Design, Fabrication, and Testing of an Air-Pressurized Cannon for Agricultural Seed Pods

Abstract

This study presents the design, fabrication, and testing of an air-pressurized cannon developed to enhance precision and efficiency in agricultural seed planting. Traditional sowing methods are often labor-intensive and ineffective in challenging terrains, leading to uneven seed distribution and suboptimal crop yields. To address these issues, the air-pressurized cannon was tested under controlled field conditions with varying launch angles (30°, 40°, and 50°), air pressures (30, 40, and 50 psi), and three seed pod designs: round-nose cylindrical (AL), mortar shell (CL), and cluster bomb (TL). The results demonstrated that the AL pod achieved the maximum distance of 85.1 meters at a 40° angle and 40 psi, emphasizing the importance of weight and aerodynamic design. Germination tests confirmed the system's capability to maintain seed integrity and promote healthy growth, with CL pods exhibiting the fastest germination rates. These findings highlight the cannon's potential to improve planting accuracy, reduce labor, and enhance sustainability, particularly in regions where traditional methods are less effective. Future work will focus on refining seed pod designs and conducting field tests under diverse environmental conditions to further optimize the system's performance.