Agricultural Machine Path Planning for Cost-Optimized Reset Tours
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for planning agricultural machine paths are inefficient and economical, particularly in terms of reset tours, which result in unnecessary costs and waste due to suboptimal coverage of the agricultural field and unproductive traversal.
Innovation Solution
The method involves planning paths based on pre-defined target tracks to ensure efficient coverage of the agricultural field, optimizing reset tours by minimizing costs, residual capacity, and aligning stock depletion with field boundaries, using U-turns and dynamic adjustments to manage supply thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the agricultural machine proceeds into the working area until the supply stock is depleted, then the residual capacity during reset tours is minimized, but the reset tour distance and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the optimal reset point by analyzing the planned path and supply consumption rate before execution. This allows determining the precise moment to initiate a reset tour so that the supply stock is depleted exactly when reaching the headland, avoiding both residual capacity waste and excessive reset tour distance
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the actual supply consumption and compares it with the planned consumption rate. This feedback mechanism allows dynamic adjustment of the reset tour initiation point to account for variations in supply usage, ensuring optimal timing is achieved in practice
2Loss of substance
If reset tours are performed early in the headland, then the residual capacity is reduced, but unproductive traversal in the working area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates the optimal reset tour initiation point by analyzing the complete planned path and supply consumption characteristics before execution, ensuring that reset tours are timed to occur exactly when the agricultural machine reaches the headland rather than during productive working area traversal
3Adaptability or versatility
If the path is planned without pre-defined target tracks, then flexibility in path selection is maintained, but coverage efficiency and reset tour optimization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The working area is divided into pre-defined target tracks that serve as segmentation units for path planning. This segmentation enables systematic coverage of the entire field while providing a structured framework for optimizing reset tour timing and minimizing unproductive traversal
Solution Approach 2:
The target tracks are defined in advance before path planning begins. This preliminary definition provides a ready-made framework that guides the agricultural machine through the working area efficiently, ensuring complete coverage while facilitating optimal reset tour planning
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The invention is directed at a method for planning a path (1) of an agricultural machine (2), wherein the agricultural machine (2) traverses the path (1), wherein the agricultural machine (2) executes a supply-based agricultural process in a working area (3) of an agricultural field (4) with an implement along the path (1), wherein the path (1) comprises reset tours (8) to reset a supply stock (6) of the agricultural machine (2) with a supply reset apparatus (9) and wherein the path (1) is determined according to a minimization of costs incurred by the reset tours (8). The invention is characterized in that the path (1) is determined by composing at least part of the the path (1) from pre-defined target tracks (10), that have been defined beforehand, which path is optimized according to at least one optimization criterion regarding the reset tours (8).