Agricultural working device and method for identifying animals

Abstract

The present invention relates to an agricultural implement, in particular a grassland implement, with at least one working unit (3, 4, 5) and a detection device (6) for detecting animals in the working path (10, 11, 12) of the working unit (3, 4, 5), wherein the detection device (6) has at least one sensor (8, 9) for scanning the working path (10, 11, 12) in the direction of travel in front of the working unit (3, 4, 5) and an evaluation unit (13) for evaluating the signal of the sensor (8, 9) for animal detection. The invention further relates to a method for detecting animals or stones or the like in the working path of the working unit (3, 4, 5) of an agricultural implement (1), in which the said working path (10, 11, 12) is scanned with a detection device (6) comprising at least one sensor (8, 9) and the signal of the infrared sensor is evaluated for the presence of an animal or stone by means of an evaluation unit (13).According to one aspect of the present invention, the possibly pre-evaluated sensor signal is compared with at least one threshold value and a safety and / or quick-switching device is activated when the threshold value is exceeded and / or fallen below, wherein an adaptive threshold adjustment depending on stored machine operating data is provided.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an agricultural implement, in particular a grassland implement, comprising at least one working unit and a detection device for detecting animals in the working path of the working unit, wherein the detection device includes at least one sensor for scanning the working path in the direction of travel in front of the working unit and an evaluation unit for evaluating the sensor signal for animal detection. The invention further relates to a method for detecting animals or stones or the like in the working path of the working unit of an agricultural implement, in which a detection device comprising at least one sensor scans said working path and the signal from the infrared sensor is evaluated by means of an evaluation unit to determine the presence of an animal or stone.

[0002] When working grassland, it is often difficult for a machine operator to see if an animal is in the path of the implement. As a tractor and implement combination approaches, the animal often crouches down in fright and remains motionless, making it almost impossible to spot in the uncut crop, such as tall grass. This is particularly problematic with agricultural implements that process uncut crops, such as mowers, as the animals are especially difficult to see. However, it can also be a problem with other implements.

[0003] To protect animals from contact with machinery and resulting injuries, and conversely to protect machinery from damage caused by wildlife, detection devices are increasingly being used on the respective implement or on the tractor pulling or pushing it. These devices automatically detect animals in the work area of ​​the implements and trigger a warning signal or, if necessary, stop the implements. Corresponding sensors scan the ground or the work corridor, and evaluation units attempt to derive animal identification from specific signal patterns. However, this is difficult because the scanning signals react to various environmental influences, making it challenging to distinguish signal spikes caused by animals from other signal spikes.This is especially true for equipment processing uncut crops, as the standing crop generates various signal reflections, which are then superimposed by additional signal reflections reflecting the ground contours. However, similar problems also occur when an animal hides in, for example, a large, raked swath.

[0004] Patent DE 102 58 347 B4 describes a device for detecting bird nests and animals in grassland. This device uses infrared sensors in combination with a video camera to scan the furrows between adjacent rows of plants, row by row. The signal level is then used to determine whether a bird nest or animal is present in the scanned row. This signal level monitoring is based on the assumption that a warm object, such as an animal or bird nest, increases the radiation level, resulting in a corresponding signal spike in the infrared sensor.

[0005] However, this previously known animal detection method relies on row plantings, such as in maize cultivation, and simple soil conditions between the plant rows, and is hardly functional anymore when more complex grassland areas, such as unmown meadows, have to be processed by a mowing machine, or when it is not static animal clutches with a fixed, mostly round outline that have to be detected, but rather moving animals of varying outline and size.

[0006] Further devices for animal detection are known from documents DE 37 30 449 C2, DE 10 2009 039601 A1 or DE 100 16 688 A1.

[0007] Based on this, the present invention aims to create an improved agricultural implement of the type mentioned above, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and advantageously develops the latter further. In particular, more reliable animal detection, especially fawn and wild animal detection, should be achieved even under more complex soil and grassland conditions such as uncut harvested crops, while still generating manageable data volumes.

[0008] According to the invention, the aforementioned problem is solved by an agricultural implement according to claim 1 and a method for animal identification according to claim 20. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] It is therefore proposed that at least one sensor for scanning the work path be positioned to scan the ground at a relatively steep downward angle with a limited scanning range, in order to prevent the mostly upright field vegetation, such as grass or straw, from excessively distorting the sensor signal. According to one aspect of the present invention, the sensor can have a scanning range of + / -10° to + / -65° with a downward-directed main scanning direction. This main scanning direction can be essentially vertical downwards towards the ground or, optionally, inclined at a slight acute angle to the vertical, with the scanning range at the aforementioned angles of + / -10° to + / -65° preferably being arranged symmetrically around this main scanning direction.

