• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.61-73
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• 2013

This study presents the methods to improve the urban farming in Korea by analysing the current circumstances of urban farming in Korea. Specifically, the legal system in association with urban farming, current status of the act on the urban farming, the present situation of the Korean urban farming, and the comprehensive plans for urban farming have been analysed in order to grasp the present situations and seek for solutions. Based on these, the research provides effective supporting methods for sustainable urban farming in Korea. As a result, the essentials to improved urban farming can be summarized with two factors; securing more space for urban farming and improving the supporting system for the urban farmers. Enthusiastic attitudes of local governments, security of budget, and cooperation with the citizens are vital to expand the urban farming in addition to the institutional and systematic urban farming improving methods mentioned above.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.481-489
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• 2011

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an ergonomic checklist (AULA: Agricultural Upper-Limb Assessment) which can assess the risks of the work-related upper limb disorders of farming tasks in Korea. Background: There are few assessment tools that reflect the current condition of agricultural works as of now. Method: AULA was developed as following three stages. First of all, a physiological experiment was conducted with selected 14 upper limb postures which are frequently occurred in farming tasks and then, an ergonomic checklist was developed with determining risk levels of each body posture based on the experimental findings. Lastly, the ergonomic checklist was validated by comparing with the existing assessment tools. Results: When comparing the AULA which was developed in this study with the existing assessment tools, it was found that the AULA may get over limits of the existing ones which are sensitive to particular postures, but aren't sensitive to the rest of them. Conclusion: It is predicted that the developed upper limb posture assessment tool which gets over the existing tools' limits and is proper for domestic farm work conditions, will help to reduce musculoskeletal disorders caused by farm works, by assessing farm works more easily and objectively. Application: By further developing the theoretical groundwork on the induction of muscular skeletal system symptoms relating to agricultural works, it is expected to improve the level of preventing and managing such muscular skeletal system symptoms in the field of agricultural and farming works, which is relatively less advanced in terms of labor difficulties.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.121-146
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• 1997

Sunchon National University Farming Promotion Center is a unique social education institution for the farmers. This study intends to analyze the educational and training programs for future farmer candidates with a expert technology, successors to the rural leaders of Saemaul Movements, expert farmers, the students of farming practice courses in the Department of Agricultural Education, and the citizens participating in the social education courses. It is an urgent problem to recruit the experts in social education, and in specialized and advanced farm management technology. A committee for the betterment of the social education program should be consisted of the social education experts, and alumni of the Farming Promotion Center to share their farming information with one another. In order to achieve the successful goal in the education program of the Farming Promotion Center, the well planned field trips and the supervised farming practices should be secured, and the follow-up management system for the people finishing the courses of the educational programs should be formulated.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.18 no.3 s.47
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• pp.1-14
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• 2000

This study was to find out the status of labor division between rural husband and wife by measuring the labor time for tasks, the ratio of relative contribution toward work, and work segregation. Data used in this study were collected fro 424 persons of 212 farm households mainly cultivating rice and barley. The results of this study were as follows : 1) In the case of work directly related to farming, working hours of husband were significantly longer than those of wife during the farming and off-farming season. In contrast working hours of wife for housekeeping were significantly longer than those of husband during both seasons. 2) The ratio of relative contribution toward farming work of husband was a little higher than that of wife during farming and off-farming season. But this toward housekeeping work was less than that of wife. 3) The degree of gender segregation in farming was 0.33 during the farming season and 0.01 during the off-farming season. The kinds of work and time distribution were relatively same. The degree of gender segregation in housekeeping was 0.79 during the farming season and 0.72 during the off-farming season. These values showed inequality of work segregation in the kind of work and time distribution.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.933-942
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• 2010

Objective: To develop an ergonomic evaluation tool which can be apply to assess the lower-limb postures associated with farming tasks. Background: In general, most of existing ergonomic assessment tools was developed to investigate the work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the upper-limb postures in manufacturing industry. Methods: As the first step of development of the evaluation tool, 13 lower-limb postures that were commonly observed in farming task were investigated by the subjective discomfort ratings, heart rates, and muscle activities. And then, an ergonomic evaluation tool for the lower-limb postures was developed based on results of the first experiment. Lastly, the ergonomic checklist which was developed in the current study was compared with other existing ergonomic assessment tools. Results: Based on the results of comparisons between a newly developed assessment tool and other existing assessment tools, it was found that a newly developed tool can perceive more sensitively for the various lower-limb postures than other assessment tools. Conclusions: Lower-limb posture assessment tool which can evaluate and assess risks of lower-limb WMSDs which were prevalent in farming tasks more easily and accurately was developed in this study. The lower-limb assessment tool can also be utilized to prevent WMSDs related with lower-limbs as well as improve working environments.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2020

This paper designed modular agricultural robotic platform capable of a variety of agricultural tasks to address the problems caused by a decline in agricultural populations and an increase in average age. We propose a modular robotic platform that can perform many tasks required in field farming by replacing only work modules with common robotic platforms. This platform is capable of steering while driving on four wheels in an upland environment where farm work is performed, and an attitude control module is attached to each drive module to control the attitude of the platform. In addition, the width of the platform is designed to be variable in order to operate in various ridges according to the crop cultivation method. Finally, we evaluated five items: variable width, gradient, attitude control angle, step and road speed in order to carry out the farming industry while maintaining a stable posture.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.597-603
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• 2011

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare one-hand and two-hands lifting activity in terms of biomechanical stress for the range of lifting heights from 10cm above floor level to knuckle height. Background: Even though two-hands lifting activity of manual materials handling tasks are prevalent at the industrial site, many manual materials handling tasks which require the worker to perform one-hand lifting are also very common at the industrial site and forestry and farming. Method: Eight male subjects were asked to perform lifting tasks using both a one-handed as well as a two-handed lifting technique. Trunk muscle electromyographic activity was recorded while the subjects performed the lifting tasks. This information was used as input to an EMG-assisted free-dynamic biomechanical model that predicted spinal loading in three dimensions. Results: It was shown that for the left-hand lifting tasks, the values of moment, lateral shear force, A-P shear force, and compressive force were increased by the average 43%, as the workload was increased twice from 7.5kg to 15.0kg. For the right-hand lifting task, these were increased by the average 34%. For the two-hands lifting tasks, these were increased by the average 25%. The lateral shear forces at L5/S1 of one-hand lifting tasks, notwithstanding the half of the workload of two-hands lifting tasks, were very high in the 300~317% of the one of two-hands lifting tasks. The moments at L5/S1 of one-hand lifting tasks were 126~166% of the one of two-hands lifting tasks. Conclusion: It is concluded that the effect of workload for one-hand lifting is greater than two-hands lifting. It can also be concluded that asymmetrical effect of one-hand lifting is much greater than workload effect. Application: The results of this study can be used to provide guidelines of recommended safe weights for tasks involved in one-hand lifting activity.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.413-420
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• 2013

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare one-hand and two-hands lowering activity in terms of biomechanical stress for the range of lowering heights from knuckle height to 10cm above floor level. Background: Even though two-hands lifting/lowering activity of manual materials handling tasks are prevalent at the industrial site, many manual materials handling tasks which require the worker to perform one-hand lifting/lowering are also very common at the industrial site and forestry and farming. Method: Eight male subjects were asked to perform lowering tasks using both a one-handed as well as a two-handed lowering technique. Trunk muscle electromyographic activity was recorded while the subjects performed the lowering tasks. This information was used as input to an EMG-assisted free-dynamic biomechanical model that predicted spinal loading in three dimensions. Results: It was shown that for the left-hand lowering tasks, the values of moment, lateral shear force, A-P shear force, and compressive force were increased by the average 6%, as the workload was increased twice from 7.5kg to 15kg. For the right-hand lowering task, these were increased by the average 17%. For the two-hands lowering tasks, these were increased by the average 14%. Conclusion: Even though the effect of workload on the biomechanical stress for both one-hand and two-hands lowering tasks is not so significant for the workload less than 15kg, it can be claimed that the biomechanical stress for one-hand lowering is greater than for two-hands lowering tasks. Therefore, it can be concluded that asymmetrical lowering posture would give greater influence on the biomechanical stress than the workload effect for one-hand lowering activity. Application: The result of this study may be used to provide guidelines of recommended safe weights for tasks involved in one-hand lowering activity.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2000

Securing food safety, natural and social environmental protection, and activation of rural communities are some of challenging tasks for the 21st century. National consensus on agriculture as a basic and public industry would be needed to solve these challenging tasks. Agricultural policy and extension education should be focused on encouraging farmers to achieve better production and management by developing their motivation and ability. Systematic and organizational efforts to make a better environment for farming and farm management should be the major target of agricultural policy and extension services in the future. To meet changing needs of farmer, agricultural extension services should change programs, functions, information sources, and methods of delivery to adopt experiential learning for farmers. Functions for consultation, suggestion and organization should be extended and advisory services for farmers should be emphasized by providing extension education.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.139-145
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• 2010

Agricultural information was discussed for suggesting tasks and solutions of knowledge based information system. States of agricultural information systems in rural development administration were described and problems and tasks were summarized in knowledge needs survey of farmers who have to decide many alternatives for farming. Hard to access information are soil state, disease and insect pest. Important information in agriculture are water, soil fertility, soil physical property, and accessibility from main road. In conclusion, knowledge based agricultural information system can be developed based on surveyed needs.