Comparison of measurement methods for determining the track depth of tractors.

Protecting the soil, which serves as the basis for crop production, is a major challenge in view of the increasing weight of agricultural machinery. In the context of soil compaction, track depth is an important measure. As part of the ARDopt research project, the suitability of various ultrasonic sensors and photogrammetric methods for measuring the track depth was investigated. In addition, the influence of the parameters tire pressure, driving speed and soil moisture on the track depth was investigated. The continuous measurement of the track depth with commercially available ultrasonic sensors and the calculation of the track depth from digital surface models show a close correlation with the reference measurements. The tire pressure had the strongest influence on the measured track depth. Likewise, as expected, the influence of soil moisture on the track depth could be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]