[0010] Advantageously, the sensor can have a scanning range of + / -35° to + / -55° and include the downward vertical. If the main scanning direction coincides with the vertical, the sensor can scan + / -35° to + / -55°, in particular approximately + / -45° around the vertical.

[0011] The sensor can achieve the specified scanning range of, for example, + / -45° with a fixed sensor orientation by emitting a correspondingly widening electromagnetic wave cone of, for example, + / -45° and / or a scan area that detects incoming electromagnetic waves or light waves within a corresponding angular range. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor can be moved back and forth or cyclically to cover the specified scanning range.

[0012] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the at least one sensor is designed and arranged such that the scanning area projected onto the ground has a relatively limited size in order to avoid excessive inhomogeneities in the scanned area, for example, due to vegetation, clods of earth, stones, and branches. In particular, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sensor can be designed and arranged such that the scanning area projected onto the ground has a diameter in the range of 3 cm to 50 cm, preferably 5 to 20 cm. A good compromise between a sufficient detection range and a sharp, unambiguous sensor signal can be achieved if the scanning area has a diameter of approximately 10 cm.

[0013] Depending on the cone angle of the scanning area, the sensor can be arranged at different heights above the ground. In a further development of the invention, the sensor can be positioned at a height of approximately 0.2 m to 4 m above the ground, with a position height of 50 cm to 150 cm being advantageous.

[0014] Advantageously, the sensor is positioned in front of the working unit and / or above or above the working unit when viewed in the direction of travel.

[0015] The at least one sensor can be rigidly or movably arranged on the working device, whereby a movable arrangement may be provided, for example, to scan the desired scanning area by means of a back-and-forth or cyclical movement.

[0016] If the agricultural implement is designed as an attachment for mounting on a tractor, the sensor in question can be located directly on the implement, for example, on a frame component or a sensor carrier connected to the frame. Alternatively or additionally, at least one sensor can also be attached to the tractor, for example, on a chassis component or a sensor carrier connected to the tractor.

[0017] In a further advantageous design, the sensor device, including the associated evaluation unit, can be designed as a modular unit that can be detachably mounted or coupled to the implement and / or the tractor. Such a sensor module with coupling means can be easily used for various implements.

[0018] In a further development of the invention, several sensors can be arranged on a common sensor bar, which advantageously extends transversely to the direction of travel in its operating position. This sensor bar can be rigidly mounted. Alternatively, a pivotable and / or foldable sensor bar can be provided, which can be moved back and forth between an operating position and a transport position, for example, to comply with limited road widths. The sensor bar as a whole can be pivotable or movable, or it can have only a pivotable or movable section.

[0019] Several sensors can be arranged side by side on such a sensor bar, so that the sensors' scanning ranges complement each other and at least approximately cover the entire working width of the implement or the path it sweeps. This complementarity can mean that the scanning ranges of the multiple sensors seamlessly complement each other perpendicular to the direction of travel, overlap each other, or are spaced apart. If the scanning ranges are spaced apart, the areas between them that are not scanned are advantageously small enough to ensure that no animal goes undetected.

[0020] The at least one sensor can be configured in fundamentally different ways. According to a further aspect of the present invention, at least one optical sensor operating in the visible range and / or at least one infrared sensor operating in the infrared range, particularly in the near-infrared range, can be provided. In particular, the sensor can be configured such that at least one wavelength range in the visible light range and / or at least one wavelength range in the near-infrared range is detectable and electronically evaluated, wherein the electronic evaluation can take place in the sensor itself, and a separate evaluation unit can be provided instead of an evaluation unit integrated into the sensor.

[0021] Advantageously, a sensor capable of operating in both the visible and near-infrared ranges can be provided. Alternatively or additionally, multiple sensors can be provided, at least one of which operates in the visible range and another capable of operating in the infrared range, particularly the near-infrared range.

[0022] Advantageously, at least one sensor can be configured to further process pulsed light, with a light source for emitting such pulsed light being either integrated into the sensor or provided separately. To adapt or synchronize the sensor with the pulsed light, a filter can be assigned to the at least one sensor, preferably in the form of a lock-in filter, which filters the pulsed light or the light signal reflected from the ground or an animal on it, and at least largely filters out light fluxes not attributable to the pulsed light, keeping them away from the sensor.

