Agricultural Control Unit Touch Interface Headland Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard on-board computers for agricultural machines lack flexibility in assisting farmers with field operations, particularly in creating and managing headlands and guidelines, which are crucial for efficient field processing.
Innovation Solution
A control unit with a touch-sensitive screen for agricultural working machines that allows users to mark and assign properties to field areas, automatically creating headlands and guidelines based on machine features, such as working width, and providing a flexible interface for operators to define these boundaries with minimal effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard on-board computers are used for field processing assistance, then basic parallel strip guidance is provided, but flexibility in creating and managing headlands and guidelines is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically generates headlands and guidelines based on machine parameters and field geometry without requiring manual operator input. The system uses stored technical characteristics (working width, turning circle) to self-determine optimal headland positions and guideline configurations, eliminating the need for operators to manually create these elements while maintaining high flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Technical characteristics of the agricultural working machine (working width, turning circle, row spacing) are pre-stored in the control unit's memory. Field boundary data is obtained in advance through GPS or manual input. When headland creation is required, the system immediately uses this pre-stored information to automatically generate the headlands and guidelines, eliminating the need for operators to input these parameters during field operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual creation of headlands and guidelines is required, then precision in defining field boundaries is improved, but operator effort and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically calculates and positions headlands and guidelines based on stored machine parameters and field boundary data. The system determines optimal headland widths using the machine's turning circle and working width, and generates parallel guidelines at correct spacings without operator intervention, achieving both precision and time efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses GPS positioning data to continuously monitor the machine's location and orientation relative to the generated headlands and guidelines. This feedback allows the system to automatically adjust guidance during operation, ensuring precise following of the generated paths while reducing the need for manual corrections.
3Ease of manufacture
If headlands are created without considering machine features, then setup process is simplified, but working width and turning circle requirements are not met
Solution Approach 1:
All machine-specific parameters (working width, turning circle, row spacing) are pre-stored in the control unit's memory during system setup. When headlands need to be created, the system immediately retrieves these parameters and uses them to calculate headland positions and widths that are guaranteed to be compatible with the specific machine's capabilities, ensuring reliability without complicating the creation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts headland dimensions and guideline spacings based on the retrieved machine parameters. For example, headland width is calculated as a function of the machine's turning circle, and guideline spacing is set according to the machine's working width and row spacing requirements, ensuring optimal parameters for each specific machine type.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
Control unit for an agricultural machine comprising an input device and a display device that can display at least one field to be cultivated, wherein the input device and the display device are integrated in a touch-sensitive screen and the control unit is designed and/or configured such that at least one area of the field to be cultivated can be marked by touch and a property can be assigned to this area, wherein the area can be displayed in the display device and a corresponding method.