An agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle

Abstract

This utility model discloses an unmanned agricultural monitoring vehicle, including a vehicle body and an electromagnetic tracking module. The electromagnetic tracking module is disposed at the front end of the vehicle body and is used to receive electromagnetic signals output by preset electromagnetic lines. The electromagnetic tracking module is communicatively connected to a main control board, wherein the main control board is disposed on the vehicle body. This utility model can improve the intelligent path planning efficiency of the unmanned vehicle, thereby achieving efficient and precise operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned vehicles, and in particular to an unmanned vehicle for agricultural monitoring. Background Technology

[0002] The all-weather operation capability of unmanned vehicles has freed tasks such as crop monitoring, which previously required a large amount of manpower, from the constraints of manual operation time, significantly improving operational efficiency. Even at night or in inclement weather conditions, unmanned vehicles can continuously monitor and operate, ensuring the continuity and stability of agricultural production and improving the overall efficiency of agricultural production.

[0003] Existing agricultural unmanned vehicles mainly rely on GPS positioning, sensors, and remote control systems to achieve automated operations, and are widely used in pesticide spraying, sowing, and fertilization. These unmanned vehicles are usually equipped with some basic cameras and sensors for crop monitoring, but they mainly rely on preset routes or simple environmental perception for operation.

[0004] While existing technologies can automate operations, most systems rely on preset paths and simple automated control, lacking intelligent path planning and real-time environmental awareness. Consequently, operational efficiency is low, and in complex terrain or with inconsistent crop conditions, existing systems are prone to operational deviations, hindering efficient and precise operations. Utility Model Content

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, this utility model provides an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle that can improve the efficiency of intelligent path planning and thus achieve efficient and precise operation.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention provides an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle, including a vehicle body and an electromagnetic tracking module;

[0007] The electromagnetic tracking module is located at the front end of the vehicle body and is used to receive electromagnetic signals output by a preset electromagnetic line. The electromagnetic tracking module is also connected to the main control board. The main control board is located on the vehicle body.

[0008] Furthermore, the electromagnetic tracking module is fixed to the vehicle body by a second copper pillar and a mounting bracket, and includes several electromagnetic sensors and a circuit board, with the electromagnetic sensors all soldered onto the circuit board.

[0009] Furthermore, the electromagnetic tracking module also includes a GNSS sensor, which is mounted on the main control board.

[0010] Furthermore, the electromagnetic tracking module is communicatively connected to the main control board, specifically including:

[0011] The electromagnetic tracking module is connected to the operational amplifier via a coaxial cable, and the operational amplifier is communicatively connected to the main control board.

[0012] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle also includes: a vision module;

[0013] The vision module is located in the middle of the vehicle body and is communicatively connected to the main control board. It includes a camera, a gimbal, and a servo motor; wherein the servo motor is rotatable.

[0014] Furthermore, the camera is fixed to the servo motor via a camera bracket, the servo motor is fixed to the gimbal, and the gimbal is fixed to the vehicle body via a first copper pillar and a gimbal bracket.

[0015] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle also includes an infrared sensor, which is disposed at the front end of the vehicle body and is communicatively connected to the main control board.

[0016] Furthermore, the vehicle body includes: a first driving wheel, a second driving wheel, a first driven wheel, a second driven wheel, and a drive module; wherein the drive module includes a drive motor and a dual-motor drive module.

[0017] Furthermore, the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are each connected to one of the drive motors, and both drive motors are connected to the dual-path motor drive module; wherein, the dual-path motor drive module is located at the rear of the vehicle body.

[0018] Preferably, the drive module further includes a drive servo motor;

[0019] The first driven wheel and the second driven wheel are connected to the drive servo motor via a cantilever.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0021] By combining electromagnetic tracking hardware and software, users can more accurately locate the position of unmanned vehicles in complex terrain, enabling high-precision inspections in fields of crops such as soybeans, and combining with vision modules to accurately identify the growth status of crops.

[0022] Meanwhile, through the application of path planning and electromagnetic tracking, this invention can control unmanned vehicles to perform automated operations according to predetermined paths in real time. It can also autonomously adjust its pathfinding strategy according to changes in the field environment, thereby improving operational efficiency and accuracy, and achieving more efficient and precise operations. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle provided by this utility model.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a top view of a preferred embodiment of an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle provided in accordance with this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent.

[0027] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the accompanying drawings.

[0028] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] Reference Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present utility model, including a vehicle body and an electromagnetic tracking module.

[0030] The electromagnetic tracking module is located at the front end of the vehicle body and is used to receive electromagnetic signals output by a preset electromagnetic line. The electromagnetic tracking module is also communicatively connected to the main control board 6. The main control board 6 is located on the vehicle body.