[0023] According to another aspect, it is possible to move beyond simply monitoring the level of the scanned signal and inferring the presence of an animal, stone, clod of earth, or similar object based on signal deflections of a predetermined magnitude. Instead, the scanned signal can be qualitatively analyzed with regard to its wavelength spectrum. According to the invention, the evaluation unit is designed such that the signal from the at least one infrared sensor is evaluated in different wavelength windows, and a signal profile across the wavelength is determined. The presence of an animal is then determined from this signal profile. This approach is based on the understanding that an animal, when scanned by an infrared sensor, will elicit a response.a signal is generated that may have the same or a comparable level as the signal generated by a stone, the ground surface, or the cut material, but has a different signal shape when viewed across different wavelength ranges, particularly across different wavelengths of the near-infrared and visible-infrared ranges and / or wavelengths of the visible range, where different wavelength windows in the range of approximately 400 nm to 1700 nm can be evaluated and / or the sensor can have a bandwidth of approximately 400 nm to 1700 nm. For example, a fawn detected by at least one sensor will generate a different signal curve across a specific wavelength range than, say, a stone. Therefore, the signal curve or signal pattern and / or signal values ​​in different wavelength ranges and its respective...whose characteristics allow for a significantly better decision as to whether the detected object is an animal or another obstacle, than if one only considers the signal level or the height of the signal deflection.

[0024] In a further development of the invention, several wavelength windows are evaluated with respect to the signal provided by the at least one sensor. These windows can be arranged distributed over a wavelength range of, for example, 400 nm to 1400 nm and / or can completely cover this wavelength range. For example, at least three wavelength windows, including two wavelength windows at the edge and one wavelength window in a central section of the wavelength range of interest, can be analyzed by the evaluation unit. In each wavelength window, the signal amplitude, for example, in the form of an average value present in the window, and / or other characteristics such as slope, curvature, maxima, minima, etc., can be considered in order to identify an animal.

[0025] Advantageously, the evaluation unit considers several characteristics of the signal waveform across the wavelength to infer the presence of an animal. The evaluation unit can, in principle, consider these characteristics in different ways. For example, an animal detection signal can be emitted when all of the characteristics typically relevant for animal detection, or a sufficiently small number of them (e.g., four out of five), are met. The characteristics or criteria can also be weighted, for example, by assuming animal detection if three important criteria out of five are met and two less important ones are not.

[0026] To improve the signal quality of at least one sensor and to minimize the sampling of distorting influences, a further aspect of the present invention provides that the scanning area, in particular the sensor's measuring spot monitoring the work path or the ground, is shaded and / or selectively illuminated. A shading device can, for example, prevent ambient radiation, such as ambient light, from falling on the measuring spot and / or reaching the sensor. Such a shading device can, for example, be a tube or a funnel-shaped enclosure that limits the sensor's detection range and is attached to the sensor in the manner of a telescope.

[0027] Alternatively or in addition to shading, targeted illumination of the scanning area can be provided, for example in the form of a light source or a lighting device that illuminates the sensor's measuring spot on the ground, wherein, for example, a radiant emitting directed light can be provided that illuminates the ground to be scanned at least approximately parallel to the sensor's line of sight and / or shines from top to bottom onto the measuring spot.

[0028] The aforementioned lighting can advantageously be provided in pulsed mode. Alternatively or in addition to pulsed lighting, however, a constantly operating lighting device can also be provided, which illuminates the scanning path continuously.

[0029] If pulsed illumination is provided in the manner described above, the pulse frequency of the illumination can advantageously be synchronized with at least one sensor channel of the at least one sensor. In particular, the illumination device and the sensor can be synchronized such that the sensor sends a sensor signal in sync with the pulsing of the light. Such synchronization of the light pulse frequency and the sensor signal frequency ensures that the sensor signal is generated under specifically defined illumination conditions, thus minimizing interference.

[0030] Alternatively or in addition to adapting to the pulse frequency, the sensor can be adapted to the wavelength range of the light source in terms of its detection range, in particular such that the light source emits light with a predominant wavelength range and the sensor has a preferably predominant sensitivity in the said predominant wavelength range.

