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Design and Development of Coconut Tree Climber (2016 – 2017)

N Jahan
Farm Machinery & Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur Bangladesh

Md. Israil Hossain
Farm Machinery & Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur Bangladesh

M N Amin
Farm Machinery & Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur Bangladesh

M A Hossain
Farm Machinery & Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur Bangladesh

M A Gulandaz
Farm Machinery & Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Coconut tree climber is a set of the device which helps to climb on coconut tree without any human efforts. Nowadays, most human activities are either replaced by the use of machines or another kind of equipment. It is very difficult to climb on a coconut tree manually due to the constant cylindrical structure and a single stem. In another type of tree, there will be branches for holding and to support the climber. Due to the risk involved nowadays, very few people are coming forward to climb on coconut trees. A study was conducted in Farm Machinery & Postharvest Process Engineering Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur. The primary goal of the study is to develop a coconut tree climbing device for farmers and residents and disseminate it through the farmers. During operation, the height of the trees was taken from 7m to 12.5m (23-40) ft. Different persons were taken with different heights, weights,s and ages during the operation. Before and after climbing on a tree operators' blood pressure data was taken for ergonomic evaluation. The highest speed of the machine during climbing on a tree was 10.72 m/min when the height of the tree was 8.90 m and the highest speed of the climber machine during climbing down from a tree was 8.06 m/min when the height of the tree was 12.5 m. The average climbing speed of a climber during climbing on a coconut tree found to be 4.93 m/min whereas it was 5.55 m/min during climbing down from the tree. The price of the machine is about 6000 Tk and the harvesting cost per tree was Tk.20.

Keywords: Development, Coconut tree climber, Economic, Performance

Location: Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-00-2016

End Date: 00-00-2017

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Commodity: Coconut

Objectives:

Objectives i) to design and fabricate of coconut tree climber ii) to evaluate the performance of coconut tree climber iii) to ensure the operator safety iv) to make an economic analysis of coconut tree climber

Methodology:

The fabrication work of a standing type coconut tree climber is completed at the workshop of the Farm Machinery and Postharvest Process Engineering Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur during 2016-2017. It was made of locally available materials. The materials used for the fabrication of different parts of the climber were stainless steel, MS flat bar, MS angle bar, MS rod, nut-bolt, rubber and other small items. Construction materials and a major component of coconut tree climber with specifications. The following data were collected during the test: i) Blood pressure of the operator (mm Hg) ii) Height of the tree (m) iii) Time required for climbing on (min) iv) Time required for climbing down (min) v) Speed of the machine during climbing on and climbing down from the coconut tree (m/min) vi) Cost of the machine. The few first times, peoples barely managed to get a few feet up from the ground. During the initial climbing, the skin of palm, chest and foot skin may be disturbed. This is what happens when people slide down hugging a coconut tree as hard as they can. There are two basic techniques of manual climbing on a tree. All techniques should be done barefoot and barehanded. A long-sleeve T-shirt might save the user’s skin from abrasion against the tree especially when the people are learning. The first method is the front-foot technique. It is similar to rock climbing. The climbing person has to put his hands close to each other on the back of the trunk, and pull one foot in front of the other one in front of the climbing person on the tree. By keeping pressure on the trunk with the balls of the climbing person’s feet and toes, walk up alternating moving feet and hands. Technically it seems to be the easiest to learn but requires good balance and arm strength (Jeff Jepson, 2000). This machine is standing type climber. It is a manually operated machine. One person can easily operate this machine. It has two parts. One part is used in the left leg and another part is in the right leg. These frames are independently movable and positional along the coconut tree trunk. In this machine, the tree gripping section consists of stainless steel wire and rubber tires. The materials used for the machine are stainless steel, MS flat bar, MS angle bar, MS rod, Mild Steel, Rubber, etc. The functional parts of the machine are the left and right handle, foot holder, tree holder, wire etc. The total weight of the machine is 9.7 kg. It has mainly two assemblies of similar construction. The user has maintained these two assemblies simultaneously by using hands and legs to climb on the coconut trees. In this construction, the user has to stand and operate the device. Initially, the steel wire of both assemblies has to be looped with the tree and to be locked. Then the one person can stand by placing foot on both assemblies and has to hold on to the handles. As the user raises the assembly by foot and by hand the steel wire will get loosen and when he push back with foot after reaching a particular height it will get tighten. By this process, the user can climb to the tree easily. The descending tree is exactly the reverse procedure. The machine works on the body weight and the steel rope wire will get adjusted as per the diameter of the tree by the force applied by the user towards gravity.

Source of Information: Annual Research Report 2016 – 2017, Farm Machinery & Postharvest Process Engineering Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur Bangladesh

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

In Bangladesh, farmers are habituated to climbing on a coconut tree manually. During operation, the highest speed of the climber machine during climbing on a tree was 10.72 m/min when the height of the tree was 8.90 m and the highest speed of the climber machine during climbing down from a tree was 8.06 m/min when the height of the tree was 12.5 m. During the economic evaluation, before climbing on a tree and after climbing down from a tree, both manual and mechanical operation blood pressure data was varied from 10-20 mmHg of systolic and diastolic pressure. The price of the machine is calculated about 6000 Taka and the harvesting cost was 20 Tk/tree. Though there are some problems with coconut climbing machines it will be useful for both residential growers and commercial cultivators. This experiment will be continued next year to make it user friendly.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings