May 21, 2025 | Iowa State University (ISU), Ames, Iowa, USA
ISTVS/ISU Symposium 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.
E-mail: mtekeste@iastate.edu
ISTVS/ISU Symposium Co-Chair: Dr. Thomas R. Way, Agricultural Engineer, USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Auburn, AL, USA.
E-mail: tom.way@usda.gov
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 (In-person and Virtual)
8:00 am to 8:15 am: Opening by the President of the ISTVS, Dr. Lutz Richter
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, Ontario9:00 am to 12:00 pm: Technical presentation sessions
Detailed presentation schedule to be announced
Lunch: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm (In-person and Virtual)
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Students poster presentation (In-person)
Student competition with Best student poster award announced at the end2:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Technical discussion (In-person and Virtual)
Terramechanics Standards DiscussionSoil measurement devices (bevameter, cone penetrometer, and plate sinkage)
Soil properties measurement methods (soil compaction, shear, and dilation)
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
Early registration (Before April 30, 11:59 pm CST): $185
Registration (May 1 - May 21): $225
Students: Free Registration (Registration required)
Payment type: Credit card
Change in Plans:
Cancellations on or before May 7, 2025, can receive a full refund minus a $25 processing fee. No refunds are provided for cancellations after May 7; attendees may send a substitute in their place. Please email cancellation or substitution requests to registrations@iastate.edu.