[0031] Alternatively or additionally, interference such as that caused by sunlight can also be eliminated by differential measurement. If at least one lighting device is provided for pulsed or unpulsed illumination of the scanning area of ​​the at least one sensor on the ground, a differential measuring device can be provided and configured to determine a corrected sensor signal, in which the effects of sunlight are eliminated, from the difference between a sensor signal generated with pulsed or unpulsed illumination of the scanning area and a sensor signal generated with the scanning area unilluminated.

[0032] The aforementioned illumination device for selectively illuminating the measurement spot can advantageously be integrated into the sensor, so that the at least one sensor and the illumination device form a modular assembly, in particular a pre-assembled mounting unit. Alternatively or additionally to such an illumination device integrated into the sensor, an illumination device can also be located in the vicinity of the sensor, in particular in the immediate or indirect vicinity of the sensor.

[0033] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a pulsed lighting device and at least one sensor can be configured as a synchronized lock-in amplifier unit. Advantageously, the sensor signal provided by the sensor can be amplified within a pulse window or with a pulse frequency that corresponds to the pulse or pulse frequency of the light emitted by the lighting device.

[0034] In a further development of the invention, the at least one sensor and / or the evaluation unit for evaluating the sensor signal can be configured to process and / or take into account additional external signals, for example signals derived from the driving path and / or a GPS signal and / or a time signal, for example in such a way that the pulsing is controlled variably depending on the distance and / or time, for example by increasing the pulse frequency and / or the sensor frequency with increasing driving speed.

[0035] Alternatively or in addition to taking a speed signal into account, ambient light intensity can also be advantageously taken into account, for example by providing more pulses and / or a higher pulse frequency in brighter and / or more intense light than in weaker light.

[0036] Alternatively or additionally to an infrared sensor, the detection device can also include other sensors, such as an optical camera or sensor, to scan the working path of the work unit in the visible spectrum or to provide an image of it. The evaluation unit can combine the evaluation of the infrared sensor signal with an evaluation of the optical sensor signal in the visible spectrum, whereby, for example, the sensor signal from the sensor operating in the visible spectrum can simply be interpreted as a signal from another wavelength window.

[0037] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, an optical sensor can be provided which comprises at least one optical element, such as a lens and / or a reflector, and / or includes at least one photodiode or a light-sensitive semiconductor component. The use of such a photodiode allows for a very compact, space-saving design and enables high light sensitivity with precise signal processing.

[0038] Alternatively or additionally to the aforementioned optical element, a filter can also be assigned to the photodiode, wherein the filter can filter the light incident on the photodiode and / or filter the signal provided by the photodiode. Advantageously, the aforementioned filter can be matched to the photosensitive semiconductor device in order to filter the light incident on the photodiode so that it is adapted to the photosensitivity of the semiconductor device.

[0039] Alternatively or additionally, an amplifier can be associated with the photodiode, which, in a further development of the invention, can be provided directly after the photodiode, for example, integrated into the semiconductor component. Such an amplifier can amplify the signal from the photodiode directly after the photodiode, thereby significantly simplifying subsequent signal processing.

[0040] The signal provided and evaluated by at least one sensor can be used in various ways if the signal indicates the detection of an animal, stone, clod of earth, or the like. Alternatively or in addition to simply displaying the signal to the machine operator, the system can also automatically or semi-automatically intervene in the control of at least one machine parameter, depending on the evaluated sensor signal.In particular, a safety and / or quick-release device can be activated, by means of which a safety and / or collision-relevant machine part, in particular the working unit in whose working path the obstacle was detected, is lifted and / or moved away and / or stopped and / or braked and / or disconnected and / or released, wherein, for example, the lifting of the machine part by means of an actuator of the safety and / or quick-release device can be carried out in a manner known per se, for example by releasing a special energy storage device that enables sufficiently fast movement.

[0041] Alternatively or additionally, based on the evaluated sensor signal, if an animal, stone, clod of earth or the like is detected, a

[0042] A steering assistance signal is generated that can be implemented semi-automatically or automatically, for example, by displaying a "sharp right" signal to the machine operator. Preferably, however, the steering can also be intervened fully automatically, such that the steering signal is converted into an actual steering movement of the implement or the tractor if the implement is designed as an attachment.

[0043] Alternatively or additionally to such a steering aid, a braking device can also be activated based on the evaluated sensor signal to reduce the driving speed or bring the implement to a stop. The activation of such a braking device can be implemented semi-automatically, in the form of a display for the machine operator, who then applies the brakes, or preferably fully automatically, by the brakes being applied based on the evaluated sensor signal.

