Drone-Based Header Monitoring for Obstruction-Free Harvest Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural work machine sensors face challenges such as limited detection area, obstructions, and increased expense and complexity due to on-board sensors, which affect the accuracy and effectiveness of attribute detection and control.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing drones equipped with sensor systems that are remotely positionable and adjustable to detect various attributes, overcoming obstructions and providing accurate data for controlling agricultural work machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If on-board sensors are used for detecting header performance attributes, then the detection area is limited and obstructions occur, but using remote drones expands detection area and eliminates obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional on-board sensor detection to three-dimensional remote sensing by positioning sensors on drones that can operate above and around the agricultural work machine, eliminating obstructions and expanding detection coverage to the entire header and surrounding area
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is extracted from the agricultural work machine and relocated to independent drone platforms, separating the detection function from the machine operation to eliminate mutual obstructions and enable unrestricted detection angles
2Measurement precision
If on-board sensors are installed on the agricultural work machine, then detection can be performed, but expense and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Drones serve as intermediary platforms carrying sensor systems, enabling precise attribute detection without requiring complex sensor installations on the agricultural work machine itself. The drones act as mobile measurement stations that can be deployed and retrieved as needed
Solution Approach 2:
The drone-based sensor system provides multi-functional capabilities including detecting header performance attributes, monitoring crop conditions, and tracking machine operation, replacing multiple specialized on-board sensors with a single versatile remote platform
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural system includes: a sensor system communicably coupled to and remotely positionable from an agricultural work machine at a worksite, the sensor system configured to detect one or more header performance attributes, of a header of the agricultural work machine, and generate sensor data indicative of the detected one or more header performance attributes; one or more processors; and memory storing instructions, executable by the one or more processors. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain the sensor data indicative of the detected one or more header performance attributes; determine header performance of the header of the agricultural work machine based on the obtained sensor data indicative of the detected one or more header performance attributes; and generate a control signal based on the determined header performance.