Agricultural Vehicle Lighting System with Adaptive Pixel Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting systems for off-road vehicles, such as agricultural and construction machines, often cause operator fatigue due to the need to constantly switch attention between in-cabin controls and the field, and are limited in identifying objects or property lines, especially in low visibility conditions.
Innovation Solution
A high-definition pixel LED lighting system with a control module that adjusts light emissions based on object location and field maps, using cameras and sensors to detect objects and boundaries, allowing for precise illumination of specific zones and reducing light emission where necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional lighting systems illuminate the surrounding area of the vehicle, then the operator can see the field environment, but the operator experiences fatigue due to constant attention switching between controls and field
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into multiple independently controllable light sources (headlights, work lights, spotlights) that can be selectively activated. Each light source illuminates specific zones rather than the entire surrounding area, allowing the operator to receive targeted visual information without needing to continuously scan the entire field environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-identifies objects and areas of interest in the field using sensors and cameras before the operator needs to observe them. This preliminary detection allows the lighting system to proactively illuminate only the relevant areas, so the operator receives information without having to actively search or switch attention between controls and field.
2Loss of information
If conventional lighting systems illuminate the surrounding area, then the operator can monitor the field, but the system is limited in identifying objects or property lines
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors and cameras are introduced as intermediary devices between the field environment and the operator. These intermediaries detect objects, property lines, and areas of interest, then transmit this information to the lighting control system, which selectively illuminates the detected features. This intermediary layer enhances object detection capability without requiring the operator to directly observe the entire illuminated area.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system provides different illumination qualities to different areas of the field based on their importance. High-intensity focused illumination is applied to detected objects and property lines, while other areas receive reduced or no illumination. This local differentiation of lighting quality enhances the visibility of critical features without uniformly illuminating the entire surrounding area.
3Measurement precision
If the lighting system increases illumination to improve visibility, then object detection improves, but light nuisance in adjacent areas increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies high illumination intensity only to locally identified areas containing objects or property lines, rather than uniformly illuminating the entire surrounding area. This localized approach maintains high detection precision for critical features while minimizing light exposure in adjacent areas where it would cause nuisance to non-target objects or environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system continuously receives feedback from sensors and cameras about the presence and location of objects. Based on this feedback, the system dynamically adjusts which areas receive illumination and at what intensity. This feedback loop ensures that high-intensity lighting is applied only when and where objects are detected, improving detection precision while avoiding unnecessary illumination that would create light nuisance in adjacent areas.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural work vehicle for operating in a field includes a chassis, a cab mounted to the chassis, a controller for controlling operation of the work vehicle, and a lighting system including a array field light. The controller is in communication with a field map input, and the array field light projects a light emission to illuminate a zone. A light control module is disposed in electrical communication with the controller and operably controls the array field light. Upon identifying an object in the field based on the field map input, the controller determines if the object is in the zone. If the object is in the zone, the light control module controllably adjusts an output from the array field light based on a location of the object in the zone.