Autonomous Weeding Vehicle with Pre-Hoeing Herbicide Spraying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weed control methods in agriculture, such as mechanical weeding and herbicide application, face challenges in efficiency and environmental impact, particularly in reducing herbicide use and minimizing overspray.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle equipped with both hoeing devices for mechanical weed destruction and a spraying device for targeted application of plant protection agents, such as herbicides, is designed to operate autonomously, allowing precise weed control with reduced herbicide use by applying agents before mechanical action to minimize dust interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If herbicides are applied over large areas, then weed control effectiveness is improved, but environmental impact and herbicide loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies herbicides locally only where weeds are detected by sensors, rather than uniformly over large areas. The spraying device is controlled to dispense plant protection agents at specific locations identified as having weeds, thereby maintaining weed control effectiveness while significantly reducing overall herbicide loss to the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of weed locations using sensors before herbicide application. This allows the spraying device to be precisely positioned and controlled to apply herbicides only at detected weed locations, preventing unnecessary herbicide application and reducing environmental loss while maintaining effective weed control.
2Loss of substance
If mechanical hoeing devices are used, then herbicide usage is reduced, but weed control completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines mechanical hoeing devices with targeted herbicide spraying devices into a single integrated system. The hoeing devices mechanically destroy weeds through mechanical action, while the spraying device supplements this by applying herbicides at detected weed locations, creating a hybrid approach that reduces overall herbicide usage while maintaining complete weed control through the complementary actions of both devices.
3Ease of operation
If spraying device is positioned behind hoeing device, then application simplicity is improved, but herbicide effectiveness deteriorates due to dust interference
Solution Approach 1:
The spraying device is positioned in front of the hoeing device in the direction of travel, allowing it to apply herbicides to weed locations before the hoeing device reaches them. This preliminary action prevents dust raised by the hoeing device from interfering with herbicide application, thereby maintaining herbicide effectiveness while keeping the system relatively simple to operate.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle (100) for controlling weeds between cultivated plants, which vehicle is movable, in particular in an automated manner, in a direction of travel (F) and has at least one hoeing device (104) designed to destroy weed structures by mechanical action during movement of the vehicle (100) in the direction of travel (F), and a spraying device (1) for dispensing a plant protection agent, fertilizer, biostimulant, plant aid, or soil additive, in particular a herbicide. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating such a vehicle (100).