Dynamic Bin Weighing With IMU Compensation on Rough Terrain
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional weighing systems for agricultural crops and materials are prone to errors due to disturbances caused by uneven or rough ground, leading to inaccurate weight measurements during harvesting and application, as machinery bounces and moves over rough terrain.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising load cells and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that provides slope-compensated force information, adjusted using Kalman filtering to filter out measurement disturbances, allowing for accurate weight estimation of agricultural materials in bins, even when moving or bouncing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional load cells are used to measure weight during harvesting, then weight measurement is possible, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to disturbances from uneven ground and machinery movement
Solution Approach 1:
An IMU (inertial measurement unit) is introduced as an intermediary device to detect disturbances caused by terrain unevenness and machinery movement. The IMU measures acceleration and orientation changes, which are then used to compensate for the disturbances affecting load cell measurements, thereby improving measurement accuracy without requiring the load cells to be isolated from the dynamic environment
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring disturbances through the IMU and using this information to adjust and compensate for measurement errors in real-time. The controller processes IMU data to determine disturbance characteristics and applies corrections to the load cell readings, creating a closed-loop system that actively maintains measurement accuracy despite dynamic conditions
2Productivity
If the bin is moved over rough terrain during harvesting, then harvesting productivity is improved, but measurement reliability deteriorates due to bouncing and movement disturbances
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces purely mechanical weight measurement (load cells alone) with a hybrid approach that incorporates electronic sensing (IMU) and computational processing. Instead of relying solely on mechanical equilibrium, the system uses electronic sensors to detect disturbances and computational algorithms to separate true weight changes from movement-induced variations, enabling reliable measurement during dynamic operation
Solution Approach 2:
The IMU serves as a mediator that captures information about terrain roughness and movement patterns, allowing the system to understand and compensate for the effects of rough terrain without slowing down harvesting operations
3Measurement precision
If slope compensation is applied to correct for pitch and roll, then measurement accuracy on uneven ground is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The IMU is designed to perform multiple functions: it detects pitch and roll for slope compensation, identifies vibration patterns for disturbance filtering, and tracks orientation changes for dynamic correction. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated sensors for each measurement correction task, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity while achieving comprehensive measurement accuracy improvement
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
The system significantly reduces measurement disturbances, improving the accuracy of weight measurements during harvesting and application, enabling more reliable yield management strategies by compensating for pitch, roll, and movement-related errors.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of load cells configured to provide force information as a function of a weight of the bin and a weight of the agricultural materials in the bin
Implementation Method 2
An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is coupled to the bin and configured to provide gyroscope information and accelerometer information as a function of orientation and movement of the bin respectively
Implementation Method 3
An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is coupled to the bin and configured to provide gyroscope information and accelerometer information as a function of orientation and movement of the bin respectively
Implementation Method 4
determine a setting of a Kalman filter based on the maximum standard deviation, filter the adjusted force information using the Kalman filter to provide filtered force information
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Weighing systems and methods for dynamic loads are provided. A plurality of sensors are configured to provide force information based on a weight of a bin and a weight of a material in the bin. An IMU is coupled to the bin and configured to provide gyroscope information and accelerometer information based on orientation and movement of the bin respectively. A controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors and to the IMU. The controller is configured to receive the force information from the plurality of sensors and the gyroscope information and the accelerometer information from the IMU The controller is configured to compensate the force information based on slope of the bin to provide slope-compensated force information, filter the slope-compensated force information using a Kalman filter to provide filtered force information, and estimate the weight of the material in the bin based on the filtered force information.