Agricultural Bale Collection Controller for Optimal Route Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural systems lack efficient methods to determine the optimal picking up and arrangement of bales in a field, considering various physical properties and quality factors, which can lead to inefficiencies in transportation and potential damage to bales.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a controller that receives bale-location-data and bale-property-data to determine bale-pick-up-data, including pick-up-route-plan-data and bale-arrangement-data, to optimize the order and arrangement of bales based on their physical properties and quality, ensuring efficient and safe collection and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If bales are picked up in random order without optimization, then the collection process is simple to execute, but fuel consumption increases and collection time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining the optimal pick-up sequence in advance using bale location data and property data before the actual collection process begins. The controller calculates the most efficient route and bale selection order, considering factors like bale weight, position, and tractor capacity, so that the tractor can follow a pre-optimized path without real-time decision-making complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses automated self-service through the controller that independently processes bale location data and property data to generate optimal pick-up sequences without requiring manual intervention. The controller automatically adjusts the pick-up plan based on real-time data, eliminating the need for operators to manually plan routes while reducing fuel consumption and collection time.
2Reliability
If bales are arranged mixed without consideration of properties, then loading is faster and simpler, but bale quality deteriorates due to exposure to moisture and weight pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by arranging bales in the trailer according to their specific properties rather than using a uniform loading pattern. High-quality bales are positioned in protected locations away from moisture and weight pressure, while lower-quality bales are placed in less critical positions. This differentiated arrangement preserves the quality of valuable bales without significantly impacting loading speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller determines the optimal bale arrangement in advance based on bale property data before loading begins. By pre-calculating the ideal positions for each bale in the trailer, the system ensures that quality-preserving arrangements are implemented without requiring complex real-time decision-making during the loading process, thus maintaining both quality and efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If the pick-up sequence is determined without considering bale properties, then the collection process is more straightforward, but the risk of bale damage increases due to improper handling and arrangement
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes operational parameters dynamically by adjusting the pick-up sequence based on bale property parameters such as weight, moisture content, and quality score. The controller modifies the collection plan to prioritize bales that are more vulnerable to damage, ensuring they are handled with appropriate care and positioned safely in the trailer, thereby reducing damage risk while maintaining operational feasibility.
4Productivity
If all bales are collected immediately without prioritization, then the field is cleared faster, but high-quality bales may be exposed to damaging conditions during extended collection time
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary prioritization of bales based on quality data before the collection process begins. High-quality bales are identified and scheduled for early collection and protected positioning in the trailer, ensuring they are removed from the field first and placed in optimal positions. This pre-planned prioritization maintains quality while achieving efficient field clearance by organizing the collection sequence in advance.
Data Source
AI summary
A system including: a controller configured to: receive bale-location-data representative of the location of a plurality of bales in a field; receive bale-property-data representative of one or more physical properties of each of the plurality of bales; and determine bale-pick-up-data based on the bale-location-data and the bale-property-data. The bale-pick-up-data is associated with an operation to pick up the bales from the field.