Boom-Mounted Imaging for Sprayer Trajectory and Obstacle Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chemical sprayers attached to long booms on agricultural machines face challenges in accurately judging the positions of the boom tip and nozzles due to parallax, leading to potential collisions with obstacles and misapplication of chemicals, especially for less skilled operators.
Innovation Solution
An imaging system with image capture devices mounted on the boom provides real-time visual feedback on an electronic display, superimposing trajectory lines to guide the operator, and includes obstacle detection and warning signals to prevent collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a long boom (100 to 120 feet) is used to increase coverage area, then the coverage area is improved, but the operator's ability to accurately judge boom tip position deteriorates due to parallax
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images from the boom tip perspective and displays them on a monitor in the operator's cab, providing real-time visual feedback about the actual position of the boom tip and nozzles. This feedback loop allows the operator to see the true location of remote components, eliminating parallax estimation errors and enabling accurate position judgment despite the long boom length.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system creates a visual copy (image) of the boom tip and nozzle positions, transmitting this visual information to the operator. Instead of relying on direct visual observation from the cab, the operator views a captured image that accurately represents the remote boom tip location, effectively copying the visual information from the remote location to the operator's position.
2Area of stationary object
If the boom tip is positioned 50 to 60 feet from the operator, then the coverage area is improved, but the operator's peripheral vision is insufficient to monitor boom position
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system provides continuous visual feedback by capturing and displaying images from the boom tip location on a monitor within the operator's cab. This allows the operator to monitor the boom tip position and surrounding environment despite being 50 to 60 feet away, effectively extending the operator's visual monitoring capability beyond natural peripheral vision limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the remote boom tip location. The image capture device mounted on the boom serves as a mediator that collects visual information from the remote location and transmits it to the operator, bridging the 50 to 60 feet distance gap that exceeds natural human peripheral vision capabilities.
3Productivity
If less skilled operators are used to address labor challenges, then labor availability is improved, but the likelihood of mistakes in navigating the boom increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system provides real-time visual feedback that shows the actual position of the boom tip and nozzles, enabling less skilled operators to navigate the boom accurately. By displaying captured images on a monitor, the system compensates for the operator's lack of experience in judging remote positions, allowing even inexperienced operators to avoid obstacles and make proper turns with confidence.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system enables the operator to self-monitor and self-correct boom positioning without requiring extensive training or experience. The visual feedback from the image capture device allows the operator to independently assess the boom tip location and make appropriate navigation decisions, reducing reliance on skilled judgment and experience.
Data Source
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AI summary
Imaging systems and related computing systems and methods for processing images and determining equipment trajectories are disclosed. A computing system is configured to display, on an electronic display, an image taken from a boom perspective that is remote from an operator of the agricultural machine, a boom trajectory corresponding to a path predicted to be traveled across the image for a point along the boom responsive to a steering signal and display a trajectory line superimposed over the image. An imaging system includes an image capture device mounted to a boom and a processor. The processor is configured to identify an object in an image captured by the image capture device, determine whether the identified object is an obstacle to movement of the boom, and generate a warning signal responsive to a determination that the identified object is an obstacle to movement of the boom.