Piper, A. G. (2004) Turf monitoring technology to aid in benchmarking and maintenance of sporting fields. [USQ Project]
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Abstract
A large sum of money goes into the establishment and upkeep of elite sporting fields
in Australia. Unfortunately the curators of suburban ovals do not have the luxury of
such budgets.
This project addresses the need for inexpensive aids to help the curators of these less
elite fields to better utilize the money in their tight budgets. The aids generated
also have the potential to benefit the more elite fields through better targeting of
maintenance practices.
Through appropriate selection of turf cultivar and surface preparation, a surface that
maximizes playability, limits injury and wears well can be created. Producing and
maintaining such a uniform surface is difficult due to the variable utilization rates of
different areas. To improve the effectiveness of the maintenance activities requires the
field to be managed in smaller areas often related to quantity of use. Managing at this
higher level requires more time being spent gathering and interpreting data, which is
expensive and requires a higher curator skill level.
If the collection and interpretation of data can be mechanized, then the increased
pressure applied to the curators time and skill base can be reduced. At present most
analytical tools are used in research with few used commercially. This is often due
to being cumbersome and difficult to use, as well as being expensive to acquire. The
data produced by these instruments is often of no value to the curators as it is useless
without a trained professional's interpretation.
This project, being of a research, design and construct nature, had to satisfy the following requirements and procedures.
The project was required to:
1. Identify quantitative measures of turf health and playability
2. Design a sensor to measure the most beneficial quantity
3. Link quantity to a position
4. Create a map of the collected data
5. Validate data collected
6. Draw conclusions as to the usefulness of the data collected
The visual analysis of a surface gives coverage and varietal information. Through
replicating the human recognition processes, areas needing attention can be identified.
The path from grass to map contains a sensor (camera) and a processor (laptop) that
converts the images into meaningful quantities which describe the surface condition.
Combining this with a GPS unit allows turf maps to be created (refer figure 1).
The use of these maps to identify areas that require rehabilitation can save precious
money and allow curators to provide better playing surfaces which make recreational
activities more enjoyable for all members of the community. -- This abstract is incomplete: see project for complete abstract.
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| Item Type: | USQ Project |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | No |
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Engineering and Surveying - Department of Agricultural, Civil and Environmental Engineering (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Oct 2007 00:12 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jul 2013 22:30 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | turf monitoring technology, sport field maintenance |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 09 Engineering > 0999 Other Engineering > 099901 Agricultural Engineering |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 40 ENGINEERING > 4099 Other engineering > 409901 Agricultural engineering |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/24 |
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