Agricultural Vehicle Lighting System with Dynamic Zone Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting systems in off-road vehicles, such as agricultural and construction machines, can cause operator fatigue and errors due to the need to constantly switch attention between in-cabin controls and the field, and often blind or distract nearby operators with glare, necessitating a solution to automatically or manually control lighting to avoid these issues.
Innovation Solution
A lighting system for work vehicles that includes a high-definition pixel LED lighting system with a control module and sensing devices, such as cameras and sensors, to dynamically adjust light emissions and avoid illuminating areas where other vehicles or objects are present, allowing for controlled illumination of specific zones and reducing glare.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional lighting systems illuminate the entire surrounding area, then operator visibility is improved, but other operators are blinded or distracted by glare
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system divides the illumination area into multiple controllable zones or segments. Each segment can be independently controlled to illuminate only the necessary areas while leaving other regions dark, thereby preventing glare to other operators while maintaining visibility for the primary operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides different illumination qualities to different locations. High-intensity illumination is directed only where needed for the operator's work area, while other areas receive reduced or no illumination, creating local variations in light quality that prevent harmful glare while maintaining necessary visibility.
2Ease of operation
If additional in-cabin lights and controls are added to agricultural machines, then operational control is improved, but operator fatigue increases due to divided attention
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system operates automatically based on sensor input and pre-programmed logic, adjusting illumination levels and patterns without requiring manual intervention. This self-service capability eliminates the need for additional manual controls in the cabin, allowing the operator to maintain full attention on field operations while the system autonomously manages lighting requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor environmental conditions and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback loop enables automatic adjustment of lighting parameters based on real-time conditions, improving operational ease while eliminating the need for additional manual controls that would divide operator attention.
3Illumination intensity
If lighting systems are used to illuminate work areas, then visibility is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system dynamically adjusts illumination levels and patterns based on real-time operational conditions, work area requirements, and environmental factors. This dynamic control ensures that energy is consumed only when and where illumination is actually needed, optimizing the balance between visibility and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides partial illumination only in the specific work areas that require visibility, rather than illuminating the entire surrounding environment. This selective approach delivers sufficient lighting for operational tasks while minimizing overall energy consumption by avoiding excessive illumination in areas where it is not needed.
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 array field light projects a light emission to illuminate a defined zone. A light control module is disposed in electrical communication with the controller and operably controls the at least one array field light. A sensing device senses an area surrounding the work vehicle. The sensing device transmits a signal indicative of a detected object to the controller, which in turn determines if the detected object is in the defined zone. If the detected object is in the defined zone, the light control module controllably adjusts an output from the array field light so that only a portion of the defined zone in which the object is not located is illuminated.