Automated Sampling and Data Recording for Agricultural Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural machine sampling processes are cumbersome, time-consuming, and error-prone due to the manual recording and storage of raw data from sensors, which is necessary for calibration and validation but not efficiently handled in existing systems.
Innovation Solution
An automated data recording and sampling arrangement for agricultural machines that includes a sensor arrangement, a processing device, an actuator for sample placement, and an electronic control unit to manage the sampling process, ensuring raw data is recorded and stored accurately and efficiently by controlling the actuator and detection device to align the sample with the desired deposition location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual procedures are used for recording raw data and sampling, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but the process becomes cumbersome, time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manual operations (data recording, sample collection, positioning, and storage) into a single automated system controlled by a control unit. The control unit coordinates the actuator for positioning the sampling device and simultaneously manages the recording device for capturing raw data, merging these functions into one integrated automated process that eliminates manual intervention while maintaining operational coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated system enables the agricultural machine to perform sampling and data recording operations independently without operator intervention. The control unit automatically triggers the sampling process, positions the sampling device, records raw data from sensors, and stores both the sample and associated data, allowing the system to serve itself and eliminating the time-consuming manual procedures previously required.
2Reliability
If only derived data are stored in memory, then storage space is optimized, but raw data needed for calibration and validation are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by recording and storing raw sensor data at the time of sampling, before any processing or derivation occurs. This ensures that the original unprocessed data is preserved in memory alongside the physical sample, making it available for future calibration and validation activities without requiring re-collection of data.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that manages both the physical sample storage and the digital data storage. It coordinates the simultaneous storage of the sampled material in a container and the associated raw data in memory, ensuring that both the physical and digital records are linked and preserved together for future reference and analysis.
3Measurement precision
If sampling is performed manually with operator input, then system complexity is minimized, but accuracy and consistency of data recording deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit receives feedback signals from sensors that detect properties of the material stream and automatically uses this information to trigger and manage the sampling process. This feedback mechanism ensures that sampling occurs at the appropriate moments based on actual material conditions, improving the accuracy and consistency of when samples are collected compared to manual operator judgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated control system that uses electronic signals to coordinate sampling and data recording. The control unit substitutes for the operator's manual actions, using automated actuators for positioning and automated recording devices for data capture, thereby eliminating human error while introducing electronic control mechanisms.
4Measurement precision
If the agricultural machine is stopped for manual sampling, then sampling accuracy is improved, but productivity and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling system is designed to be dynamic and adaptable to the moving agricultural machine. The actuator dynamically positions the sampling device during machine operation, and the control unit dynamically triggers sampling based on real-time sensor feedback. This dynamic approach allows accurate sample deposition without requiring the machine to stop, maintaining operational efficiency while achieving sampling precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning and preparation of the sampling device before the actual sampling moment during machine operation. The actuator pre-positions the sampling device at the optimal location, and the control unit pre-triggers the sampling sequence based on anticipated material flow conditions, ensuring accurate sample collection without interrupting the machine's forward motion and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement for data recording and sampling for an agricultural machine includes a sensor set-up arrangement to detect properties contained in a material stream, means of taking a sample of the material from the material stream, and an electronic control unit. The control unit is configured to perform the following steps in response to a tripping signal: (a) instruct an actuator to bring the means into a position for sampling; (b) starting a recording of raw sensor arrangement data in a memory; (c) after depositing the sample at a desired sampling location, stop recording the raw data and instruct the actuator to return the means from the sampling position to an inactive position; and (d) store identification data to identify the sample together with the raw data in memory.