Agricultural Guidance Path Correction for Crop Profile Irregularities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural systems lack a comprehensive solution to navigate through irregularities in crop material profiles, such as swath or crop row variations, which can lead to inefficient harvesting and guidance issues due to incomplete or inaccurate path planning.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes sensor data from various sources, including imaging, LIDAR, and RADAR sensors, to identify material profile irregularities and determine correcting path segments, allowing for adaptive guidance by executing alternative path planning procedures based on the availability of global paths, location within a field, and field contours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a global path is used for guiding the agricultural system, then the overall navigation efficiency is improved, but the system cannot adapt to local material profile irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The path planning is segmented into global path planning for overall navigation efficiency and local path correction segments for adapting to material irregularities. The system divides the guidance problem into hierarchical levels, allowing both global efficiency and local adaptability to be achieved simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges global path planning with local material profile detection and correction. By combining the overall navigation plan with real-time local adjustments based on sensor data, the system achieves both high navigation efficiency and adaptability to irregularities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If alternative path planning procedures are implemented to handle material irregularities, then adaptability is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The path planning system is made dynamic by allowing the agricultural system to switch between different path planning procedures based on the detected material profile irregularities. The system adapts its complexity in real-time, using simple global path planning when material is uniform and more complex local correction procedures when irregularities are detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting material irregularities and selecting appropriate path correction procedures without external intervention. The agricultural system monitors its own performance and adjusts its path planning accordingly, reducing the need for complex external control mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If sensor data processing is enhanced to detect material profile irregularities, then measurement precision is improved, but the data processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-processing sensor data to identify key features of material profiles before full analysis. By extracting and prioritizing critical irregularity indicators in advance, the system achieves high measurement precision while minimizing the time required for complete data processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables more efficient and accurate navigation through irregular crop material profiles by automatically adjusting the guidance path to account for disruptions and variations, improving the overall efficiency and precision of agricultural operations.
Implementation Method 1
The one or more sensors may include an imaging sensor, which may be a camera, LIDAR, infrared sensor, or the like.
Implementation Method 2
The one or more sensors may include a RADAR sensor, or ultrasonic sensor, for example.
Implementation Method 3
The one or more sensors may include a RADAR sensor, or ultrasonic sensor, for example.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6a
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for guiding movement of an agricultural system within a field. Sensor data indicative of an environment of an agricultural system is used to identify a material profile along which the agricultural system shall be guided. One or more properties of the material profile are then determined from the sensor data and in particular properties indicative of an irregularity in the material profile. From this, a correcting path segment is determined for guiding movement of the agricultural system with respect to the determined material profile irregularity. Movement of the agricultural system is then controlled along the determined correcting path segment.