Boundary-Based End-of-Row Turn Paths for Field Edge Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural vehicle control systems generate unpredictable and undesirable end-of-row turn paths, often causing the vehicle to cross over field boundaries, leading to crop damage and soil compaction, especially in fields with complex shapes.
Innovation Solution
A computing system is used to generate boundary-based end-of-row turn paths that maintain the agricultural machine spaced apart from the field boundary by a minimum buffer distance, ensuring the machine does not cross over into the work area during turns, and can automatically execute or display these paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional algorithms generate end-of-row turn paths based on vehicle speed, then the turn can be achieved, but the turning path becomes unpredictable and often crosses over field boundaries causing crop damage and soil compaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by raising and disengaging the agricultural implement before executing the end-of-row turn, ensuring the implement does not contact crops during the turning maneuver. This preparatory action prevents crop damage before it can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary boundary-based turn path that acts as a mediator between the current position and the next row. This turn path is specifically designed to stay outside field boundaries, preventing direct contact with crops and reducing soil compaction while still enabling automatic turn execution.
2Reliability
If manual control is used for end-of-row turns, then the operator can adjust the path, but the operation becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically generating and executing boundary-based turn paths without operator intervention. The control system independently calculates the optimal turn path that maintains a buffer distance from boundaries and automatically guides the vehicle along this path, eliminating the need for manual steering while ensuring precise path control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from GPS location data and boundary information to continuously monitor the vehicle's position and adjust the turn path execution. This closed-loop control ensures the vehicle maintains the correct distance from boundaries while automating the entire turning process.
3Productivity
If the turn path is generated without considering work boundaries, then the turn execution is simpler, but the agricultural machine crosses over into the work area causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by creating a turn path with different spatial characteristics in different zones. The path maintains a greater distance from boundaries in areas where crops are present, while still enabling efficient turning motion. This localized adjustment of path geometry prevents harmful effects while maintaining overall turn efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for implementing end-of-row (EOR) turns within a field includes accessing a location of a work boundary outlining a work area of the field within which an agricultural machine is configured to perform an agricultural operation, and generating a boundary-based EOR turn path for the agricultural machine between an end point of a first path extending across the work area and a start point of a second path extending across the work area, with the boundary-based EOR turn path being defined relative to the work boundary such that the agricultural machine is maintained spaced apart from the boundary by at least a minimum buffer distance as the machine is traversed between the end point of the first path and the start point of the second path. In addition, the method includes automatically executing an EOR turn along the boundary-based EOR turn path and/or displaying the boundary-based EOR turn path.