[0044] According to a further aspect of the invention, for such an intervention in the machine control, such as automatically moving the working unit and / or steering the tractor and / or braking the driving speed, the sensor signals or the evaluated sensor signals can be compared with at least one threshold value, so that if a threshold value is exceeded or fallen below and / or a setpoint corridor between two threshold values ​​is left, the corresponding machine reaction can be triggered or initiated. The aforementioned threshold values ​​can be fixed. Alternatively, in the sense of a self-learning control system, it is also possible to adapt the threshold values ​​to data or...To adapt machine control patterns from the past, in particular by changing threshold values ​​if a machine operator had already initiated a corresponding reaction - for example, raising the working unit or braking the machine - before a corresponding threshold value was reached.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, a threshold can also be adaptively adjusted in such a way that, after a previous triggering of the quick-shifting device upon reaching the previous threshold, a counter-reaction by the machine operator is taken into account, which reverses the triggering, or that ignoring a steering assistance signal and / or a brake signal that was given upon reaching the previous threshold by the machine operator leads to a corresponding adjustment of the threshold.

[0046] In an advantageous further development of the invention, the system can be designed such that an evaluated sensor signal, which would in itself trigger a reaction from the machine or lead to an intervention in the control of at least one machine parameter, does not necessarily have to lead to such a reaction from the machine. This allows the machine operator to retain complete control. This can be achieved, for example, by allowing the machine operator to prevent and / or reverse a steering assistance signal, even one that is implemented fully automatically, for instance, by the machine operator counter-steering and / or holding the steering wheel, thus interrupting or stopping the implementation of the steering assistance signal.Similarly, this can occur when implementing other machine reactions, such as braking or raising the working unit, for example, when the machine operator indicates by pressing the accelerator pedal harder that he considers the sensor signal to be a false alarm.

[0047] The evaluation and / or implementation system, which triggers machine reactions based on the evaluated sensor signal, is advantageously designed to operate faster than human reaction time. In particular, a corresponding reaction signal can trigger a machine response within two seconds upon detection of an animal and / or a stone and / or a clod of earth or the like.

[0048] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and an accompanying drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1: a schematic top view of an agricultural implement according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention in the form of a mowing machine designed as an attachment, wherein a detection device for animal detection is provided and comprises several sensor bars assigned to the various mowing units of the mowing machine.

[0049] How Fig. 1 As shown, the agricultural implement, in which animal detection can be particularly useful, can be designed as a mower 1, which can be mounted to a tractor 2, for example, by means of a three-point linkage comprising top and bottom links, as is known per se. The mower 1 can form a mower combination of front- and rear-mounted mower units, but may also consist of only one mower unit or only front- or rear-mounted mower units.

[0050] However, animal detection can also be used with other agricultural equipment, especially other grassland and / or harvesting equipment.

[0051] To detect animals such as fawns or hares located in the tracks of the individual mower units 3, 4 and 5, a detection device 6 is provided, which can comprise several sensor bars 7 that can be assigned to the individual tracks of the aforementioned mower units 3, 4 and 5. Fig. 1As shown, the aforementioned sensor bars 7 can be assigned to or attached to the working units themselves, or they can be provided on the tractor 2, with the sensor bars 7 advantageously arranged in front of and / or above the working units. If necessary, the detection device can also monitor the area of ​​the track adjacent to the current tracks, which is then processed in a subsequent pass or loop. Detected animals, or the corresponding location where an animal was detected, are stored in a navigation system, and the warning signal can then be issued when approaching the stored location.

[0052] The detection device 6 can comprise several infrared sensors distributed along the aforementioned sensor bars 7. These sensors can be directed approximately perpendicularly towards the ground and / or can also be directed obliquely forward in the direction of travel, and optionally obliquely backward, and advantageously have a detection range of + / -45°. Advantageously, the infrared sensors 8 are arranged at a distance of 0.2 m to 4 m, in particular approximately 0.5 m to 1.5 m above the ground, in order to achieve high detection accuracy.

[0053] Alternatively or in addition to the aforementioned infrared sensors 8, which can operate in the near-infrared range, the detection device 6 can also include optical sensors 9 that operate in the visible range, for example, in the form of photodiodes and / or optical sensors operating in the visible infrared range and / or the visible light spectrum. These optical sensors can also be arranged on the aforementioned sensor bars 7, but may also be attached to the tractor 2 and / or at another location on the implement or the tractor. The aforementioned optical sensors can be configured with respect to their scanning range as previously described.