[0031] Furthermore, the electromagnetic tracking module is fixed to the vehicle body by the second copper pillar 8 and the mounting bracket 10, and includes several electromagnetic sensors 23 and a circuit board 16, wherein the several electromagnetic sensors 23 are all soldered onto the circuit board 16.

[0032] Furthermore, the electromagnetic tracking module also includes a GNSS sensor, which is mounted on the main control board 6.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle provided by this utility model. Figure 2 It is known that the circuit board 16 is located at the front end of the vehicle body and is fixed to the vehicle body by the second copper pillar 8 and the mounting bracket 10.

[0034] At the same time, refer to Figure 3 This is a top view of a preferred embodiment of an agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle provided by this utility model. Figure 3It is known that the electromagnetic tracking module contains seven electromagnetic sensors 23 (also called inductors) with different orientations, used to collect signals emitted by the underground pre-buried electromagnetic field. The closer the inductor is to the electromagnetic line and the closer its orientation is to being perpendicular to the electromagnetic line, the larger the collected inductance value. After collecting the inductance value, a mean filtering algorithm is used for processing, and then the deviation value is calculated through the difference ratio algorithm to better reflect the orientation of the car model relative to the electromagnetic line.

[0035] Preferably, the main control board 6 is also equipped with a GNSS sensor, which is used to locate and obtain the vehicle's latitude and longitude information, calculate a more detailed vehicle position by combining the orientation of the relative electromagnetic line, and determine the vehicle's real-time travel command through a tracking algorithm.

[0036] Furthermore, the electromagnetic tracking module is communicatively connected to the main control board 6, specifically including:

[0037] The electromagnetic tracking module is connected to the operational amplifier 9 via a coaxial cable 30, and the operational amplifier 9 is communicatively connected to the main control board 6.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 3 As can be seen, circuit board 16 is connected to operational amplifier 9 via coaxial cable 30. Thus, the signals collected by the plurality of electromagnetic sensors 23 are sent to operational amplifier 9 via coaxial cable 30 for signal processing and amplification, and then sent to main control board 6 for subsequent intelligent path planning and other processing.

[0039] In this preferred embodiment, the main control board 6 specifically adopts the STC32G12K chip, which is based on the ARM Cortex-M4 core, has high-performance processing capabilities, and supports multiple peripheral interfaces such as PWM, ADC, and SPI. The low-power design of this chip ensures that the intelligent vehicle has a long driving time and strong anti-interference capabilities.

[0040] In existing technologies, most systems rely on preset paths and simple automated control, lacking intelligent path planning and real-time environmental awareness capabilities. Therefore, their operational efficiency is low, and in complex terrain or with inconsistent crop conditions, existing systems are prone to operational deviations, failing to achieve efficient and precise operations.

[0041] This invention, through the combination of electromagnetic tracking hardware and software, enables users to more accurately locate the position of unmanned vehicles in complex terrain, thereby allowing for high-precision inspections in fields such as soybeans, and combining this with a vision module to accurately identify the growth status of crops. Furthermore, by applying path planning and electromagnetic tracking, this invention can control the unmanned vehicle in real time to perform automated operations along a predetermined path, and can also autonomously adjust its pathfinding strategy according to changes in the field environment, improving operational efficiency and accuracy, thus achieving more efficient and precise operations.

[0042] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle also includes: a vision module;

[0043] The vision module is located in the middle of the vehicle body and is communicatively connected to the main control board 6. It includes a camera 1, a gimbal 4, and a servo motor 2; wherein the servo motor 2 is rotatable.

[0044] Preferably, the camera 1 is fixed to the servo motor 2 by the camera bracket 3, the servo motor 2 is fixed to the gimbal 4, and the gimbal 4 is fixed to the vehicle body by the first copper column 7 and the gimbal bracket 5.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 2 The camera 1, servo motor 2, camera bracket 3, gimbal 4, gimbal bracket 5, and first copper pillar 7 form an integrated vision module. The servo motor 2, camera 1, and camera bracket 3 are fixed by the first copper pillar 7. When the servo motor 2 rotates, the camera 1 can change its angle accordingly. In practical use, when other equipment or modules need to be replaced, the vision module can be removed by disassembling the first copper pillar 7. The vision module is used for automated crop monitoring operations. After connecting to the main control board 6, it can perform automatic target recognition, crop status detection, and image processing.

[0046] In another preferred embodiment, the vision module can also be connected independently to the preset vision processing chip RV1126, focusing on target recognition and environmental perception. It identifies crops and obstacles in farmland through built-in machine learning algorithms, supports real-time image transmission and processing, ensures that the intelligent vehicle can adapt to different environments and operational needs, and also improves the working efficiency of the vision module.

