Development of a Self-Coordinated Communication System for Scaring Birds on Rice Farms
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Date
2015-06-23
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Abstract
The study appraised techniques for communicating hazards to birds and developed a self-coordinated electronic communication system for scaring birds. It also determined the optimal placement of the bird-sensory electronic devices on the rice farms. This was with a view to solving the problem of menace of birds on rice farms.
Static (e.g. scarecrow) and dynamic (e.g. drumming) methods of communicating hazards to birds through their tactile sensory cells bristle feathers, vibration sensors (Herbot's corpuscles), hearing tubes, rods and cones sensory cells were appraised in relation to their practical implementation and cost effectiveness. A prototype system was simulated by designing an infrared (IR) transmitter and receiver circuits, which were constructed using relevant combination of electronic techniques. Subsequently, an electronic IR motion detection system comprising of pyroelectric infrared sensor, Fresnel’s lens, amplifier and comparator circuits were developed and implemented. In addition, the architecture of the system was fitted with air vibration mechanisms human eye-structured and sound producing units. The overall assembly was covered with sheet of rust-free metallic sunlight reflector.
The results showed that the effective coverage field and detection range for the simulated IR transmitter and receiver system were 10° and 1.5m respectively. This system was characterized with low quality siren output, faulty triggering during systems stand misalignment and inability to electronically facilitate other actuators for the effective scaring of birds. Furthermore, the self-coordinated communication system had a coverage field of 95° and a detection range of 27.4 m. The prototype of this system was observed to scare birds when the air vibration mechanism produced artificial oscillation of air molecules. The illumination produced by the human eye-structured unit coupled with the reflection of diffused sunlight rays from the body of the system disturbed the sight of the birds. Also, sound of triangular waveform signals with frequencies from 0.6 kHz to 1.5 kHz in periodic bursts of 3.0 seconds was interpreted by the birds as scare signals.
In conclusion, the device was found to be suitable for the communication of hazard to birds attacking rice plants which is fundamental to improving the yield per hectare of the protected area.
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Self-coordinated electronic communication system, Communicating hazards to birds, Scaring birds, Menace of birds on rice farms, Rice plants