Autopilot Operation System Using Implement States for Auto-Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional auto-guidance systems for agricultural vehicles are expensive and require sophisticated user interfaces, making them inaccessible to smaller farms, and are typically integrated into vehicles during manufacturing, limiting their retrofitting and usability by farmers without advanced technical knowledge.
Innovation Solution
An autopilot operation system that does not require a graphical user interface display, allowing configuration and operation through interactions with attached implements, enabling easy addition to existing vehicles and operation by farmers without technical expertise, using simple mechanical methods like brackets, screws, and duct tape for coupling, and relying on implement states to set navigation points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional autopilot systems are integrated with vehicles at manufacturing time, then system reliability and performance are improved, but device complexity and cost increase, and adaptability to existing vehicles decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The autopilot system is divided into separate functional modules that can be independently installed and configured. The system includes discrete components such as GPS receivers, control units, and interface devices that can be added to existing vehicles without requiring complete system integration at manufacturing time, thereby enabling retrofitting while maintaining system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The autopilot system is designed with universal interfaces and mounting mechanisms that can be adapted to multiple vehicle types and configurations. The system can be installed on various agricultural vehicles including tractors, combines, and sprayers, providing broad adaptability across different platforms while maintaining consistent performance standards
2Measurement precision
If sophisticated graphical user interface displays are used for configuration and operation, then control precision and functionality are improved, but ease of operation decreases and training requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automatic configuration capabilities that eliminate the need for manual setup by operators. The autopilot system automatically detects vehicle parameters, calibrates sensors, and configures operational parameters without requiring the operator to navigate complex menus or understand technical specifications, thereby maintaining control precision while dramatically simplifying operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex graphical user interface interactions with simple mechanical or electronic switches and buttons that provide direct control. Instead of requiring operators to navigate sophisticated software interfaces, the system uses straightforward physical controls that are intuitive and require minimal training, while maintaining precise control through automated processing
3Reliability
If expert training is provided for system configuration and operation, then system capability and reliability are improved, but loss of time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs configuration and calibration tasks that would otherwise require expert training. Operators simply need to follow basic setup procedures while the system autonomously completes complex configuration steps, eliminating the need for extensive training while maintaining system capability and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system includes pre-configured settings, default parameters, and automated calibration routines that are prepared in advance. When the autopilot system is installed or activated, these preliminary configurations are automatically applied, eliminating the need for operators to undergo lengthy training sessions to understand and configure system parameters
4Measurement precision
If high-end vehicles with integrated autopilot systems are used, then navigation precision and automation are improved, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The autopilot system is provided as a separate, modular add-on that can be installed on existing vehicles of various price points. This segmentation allows farms to invest only in the navigation system itself rather than purchasing expensive high-end vehicles with integrated systems, thereby achieving navigation precision without the associated high vehicle costs
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses intermediate mounting mechanisms and interface adapters that bridge existing vehicle systems with the autopilot technology. These intermediaries allow integration with standard vehicle components without requiring expensive custom-built vehicles, reducing overall system cost while maintaining navigation precision through standardized high-precision components
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C~2A
AI summary
A path of travel used by an autopilot operation system for auto-guidance of a mobile machine is defined, transparently to a human operator, in response to the human operator engaging and disengaging operation of an implement coupled with the mobile machine. The auto-guidance of the mobile machine is activated, transparently to the human operator, in response to the human operator engaging the implement a second time.