[0047] Furthermore, the unmanned vehicle also includes an infrared sensor 22, which is disposed at the front end of the vehicle body and is communicatively connected to the main control board 6.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 2 The unmanned vehicle is also equipped with an infrared sensor at its front end, which can emit and receive infrared light. The infrared sensor calculates the distance between the vehicle and an object in front by sending pulsed infrared light and measuring the time difference from emission to reception. If the distance changes as the vehicle moves, it is identified as an obstacle. The main control board 6 then determines whether to stop or go around the obstacle based on this distance.

[0049] Currently, agricultural drones on the market are typically equipped with numerous high-precision sensors, cameras, and other hardware. These devices are expensive and complex to maintain. Many farms, especially small and medium-sized farms, cannot afford the high costs of equipment and subsequent maintenance due to financial and technological limitations, thus restricting the widespread adoption of these systems. Furthermore, most systems simply collect data through sensors or photography, without deeply applying deep learning algorithms for accurate pest and disease identification. This results in shortcomings in the accuracy and real-time performance of existing pest and disease identification technologies, especially in complex field environments, leading to missed detections or misjudgments.

[0050] The unmanned vehicle provided by this invention uses only a few cameras and sensors, combined with an electromagnetic tracking system, to achieve real-time transmission of monitoring data and precise positioning, making agricultural management more precise and efficient.

[0051] After being equipped with a spraying device, this invention enables precise application of pesticides to crops, reducing pesticide waste, improving pesticide utilization, and minimizing environmental pollution. It also meets current environmental protection requirements, enhancing both the economic and environmental benefits of agricultural production. Compared to conventional orchard sprayers, this invention, when equipped with the spraying device, can save up to 45.7% of pesticide usage, with a 42.7% reduction in droplet drift and a 67.4% reduction in ground runoff.

[0052] Meanwhile, through precise data collection and analysis, automation technology helps farmers better understand crop growth and soil conditions, enabling them to make more scientific planting decisions. This practice of precision agriculture helps improve crop yield and quality while reducing resource waste, such as the overuse of water and fertilizers. Through technological integration and application, precision agriculture achieves precise management of agricultural production, improves agricultural efficiency and economic benefits, protects the agricultural ecological environment, and provides strong technical support for the sustainable development of agriculture.

[0053] Furthermore, the vehicle body includes: a first driving wheel 12, a second driving wheel 17, a first driven wheel 11, a second driven wheel 18, and a drive module; wherein, the drive module includes a drive motor and a dual-motor drive module 14.

[0054] Preferably, the first drive wheel 12 and the second drive wheel 17 are each connected to one of the drive motors, and both drive motors are connected to the dual-path motor drive module 14; wherein, the dual-path motor drive module 14 is located at the rear of the vehicle body.

[0055] Preferably, the drive module further includes a drive servo motor 21;

[0056] The first driven wheel 11 and the second driven wheel 18 are connected to the drive servo motor 21 by a cantilever.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 3 The vehicle body includes two drive wheels 12 and 17 that propel the intelligent vehicle on the ground, and two driven wheels 11 and 18 that are responsible for steering. In this preferred embodiment, each drive wheel is equipped with an independent drive motor, which is installed inside the vehicle. The two motors share a dual-path motor drive module 14, which is mounted on a drive bracket 13 at the rear of the vehicle. The two driven wheels are cantilevered to a drive servo motor 21.

[0058] In this preferred embodiment, the dual-channel motor drive module uses a SiP-packaged non-isolated power supply chip NAE12S17, supporting input voltages from 3V to 14V and a maximum output current of 17A. It features multiple protection functions, including input undervoltage protection, output overcurrent protection, and short-circuit protection, making it suitable for agricultural production and compliant with environmental standards.

[0059] The unmanned vehicle provided by this invention adopts a low-power design and optimized power management, enabling it to operate for extended periods without charging, thus improving operational continuity. Furthermore, the energy conversion efficiency of electric systems is generally higher than that of internal combustion engines, with more energy being used for actual work rather than being lost as heat. Therefore, electrically driven unmanned vehicles consume less energy during operation compared to fuel-powered vehicles, and electricity costs are typically more economical and environmentally friendly than fuel costs, thereby improving overall energy efficiency.

[0060] Meanwhile, with increasing emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable development, future agricultural production will focus more on environmental protection and sustainable development, and ecological agriculture will become the mainstream. Electric-powered unmanned vehicles do not produce exhaust emissions during operation, helping to reduce the pollution of agricultural activities, especially in enclosed or semi-enclosed agricultural environments such as greenhouses. Electric unmanned vehicles operate with low noise, reducing noise pollution, and the absence of high-temperature components lowers the risk of fire, improving operational safety. The wear and aging of electric systems are relatively slow, resulting in a longer service life for the unmanned vehicles, which in the long run helps reduce equipment replacement frequency and costs.