[0054] The infrared and / or optical sensors 8 and 9 mentioned above advantageously operate over a broader wavelength range of at least 800 to 1300 nm, advantageously 400 to 1400 nm, and further advantageously 400 to 1700 nm, and can, for example, be designed as broadband sensors. Alternatively or additionally, several sensors can be used in combination with one another, the operating wavelength ranges of which complement each other to cover the aforementioned wavelength range.

[0055] Depending on the type and characteristics of the object located in the scanned area, the sensors that scan the ground in the area of ​​the driving lanes can deliver differently shaped signals.

[0056] For further details regarding the arrangement, design and operation of the sensors, please refer to the detailed explanation in the introductory description.

Claims

1. Agricultural implement with at least one working unit (3, 4, 5) and a detection device (6) for detecting animals in the working path (10, 11, 12) of the working unit (3, 4, 5), wherein the detection device (6) has at least one sensor (8, 9) for scanning the working path (10, 11, 12) of the working unit (3, 4, 5) and an evaluation unit (13) for evaluating the signal of the sensor (8, 9) for animal detection, characterized by the fact that- a safety and / or quick-release device for lifting and / or moving and / or stopping and / or braking and / or uncoupling and / or unlocking a safety and / or collision-relevant machine part is provided and can be controlled depending on the sensor signal of the at least one sensor (8, 9), and / or - a steering aid device for issuing a steering aid signal depending on the sensor signal of the at least one sensor (8, 9) is provided, and / or - a braking device for reducing the driving speed depending on the sensor signal of the at least one sensor (8, 9) is provided,and that a comparison device is provided for comparing the sensor signal and / or an evaluated sensor signal with at least one threshold value, and that the safety and / or quick-shifting device and / or the steering assist device and / or the braking device are designed to be activated when the at least one threshold value is exceeded and / or fallen below.

2. Agricultural implement according to the preceding claim, wherein an adaptive threshold adjustment device is provided for adjusting the at least one threshold value depending on stored machine operating data.

3. Agricultural implement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) has a scanning range of + / -10° to + / -65° with a downward-directed main scanning direction, wherein the scanning range of the at least one sensor (8, 9) covers a range of + / -35° to + / -55°, in particular about + / -45°, and includes a perpendicular to the ground and / or a vertical, in particular including about the middle, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) is designed and arranged such that a measuring spot of the sensor on the ground has a diameter or a diagonal in the range of 5 to 20 cm.

4. Agricultural implement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) is arranged in the direction of travel in front of and / or above the working unit (3, 4, 5) at a height of 0.2 m to 4 m, preferably 0.5 m to 1.5 m, above the ground.

5. Agricultural implement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) is movably mounted such that the scanning range of the sensor is adjustable and / or movable back and forth during operation.

6. Agricultural implement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein several sensors (8, 9) are arranged on a sensor bar which is designed to be movable at least partially into different positions, in particular movable between a transport position and a working position, preferably pivotably or foldably mounted and / or telescopically and / or extendably.

7. Agricultural implement according to the preceding claim, wherein the sensor bar is automatically displaceable depending on at least one operating parameter of the implement and / or a tractor associated with it, in particular a driving speed and / or a steering angle.

8. Agricultural implement according to the preamble of claim 1 or one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an infrared sensor, in particular a sensor operating in the near-infrared range, and / or an optical sensor operating in the range visible to the human eye and / or in the visible infrared range.

9. Agricultural implement according to the preceding claim, wherein at least one pulsating lighting device is provided for illuminating the scanning area of ​​the at least one sensor on the ground, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) is configured to detect pulsed light and / or pulsed infrared radiation, wherein - the at least one sensor (8, 9) is associated with a filter, in particular a lock-in filter, which is configured to filter out luminous fluxes that do not originate from the pulsed light of the lighting device and / or to allow only luminous fluxes originating from the pulsed light to pass through, and / or - the pulse frequency of the lighting device and at least one sensor channel of the at least one sensor (8, 9) are coordinated, in particular such that the light pulsing and the sensor signal pulsing are synchronized with each other.and / or - the pulsating lighting device and the at least one sensor (8, 9) are designed as a synchronized lock-in amplifier unit.

