Autonomous Crop Sprayer Route Control for Angled Row Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional autonomously traveling work vehicles inefficiently spray chemicals when crop rows are angled relative to the travel route, leading to wasteful spraying or missed areas, reducing work efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system that generates a target route and adjusts the spraying direction of the work vehicle based on the position of crop rows, using a route generation processing unit and control information generation processing unit to optimize spraying patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the work vehicle uniformly stops spraying and moves to the subsequent travel route when reaching the end of a crop row, then the work vehicle can maintain a simple control system and uniform travel pattern, but the chemical is sprayed in areas where crops are not planted or not sprayed on crops, reducing work efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The spraying direction is made dynamically adjustable based on the relative position between the work vehicle and crop rows. The spraying unit switches between first direction (when crop row is on the left), second direction (when crop row is on the right), and third direction (when adjacent crop row position requires it), allowing the system to adapt to varying field conditions and improve work efficiency without requiring complex manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses positioning information to continuously monitor the relative position between the work vehicle and crop rows, and automatically adjusts the spraying direction based on this feedback. This closed-loop control ensures that chemicals are sprayed only where crops are present while eliminating waste in non-crop areas
2Loss of energy
If the work vehicle continuously sprays without switching direction, then the spraying operation is simple and continuous, but chemicals are wasted in areas where crops are not planted
Solution Approach 1:
The spraying direction is dynamically switched based on real-time positioning data indicating the relative position of crop rows. The system transitions between different spraying directions (first, second, and third directions) to match the actual crop layout, ensuring chemicals are applied only where needed and eliminating waste in non-crop areas
Solution Approach 2:
Different spraying directions are applied to different spatial locations based on the local crop distribution. The system identifies whether the crop row is on the left or right side and adjusts the spraying direction accordingly, applying chemicals with appropriate directionality to match the local field conditions and prevent waste
3Manufacturing precision
If the work vehicle adjusts spraying direction based on crop row position, then chemical application accuracy is improved and waste is reduced, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously receives positioning information about the work vehicle's location and the relative position of crop rows, and uses this feedback to automatically adjust the spraying direction. This feedback mechanism enables precise chemical application aligned with actual crop locations while maintaining automated operation that does not require complex manual control
Solution Approach 2:
The work vehicle autonomously determines the appropriate spraying direction based on its own positioning information and the known crop row layout. The system self-adjusts without requiring external intervention or complex operator decisions, automatically switching between spraying directions to match the field conditions and maintain high application accuracy
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To provide a spraying work method, a spraying work system, and a spraying work program with which it is possible to improve the work efficiency of a spraying work by an autonomously traveling work vehicle. [Solution] A spraying work method includes generating a target route R for a work vehicle 10 that performs a spraying work on crops V arranged in a plurality of rows in a field F, causing the work vehicle 10 to autonomously travel along the target route R, and switching a spraying direction of a spray material for the crop V by spraying units 14L and 14R provided in the work vehicle 10 in accordance with a position of either the crop V on a work route R1, on which the work vehicle 10 performs the spraying work while autonomously traveling, or the crop V adjacent to the work route R1.