Precision control system of rice potting and transplanting machine based on GA-Fuzzy PID controller

Aiming at the problems of low transverse conveying accuracy and poor speed adaptability in the mechanized transplanting of rice potted seedlings, this study focused on a precision transplanting machine with an independent motor drive and designed a precision control system using a GA-Fuzzy PID controller. Firstly, an interactive interface for human–machine interaction was developed based on kinematic analysis and the system's hardware configuration. Simultaneously, we constructed a negative feedback control model for the lateral movement speed of the conveying device. We integrated an adaptive genetic algorithm-optimized fuzzy PID control algorithm with the servo motor's S-curve acceleration and deceleration control. This combination enabled variable-speed input control for the lateral movement of the conveying device, enhancing lateral conveying accuracy while reducing vibration interference. Then, we conducted comparative experiments to evaluate the system's control precision and the performance of transplanting operations. Simulation results showed that the response speed, steady state, and robustness of GA-Fuzzy PID were better than those of traditional PID and fuzzy PID control. The dynamic speed transplanting test of the indoor whole machine showed that the average transplanting success rate of the GA-Fuzzy PID control system was 92.21 %, the average maximum speed error was 1.50 mm/s, the average speed coefficient of variation was 0.19 %, and the average plant spacing coefficient of variation was 1.29 % when the walking speed was in the range of 0.26 ∼ 0.48 m/s. A comparison of the field test results and the indoor test showed that the system could still operate stably under external interference, and the system had strong robustness and operational stability. Therefore, it showed that the GA-Fuzzy PID control system can adapt to different speeds, has good control performance, and meets fast and stable design requirements. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis and reference for the precise control of rice pot seedling transplanting.