10. Agricultural implement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one lighting device is provided for unpulsed illumination of the scanning area of ​​the at least one sensor on the ground and a differential measuring device is provided which is configured to determine a corrected sensor signal, in which the effects of sunlight are eliminated, from the difference of a sensor signal generated with pulsed or unpulsed illumination of the scanning area and a sensor signal generated with an unilluminated scanning area.

11. Agricultural implement according to the preamble of claim 1 or one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) is a broadband sensor and / or several sensors (8, 9) operating in different wavelength ranges are provided and the evaluation unit (13) is configured such that a signal from the at least one sensor (8, 9) is evaluated in different wavelength windows to determine the presence of an animal.

12. Agricultural implement according to the preceding claim, wherein a signal profile over the wavelength is determined for at least a part of the wavelength range of the at least one sensor (8, 9) and the presence of an animal is determined from the signal profile over the wavelength, wherein the signal profile is determined over a wavelength range of at least 700 nm to 1200 nm, preferably 400 nm to 1400 nm, and the at least one sensor (8) has a bandwidth of at least 700 nm to 1400 nm and / or several infrared sensors (8) are provided, the bandwidths of which combine to form a total bandwidth of at least 700 nm to 1400 nm, so that an infrared sensor signal or several infrared sensor signals can be provided over the said bandwidth of at least 700 nm to 1400 nm, preferably 400 nm to 1400 nm.

13. Agricultural implement according to the preamble of claim 1 or one of the preceding claims, wherein a shading device for shading the ground-side measuring spot of the at least one sensor (8, 9) and / or a lighting device for selectively illuminating the ground-side measuring spot of the at least one sensor is provided, wherein the shading device is configured to keep ambient light and / or radiation away from the measuring spot and / or to allow only light and / or radiation coming from the illuminated measuring spot to fall on the at least one sensor.

14. Agricultural implement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) and a lighting device are integrated into a common sensor module, wherein the lighting device is arranged adjacent to the at least one sensor (8, 9), in particular directly next to the sensor (8, 9).

15. Agricultural implement according to the preamble of claim 1 or one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) is designed to be adjustable with respect to at least one detection parameter and / or operating parameter depending on at least one external signal, wherein - a sensor signal frequency is adjustable depending on the ambient light intensity and / or color and / or depending on a light pulse frequency of a lighting device, and / or - the lighting device is provided for illuminating the ground-side measuring spot of the at least one sensor (8, 9), which is designed to be adjustable with respect to at least one operating parameter depending on an external signal, wherein at least one light pulse frequency of the lighting device is variably adjustable depending on the ambient light, in particular a higher pulse frequency is automatically adjustable with increasingly bright ambient light.

16. Agricultural implement according to the preceding claim, wherein the sensor signal frequency and / or the light pulse frequency is designed to be automatically adjustable depending on a driving speed signal.

17. Agricultural implement according to the preamble of claim 1 or one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (8, 9) comprises at least one optical element in the form of a lens and / or in the form of a reflector and at least one photodiode.

18. Agricultural implement according to the preceding claim, wherein the at least one photodiode is designed as a light-sensitive semiconductor device and at least one filter is assigned to the photodiode, wherein an amplifier for amplifying the signal of the at least one photodiode is provided, in particular is arranged directly after the photodiode and is designed to amplify the signal of the photodiode directly after the photodiode.

19. Agricultural implement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a manually operable, superior control device is provided for switching off and / or overriding the automatic actuation of the quick-shift device and / or steering assist device and / or braking device, wherein the superior control device has - a manual actuation mode in which the automatic actuation of the quick-shift device and / or steering assist device and / or braking device can be manually switched off or overridden, - an automatic signal actuation mode in which the actuation of the quick-shift device and / or steering assist device and / or braking device is automatically switched off or overridden depending on an external signal indicating an operating state of the implement, in particular its travel speed and / or standstill.

20. Method for detecting animals or stones or clods of earth and the like in the working path of the working unit (3, 4, 5) of an agricultural implement (1), in which the said working path (10, 11, 12) is scanned by a detection device (6) comprising at least one sensor (8, 9) and the signal of the sensor (8) is evaluated for the presence of an animal by means of an evaluation unit (13), characterized by the fact that the signal of the sensor (8, 9) is evaluated in different wavelength windows and a signal profile (K) over the wavelength (λ) is determined, whereby the presence of an animal or stone or clod of earth is then determined from the signal profile (K) over the wavelength (λ).