Agricultural Vehicle Trajectory Planning Around Field Obstacles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural working vehicles often inefficiently navigate fields with obstacles, leading to excessive time, fuel consumption, and wear on machinery due to lack of optimized trajectories, which are influenced by the vehicle's weight and varying working parameters.
Innovation Solution
A support system comprising a mapping unit, capacity parameter unit, and trajectory calculating unit that determines an optimized trajectory for agricultural work vehicles by receiving field and obstacle coordinates, as well as vehicle capacity parameters, to minimize operational time, fuel consumption, and machinery wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If farmers follow a path based on habits when working a field with obstacles, then the operation is simple and familiar, but the trajectory is not optimized leading to excessive time consumption, fuel consumption, and machinery wear
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing optimized trajectories for different implements before actual field work. The mapping unit creates a digital map of the field with obstacles, and the trajectory calculating unit computes optimal paths in advance, considering the specific working parameters of different implements. This allows farmers to simply select from pre-computed optimized trajectories rather than relying on habits, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing operational simplicity.
2Device complexity
If farmers follow habitual paths without optimization, then the operation requires no complex calculation or planning, but results in excessive time consumption and fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary trajectory calculations and stores multiple pre-computed optimized trajectories for different implements before actual field work. The mapping unit creates a digital map of the field with obstacles, and the trajectory calculating unit computes optimal paths in advance, considering the specific working parameters of different implements. This allows farmers to simply select from pre-computed optimized trajectories rather than relying on habits, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of the physical field through the mapping unit, which generates a virtual representation including obstacles and boundaries. This digital map serves as a simplified model that can be processed by the trajectory calculating unit to generate optimized paths. The copying of field data into digital format enables complex calculations to be performed efficiently without requiring physical measurement or complex on-site planning.
3Productivity
If the trajectory is optimized for one working implement, then the efficiency for that implement is maximized, but the trajectory may not be optimum for another implement with different working parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic adaptability by allowing the trajectory calculating unit to recalculate optimized trajectories when a different implement is selected. The system stores working parameters for multiple implements (such as working width, speed, and capacity) and automatically adjusts the trajectory calculation based on the currently selected implement. This dynamic reconfiguration ensures that each implement receives an optimized trajectory tailored to its specific characteristics, maximizing productivity for each implement type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by adjusting trajectory calculations based on the specific working parameters of different implements. When an implement is selected, the system retrieves its specific parameters (working width, capacity, speed requirements) and uses these to generate an optimized trajectory. This parameter-based adaptation allows the same system to provide implement-specific optimization without requiring manual trajectory redesign, thereby maintaining both productivity and versatility.
4Device complexity
If the working vehicle follows a non-optimized trajectory, then the operation is simpler without complex trajectory calculation, but results in excessive fuel consumption and machinery wear
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary trajectory calculations and stores multiple pre-computed optimized trajectories for different implements before actual field work. The mapping unit creates a digital map of the field with obstacles, and the trajectory calculating unit computes optimal paths in advance, considering the specific working parameters of different implements. This allows farmers to simply select from pre-computed optimized trajectories rather than relying on habits, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A support system for determining a trajectory to be followed by an agricultural work vehicle when working a field comprises: a mapping unit configured for receiving: i) coordinates relating to the boundaries of a field to be worked; and ii) coordinates relating to the boundaries of one or more obstacles to be avoided the work vehicle; wherein the one or more obstacles being located within the field; a capacity parameter unit configured for receiving one or more capacity parameters relating to the working vehicle; a trajectory calculating unit configured for calculating an optimized trajectory to be followed by the work vehicle; wherein the optimized trajectory is being calculated on the basis of the coordinates received by the mapping unit; and one or more of the one or more capacity parameters received by the capacity parameter unit.