Newswire

ISTVS/ISU Symposium on Terramechanics in Agricultural Soil-Vehicle Systems

May 21, 2025 | Iowa State University (ISU), Ames, Iowa, USA

Event Chair: Professor Mehari Z. Tekeste, Director of Soil Machine Dynamic Laboratory (SMDL), Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA. 

A I M

The ISTVS/ISU Symposium On Terramechanics in Agricultural Soil - Vehicle Systems at ISU, Ames, Iowa aims to enhance the awareness of the ISTVS as an international society in the field of vehicle-terrain systems. Conducting the mini-symposium is expected to engage undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in off-road vehicle systems, engineers in the private industry in agriculture and construction equipment manufacturers, tire and track manufacturers for agriculture and construction machines, digital technology developers for these industries and farmers on Agricultural Soil-Vehicle Systems.

T H E M E S

During the one-day ISTVS/ISU program after the introductory opening by the President of the ISTVS, Dr. Lutz Richter and invited guest speaker talk on the state-of-the art in the technologies and applications of the terramechanics on Agricultural Soil of Vehicle Systems related to manned and unmanned Vehicle Systems, we will organize technical sessions and student-poster competitions on the following broader terramechanics agricultural soil-vehicle systems topics:

  • Terrain characterization and measurement methods of terramechanics properties on agricultural soils for vehicle design and performance analysis

  • Innovative testing and modeling of mobility systems-soil interactions from various vehicle chassis configurations (tires, two and four tracks) and precision tire inflation pressure technologies

  • Terramechanics soil models and tire/track modeling for advancing physics-based computational modeling techniques

  • Advances in traction and soil compaction studies from high-deflection (low-ground pressure) tire and track technologies and their effects on soil health and crop productivity

  • Collaboration and networking of students, researchers and industry community with interest on educational programs and knowledge of terramechanics agricultural soil-vehicle systems and the ISTVS international association

T E N T A T I V E E V E N T S C H E D U L E

Morning Session: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm

  • 8:00 am to 8:15 am: Opening by the President of the ISTVS

  • 8:20 am to 8:50 am: Invited speaker talk
    Topic: The bevameter technique - It’s present and future
    Speaker: Dr. Jo Y. Wong, Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario

  • 9:00 am to 12:00 pm: Technical presentation sessions

Lunch: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Afternoon Session: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

  • 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Students Poster Presentation and Competition

  • 1st Rated Student Poster Award (Attend ISTVS 2025 Conference)

  • 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Technical discussion on soil measurement standards (bevameter, cone penetrometer, plate sinkage) and soil properties (soil compaction, shear, dilation) for terramechanics – working group virtual meeting attendees from ISTVS and American Society of Agricultural Engineering (ASABE)- Machine Systems (MS)-45 Committee on Soil-Plant-Machine Dynamics.

  • 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm: Tour to Soil Machine Dynamics Laboratory at ISU

R E G I S T R A T I O N I N F O R M A T I O N

Registration is to be opened soon.

  • Early registration (Before April 15) $185

  • Registration (After April 15): $225

  • Students: Free Registration (Registration required)