A Flexible, Low-Cost Cart for Proximal Sensing

Increasing interest in deploying multiple types of sensing instruments for agricultural plot-level observations has created a need for simple, high-clearance vehicles that can be easily maneuvered through crops while minimizing damage due to wheel traffic. We describe a simple cart built from a 2-m-wide by 1.2-m-long steel frame that was welded onto two bicycle frames at a height providing 1 m of vertical clearance. Instruments such as radiometers and infrared thermometers are attached to the frame via arms that are secured with U-bolts. A large, horizontal surface allows mounting data loggers, batteries, or computers. The cart is easily maneuvered by one person on level ground or by two persons on terrain with furrows, berms, or other obstacles. Design sketches and lists of materials are provided in an electronic supplement. The basic design is readily modifiable for different interrow spacings and sensor positions.