Automatic Height Control of a Sugarcane Harvester Basecutter

The operator of a sugarcane harvester cannot see the basecutter and depends on sound to adjust its height. A mechanical/hydraulic system was developed to follow the vertical changes in row height and the lateral changes in the location of sugarcane stalks on the top of the row. The system sensor was an articulated skid mounted in front of the cutter blade. Laboratory and field tests showed the system was able to keep the blade adjusted within 2.54 cm of the top of the row when tested under simulated field conditions.¹