Download QIN ZHANG, director, Center for Precision and Automated

QIN ZHANG, director, Center for Precision
and Automated Agricultural Systems, and
professor, Department of Biological Systems
Engineering, Washington State University,
Pullman, Washington, is being honored for his
outstanding contributions to the advancement
of knowledge and technology in off-road equipment mechatronics, intelligent agricultural
machinery, and agricultural automation.
Zhang’s distinguished career to date have included providing farmers
practical and usable automation technologies such as tractor auto-guidance
systems, on-equipment real-time crop health detection systems, site-specific
data process and decision support tools, and automated variable-rate application controls to practice mechanized precision farming operations. He
developed mechatronics technologies suitable for agricultural equipment
use such as advanced control technologies for tractor/combine hydraulic
implement systems and equipment health prognostic tools. He developed
mechanization technologies applicable in horticulture production such as
mechanical harvest of tree fruit and mechanical thinning of blossoms and
green fruit. He has also developed mechanization technologies for biofuels
feedstock production. Many of Zhang’s technologies have been adopted by
equipment manufacturers, with huge economic impact.
In 2009, Zhang started to serve at the Center for Precision and Automated
Agricultural Systems at Washington State University and as the center director
has led a ten-faculty-member team conducting trans-disciplinary research and
extension on agricultural automation and mechanization. The team has led or
participated in more than 20 federal, state, and industry research projects, with
a total budget of more than $10 million. The Center successfully developed
a targeted sprayer and a mechanical blossom-thinning technology ready for
commercialization, and has established two formal research and education collaborative relationships with similar programs in Germany and Japan.
Zhang initiated and established an international forum for precision
agriculture technologies and organized its first meeting, which included
20 plus international research leaders, to discuss strategies for advancing
related research and education. He has created and taught five engineering
courses that have formed the core in the curriculum of agricultural equipment mechatronics at UIUC and WSU.
Zhang has authored or coauthored more than 100 peer-reviewed
journal articles, 160 presented papers, and three books. His research work
has resulted in nine U.S. patents.
In his 25 years of ASABE membership, Zhang has contributed leadership
to Power and Machinery, Information and Electrical Technology (IET), and
Award committees. He has co-chaired two ASABE-sponsored conferences on
Automation Technology for Off-road Equipment, served as IET division associate
editor for Transactions of the ASABE, and chaired the Central Illinois section. In
addition to various innovative and excellence in teaching, research, and faculty
honors, he has received ASABE awards that include eight Paper and IET Select
Meeting Paper awards. Other professional activities include membership in the
Club of Bologna and involvement as a Board member of CIGR Section III.