Active disturbance rejection control system for rotary tiller tillage depth based on an improved snake optimizer

Authors

  • Wei Tao 1. Fujian Provincial University Research Center for Digitalization and Intellectualization of the Bamboo Whole Industry Chain, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China; 2. Fujian Key Laboratory of Big Data Application and Intellectualization for Tea Industry, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China
  • Bin Chen 1. Fujian Provincial University Research Center for Digitalization and Intellectualization of the Bamboo Whole Industry Chain, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China; 2. Fujian Key Laboratory of Big Data Application and Intellectualization for Tea Industry, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China
  • Yihan Huang 1. Fujian Provincial University Research Center for Digitalization and Intellectualization of the Bamboo Whole Industry Chain, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China
  • Ruixin Li 1. Fujian Provincial University Research Center for Digitalization and Intellectualization of the Bamboo Whole Industry Chain, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China
  • Jiayi Ren 1. Fujian Provincial University Research Center for Digitalization and Intellectualization of the Bamboo Whole Industry Chain, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China
  • Xinkun Yang College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuyi University, Nanping, Fujian 354300, China
  • Bo Guo 1. Fujian Provincial University Research Center for Digitalization and Intellectualization of the Bamboo Whole Industry Chain, Wuyi University, Nanping 354300, Fujian, China
  • Jianjin Wu College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuyi University, Nanping, Fujian 354300, China

Abstract

To address the challenge of low tillage depth precision in self-propelled electric rotary tillers operating under complex field conditions, this study proposes an active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) strategy with online parameter tuning realized by an improved snake optimizer (ISO). The ISO integrates three enhancement mechanisms—a multi-strategy chaotic system for population initialization, an anti-predator strategy for escaping local optima, and bidirectional population evolution dynamics for balancing exploration and exploitation. Sensor fusion of LiDAR terrain perception and displacement signals is accomplished through an extended Kalman filter, while a refined nonlinear function is embedded into both the extended state observer and the nonlinear state error feedback to strengthen disturbance estimation and compensation. Field experiments conducted in tea plantations at forward speeds of 0.72 and 1.20 km/h with target tillage depths of 50 and 90 mm show that the proposed ISO-ADRC system achieves a maximum depth deviation of 2.5 mm, an average standard deviation of 0.58 mm, and a coefficient of variation (CV) of (0.92±0.3)%. Compared with fuzzy PID, conventional ADRC, and IPSO-ADRC, the CV is reduced by 85.4%, 79.7%, and 20.0%, respectively. Simulation results further reveal a settling time of 0.102 s with zero overshoot and robust tracking performance under terrain disturbances. The proposed ISO-ADRC offers a compact electromechanical solution for precision tillage in tea plantation operations, serving as an effective alternative to conventional electro-hydraulic systems.      

Keywords: electric rotary tiller, improved snake optimizer, active disturbance rejection control, tillage depth control

DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20261902.9791

 

Citation: Tao W, Chen B, Huang Y H, Li R X, Ren J Y, Yang X K, et al. Active disturbance rejection control system for rotary tiller tillage depth based on an improved snake optimizer. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2026; 19(2): 203–214.

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Published

2026-05-21

How to Cite

(1)
Tao, W.; Chen, B.; Huang, Y.; Li, R.; Ren, J.; Yang, X.; Guo, B.; Wu, J. Active Disturbance Rejection Control System for Rotary Tiller Tillage Depth Based on an Improved Snake Optimizer. Int J Agric & Biol Eng 2026, 19, 203-214.

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 2 (2026): IJABE

Section

Power and Machinery Systems

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