[0061] Therefore, the unmanned vehicle provided by this invention can improve agricultural production efficiency and quality by saving resources and protecting and improving the ecological environment; by applying pesticides precisely and reducing pesticide use, it reduces the impact on the environment, meeting the requirements of sustainable development. The widespread application of unmanned vehicles helps promote the development of agriculture towards a green and environmentally friendly direction. By improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, unmanned vehicles help achieve sustainable agricultural production, aligning with global goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This environmentally friendly agricultural technology not only protects the ecological environment but also provides technical support for the sustainable development of agriculture.

[0062] In summary, the agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle provided by this utility model consists of an unmanned vehicle platform and multiple functional modules, covering functions such as automatic target recognition, crop status detection, material transportation, and image processing. This modular design gives the unmanned vehicle the following advantages:

[0063] (1) Flexibility and scalability: Each functional module can be developed, tested and maintained independently to meet the needs of different scenarios and support rapid customization and assembly.

[0064] (2) Easy to maintain and upgrade: The modular design allows faulty modules to be replaced or upgraded individually, reducing maintenance costs and risks.

[0065] (3) Reduce development costs and time: By reusing and sharing modules, development efficiency is improved and the time to market for projects is shortened.

[0066] (4) Improve system stability: reduce coupling between modules and improve the reliability and stability of the system.

[0067] The customizability of the unmanned vehicle provided by this invention facilitates future technology upgrades and functional expansions, ensuring the long-term applicability of the product. This modular design also enables the unmanned vehicle to flexibly respond to different crop maintenance needs in the future, enhancing the environmental adaptability and flexibility of the crop maintenance system.

[0068] In another specific test experiment embodiment, this invention selected a soybean growing area in Heilongjiang Province, China, to test the unmanned vehicle. The climate, soil conditions, and vast planting area in this region provide an ideal testing environment for the unmanned vehicle.

[0069] In the experiment, the specially designed unmanned vehicle adapted to the local flat terrain and black soil, reducing electromagnetic interference and improving signal penetration through enhanced electromagnetic sensors. During the soybean growing season, the unmanned vehicle conducted regular inspections, analyzed plant images using the YOLOv8 algorithm, and uploaded the data to the cloud in real time for expert analysis. This precise pest and disease management increased soybean yield by approximately 10%, reduced labor costs by about 60%, minimized environmental impact, and helped farm managers make more scientific planting decisions based on the collected data, thus improving the overall quality of the crop. This test case demonstrates the significant benefits and potential of the intelligent soybean health monitoring unmanned vehicle in practical applications.

[0070] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating this utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle, comprising a vehicle body, characterized in that, Also includes: Electromagnetic tracking module; The electromagnetic tracking module is located at the front end of the vehicle body and is used to receive electromagnetic signals output by preset electromagnetic lines. The electromagnetic tracking module is also connected to the main control board (6). The main control board (6) is located on the vehicle body. The electromagnetic tracking module is fixed on the vehicle body by the second copper pillar (8) and the mounting bracket (10). It includes several electromagnetic sensors (23) and a circuit board (16). The several electromagnetic sensors (23) are all soldered on the circuit board (16).

2. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The electromagnetic tracking module also includes a GNSS sensor, which is mounted on the main control board (6).

3. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The electromagnetic tracking module is communicatively connected to the main control board (6), specifically including: The electromagnetic tracking module is connected to the operational amplifier (9) via a coaxial cable (30), and the operational amplifier (9) is communicatively connected to the main control board (6).

4. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The unmanned vehicle also includes: a vision module; The vision module is located in the middle of the vehicle body and is connected to the main control board (6) in communication. It includes a camera (1), a gimbal (4) and a servo motor (2); wherein the servo motor (2) is rotatable.

5. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The camera (1) is fixed to the servo motor (2) by the camera bracket (3), the servo motor (2) is fixed to the gimbal (4), and the gimbal (4) is fixed to the vehicle body by the first copper column (7) and the gimbal bracket (5).

6. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The unmanned vehicle also includes an infrared sensor (22), which is located at the front end of the vehicle body and is communicatively connected to the main control board (6).

7. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle body includes: a first driving wheel (12), a second driving wheel (17), a first driven wheel (11), a second driven wheel (18), and a drive module; wherein the drive module includes a drive motor and a dual-motor drive module (14).

8. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The first drive wheel (12) and the second drive wheel (17) are respectively connected to one of the drive motors, and both drive motors are connected to the dual-path motor drive module (14); wherein the dual-path motor drive module (14) is located at the rear of the vehicle body.

9. The agricultural monitoring unmanned vehicle as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The drive module also includes a drive servo motor (21). The first driven wheel (11) and the second driven wheel (18) are connected to the drive servo motor (21) by a cantilever.

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