Mobile Agricultural Confidence System for Targeted Spraying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural machines face inefficiencies in operations due to reliance on broadcast spraying methods, which result in substance wastage and environmental harm, as they struggle to accurately target weeds, leading to variable performance quality.
Innovation Solution
A mobile agricultural machine equipped with sensors that generate signals indicative of environmental characteristics and a confidence system to determine a confidence level in operation performance, allowing for targeted substance application by adjusting operating parameters based on sensor data and environmental factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If broadcast spraying methods are used, then operational simplicity is maintained, but substance wastage increases and environmental harm occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different spray rates to different locations within the field based on detected weed presence. Sensors identify specific areas with weeds and trigger targeted substance application only to those locations, rather than uniform broadcast spraying across the entire field.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to continuously monitor the environment for weed detection, processes this information through a control system, and adjusts spray application in real-time based on the detected conditions. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise targeting of substance application.
2Loss of substance
If targeted substance application is implemented, then substance efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into a single control platform that handles sensor data acquisition, image processing, weed detection algorithms, spray rate calculation, and actuator control. This multi-functional approach reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system acts as an intermediary between the sensors that detect weeds and the spray mechanism that applies substance. It processes sensor signals, determines weed presence and location, calculates appropriate spray rates, and generates control signals for the spray system, thereby coordinating the complex interactions between components.
3Measurement precision
If sensor-based detection is used, then targeting precision improves, but measurement reliability varies under different environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts detection and processing parameters based on environmental conditions such as lighting, weather, and field characteristics. The control system modifies sensor sensitivity, image processing thresholds, and detection algorithms to maintain reliable weed identification across varying operational conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile agricultural machine includes a sensor that senses a characteristic of the environment in which the mobile agricultural machine is operating and generates a sensor signal indicative of the characteristic. The mobile agricultural machine also accesses a data store having stored data indicative of characteristics that can affect an ability of the mobile agricultural machine to perform an operation. Further, the mobile agricultural machine includes a confidence system configured to receive the stored data and generate a confidence level value indicative of a confidence in the ability of the mobile agricultural machine to perform the operation based on the stored data; and an action signal generator configured to generate an action signal to control an action of the mobile agricultural machine based on the confidence level value.