vehicle to improve the agricultural mobility of disabled people, granting safety conditions and low vibration levels on all terrains at speeds up to 10 km h<sup>−1</sup>. At higher speeds, however, the vibration levels may exceed the exposure limits, depending on the irregularities of the terrain and the tyre model. Overcoming these limitations is achievable through the optimization of the suspensions and tyres and will be the subject of the next step of this study. This technology could also support wheelchair users in construction, natural parks, and urban mobility. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fff20e54cd6e4654b428eae88cdd56c7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-fff20e54cd6e4654b428eae88cdd56c72025-08-20T03:46:47ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-05-011511113210.3390/agriculture15111132First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a FarmLaura Fornaciari0Roberto Tomasone1Daniele Puri2Carla Cedrola3Renato Grilli4Roberto Fanigliulo5Daniele Pochi6Mauro Pagano7Consiglio Per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, ItalyConsiglio Per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, ItalyNational Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work (INAIL), Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, ItalyConsiglio Per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, ItalyConsiglio Per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, ItalyConsiglio Per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, ItalyConsiglio Per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, ItalyConsiglio Per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e L’analisi Dell’economia Agraria (CREA), Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo, ItalyThis study evaluates the safety aspects of a prototype electric vehicle designed to enable wheelchair users to independently perform simple farm tasks in rural settings, like sample collection and crop monitoring. The vehicle, built at CREA, features four in-wheel electric motors, a pneumatic suspension system, and a secure wheelchair anchoring system. Tests at the CREA experimental farm assessed the vehicle’s whole-body vibrations on different surfaces (asphalt, headland, dirt road) using two tyre models and multiple speeds. A triaxial accelerometer on the wheelchair seat measured vibrations, which were analysed in accordance with ISO standards. Frequency analysis revealed significant vibrations in the 2–40 Hz range, with the <i>Z</i>-axis consistently showing the highest accelerations, which increased with the speed. Tyre A generally induced higher vibrations than Tyre B, likely due to the tread design. At high speeds, the effective accelerations exceeded safety thresholds on asphalt and headland. Statistical analysis confirmed speed as the dominant factor, with the surface type also playing a key role—headland generated the highest vibrations, followed by dirt road and asphalt. The results of these first tests highlighted the high potential of the vehicle to improve the agricultural mobility of disabled people, granting safety conditions and low vibration levels on all terrains at speeds up to 10 km h<sup>−1</sup>. At higher speeds, however, the vibration levels may exceed the exposure limits, depending on the irregularities of the terrain and the tyre model. Overcoming these limitations is achievable through the optimization of the suspensions and tyres and will be the subject of the next step of this study. This technology could also support wheelchair users in construction, natural parks, and urban mobility.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1132disabled peoplemobilitytravel speedtyre modelvibrations |
| spellingShingle | Laura Fornaciari Roberto Tomasone Daniele Puri Carla Cedrola Renato Grilli Roberto Fanigliulo Daniele Pochi Mauro Pagano First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a Farm Agriculture disabled people mobility travel speed tyre model vibrations |
| title | First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a Farm |
| title_full | First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a Farm |
| title_fullStr | First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a Farm |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a Farm |
| title_short | First Results of a Study on the Vibrations Transmitted to the Driver by an Electric Vehicle for Disabled People During Transfer to a Farm |
| title_sort | first results of a study on the vibrations transmitted to the driver by an electric vehicle for disabled people during transfer to a farm |
| topic | disabled people mobility travel speed tyre model vibrations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1132 |
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