Adjustable Camera Mount for Agricultural Crop Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual adjustment of cameras on agricultural machines is time-consuming and inefficient, especially when dealing with varying crop heights and row spacings, leading to inaccurate data capture.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous camera system with a mounting assembly and controller that adjusts the camera's position based on image analysis to maintain optimal perspective relative to the crop, using a telescoping arm and actuator for height adjustment and a convolutional neural network for image processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of camera position is used, then the camera can be positioned on agricultural machinery, but the adjustment process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the camera to automatically adjust its own position based on real-time image analysis. The controller processes images captured by the camera, determines optimal positioning, and actuates the mounting assembly accordingly, eliminating the need for continuous manual intervention during field operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera mounting assembly is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed, allowing automatic adjustment of camera position and angle. This dynamic capability enables the system to adapt to varying crop heights and row spacings in real-time, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time loss by automating the adjustment process.
2Measurement precision
If fixed camera position is used, then the mounting structure is simple, but accurate data capture cannot be maintained under varying crop conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities with actuators and movable mounting assemblies that allow the camera to reposition itself. This dynamic design maintains measurement precision across varying crop conditions while managing device complexity through automated control rather than complex mechanical linkages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously analyzing images captured by the camera, comparing the current camera position against optimal positioning criteria, and automatically adjusting the mounting assembly to achieve accurate data capture. This feedback loop maintains measurement precision without requiring overly complex pre-configured mounting structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual camera adjustment is performed during field operation, then the camera perspective can be changed, but the operation becomes burdensome especially in the middle of a field
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system performs self-service by automatically adjusting its own perspective during field operations. The controller monitors crop conditions through image analysis and autonomously repositions the camera mounting assembly, eliminating the burden of manual adjustment while working in the middle of a field and maintaining adaptability to different crop heights and row spacings.
4Measurement precision
If camera position is not adjusted for different crop heights, then the mounting structure remains simple, but the captured data becomes inaccurate due to crop blocking
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly is designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities that allow the camera to change its position vertically and angularly. This dynamic structure enables the system to maintain accurate data capture across different crop heights by automatically compensating for crop blocking, while the complexity is managed through automated control systems rather than complex mechanical designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from image analysis to determine when adjustment is needed. The controller processes captured images, identifies when crop blocking occurs or when crop height changes affect perspective, and automatically adjusts the mounting assembly to restore optimal positioning, thereby maintaining measurement precision without requiring overly complex predictive mounting structures.
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
An adjustable camera system comprises a camera, a mounting assembly and a controller. The mounting assembly is coupled to the camera and adapted to raise and lower the camera. The controller is configured to use an image of an object from the camera to determine whether the camera is at an optimal position from the object. If the controller determines that the camera is not at the optimal position, the controller sends a signal to the mounting assembly to raise or lower the camera.