Farm Vehicle Coupling Control for Autonomous Work Machine Hitching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current farm vehicle technologies require manual operation to combine with work machines, increasing labor input and reducing efficiency in agricultural tasks.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for automatically combining a farm vehicle with a work machine, using a processor to confirm the work machine's position and control the farm vehicle's movement to align and couple coupling units, enabling autonomous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual operation is used to combine farm vehicle with work machine, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity is reduced and labor input increases
Solution Approach 1:
The farm vehicle autonomously performs the combination operation with the work machine without requiring manual intervention. The vehicle automatically detects the work machine's position, calculates the optimal path, controls movement speed and direction, and executes the coupling operation independently, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminate the need for operator involvement in this task.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated control system that uses sensors, processors, and actuators. The system substitutes human operators' mechanical actions with electronic control mechanisms that detect positions, compute paths, and execute movements through automated steering and speed control systems.
2Productivity
If automated combination system is implemented, then productivity is enhanced and labor input is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated combination system is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting the work machine's position, calculating the optimal path, controlling the vehicle's speed and steering, and executing the coupling operation. By integrating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional system, the patent reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each task, thereby managing complexity while achieving high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple control functions (position detection, path calculation, speed control, steering control) into an integrated automated system. This merging of previously separate operations into a unified control architecture streamlines the system design and reduces overall complexity despite the advanced capabilities provided.
3Manufacturing precision
If automated path control is used to align coupling units, then manufacturing precision of coupling alignment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously detects the work machine's position and uses this feedback to calculate and adjust the optimal path in real-time. The automated control system monitors the alignment status of coupling units during movement and makes dynamic adjustments to ensure precise coupling, using feedback loops to maintain accuracy without requiring overly complex mechanical alignment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of automatically combining a farm vehicle with a work machine including confirming a current position of the work machine, moving a farm vehicle into a range having a predetermined radius around the current position, and controlling the farm vehicle, on the basis of a current position and direction of a first coupling unit included in the work machine, so that the first coupling unit and a second coupling unit included in the farm vehicle are coupled to each other.