Agricultural Guidance Path Generation for Precise Follow Vehicle Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Precise navigation of agricultural equipment, such as grain carts, requires significant skill and leads to operator fatigue, necessitating improved automated navigation systems.
Innovation Solution
An automated navigation system using software to generate guidance paths based on leading vehicle data, including location, heading, and swath information, with features like offset application, gap filling, curve smoothing, and collision warnings, to facilitate precise alignment and operation of following vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual steering is used by experienced operators, then precise navigation can be achieved, but operator fatigue increases and skill requirements are high
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the agricultural equipment to navigate automatically using its own GPS receiver and onboard computer to generate and follow guidance paths, eliminating the need for continuous manual steering input while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical steering system controlled by human operators with an automated electronic control system that uses GPS data and computer algorithms to generate and execute navigation paths, substituting human physical effort with automated computational control
2Ease of operation
If automated steering systems are implemented, then operator fatigue is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The onboard computer performs multiple functions including receiving GPS data, generating guidance paths, calculating offset distances, and controlling steering, consolidating what could be separate complex systems into a single multi-functional unit that reduces overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates guidance paths and offset distances before execution, allowing the complex computational work to be done in advance rather than in real-time during operation, simplifying the real-time control requirements
3Manufacturing precision
If follow vehicle guidance paths are generated using offset from leading vehicle swath, then precise alignment is achieved, but calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates the offset distance from the leading vehicle's swath centerline to the following vehicle's target position, performing the complex geometric calculations in advance to simplify real-time path following execution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer that processes leading vehicle GPS data and swath information to generate simplified guidance paths for the following vehicle, acting as a mediator that transforms complex spatial relationships into executable navigation instructions
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to the system and methods for generating a guidance path for automated navigation of large agricultural equipment. Vehicle path data from leading vehicles can be recorded, stored or inputted into the system for generation of guidance paths offset from the swaths traversed by the leading vehicle. Combines, planters sprayers and other vehicles utilizing guidance system can be used to record leading vehicle data for use by the following vehicle in real time or in subsequent cycles. Enterprise systems can manage multiple grain carts and/or combines or other vehicles to maximize efficiency.