Georeferenced Planter Placement with RTK Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural methods for placing planting material, such as seedlings and saplings, lack accuracy and often fail to provide comprehensive information about the placement, leading to errors and non-compliance in agricultural processes.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing a georeferenced agricultural machine equipped with a trailer and RTK positioning system for precise placement of planting material, with data from a database system guiding the process and enabling semi-automated or automated placement, along with the use of machine-readable codes for tracking plant characteristics and positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional manual placement methods are used, then operation simplicity is maintained, but placement accuracy and information completeness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the field into georeferenced field management units and further into field management sub-units, allowing precise tracking of planting material placement at different hierarchical levels. This segmentation enables accurate positioning without requiring a completely complex monolithic system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A database system serves as an intermediary between the planting material, the field, and the evaluation system. It stores and manages planting information, plant characteristics, and position data, reducing the complexity of direct interactions while maintaining high measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If automated placement systems are implemented, then placement accuracy improves, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement accuracyVSAvoidoperational simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining field management units, sub-units, and storing plant characteristics in the database before actual placement occurs. This preparation reduces the complexity of real-time operations while maintaining high accuracy through pre-established georeferenced frameworks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If comprehensive tracking systems are used, then information completeness improves, but loss of time in data management increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Plant characteristics and field management structures are pre-defined and stored in the database before placement operations. This preliminary action ensures information completeness is achieved without time loss during actual placement, as the framework is already established.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses machine-readable codes (such as QR codes or barcodes) as simplified copies or representations of complex plant characteristic data. These codes can be quickly scanned and processed, maintaining information completeness while significantly reducing data management time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Manufacturing precision

If georeferenced positioning systems are deployed, then placement precision improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplacement precisionVSAvoidpositioning system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning system is segmented into georeferenced field management units and sub-units, allowing precise placement to be achieved at manageable hierarchical levels rather than requiring a single complex comprehensive positioning system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

Ensures accurate and efficient placement of planting material, reduces errors, and allows for improved evaluation and reporting, while maintaining traceability of plant characteristics and positions, even in areas with poor network coverage.

Implementation Method 1

using a real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning system, in particular with a rover unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReal-time kinematic positioning:

Data Source

PatentEP3922092B1Method for placing planting material in a georeferenced field management unit
Publication Date: 2024.10.02 KWS SAAT SE & CO KGAA
  • EP3922092B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3922092B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3922092B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates a method for placing planting material, in particular seeds (44) and/or cuttings and/or young plants and/or tubers and/or bulbs and/or grafts, in a georeferenced field management unit (25). The method comprising providing an agricultural machine, in particular a planter, receiving, preferably from a database system, data relating to the field management unit (25), providing planting material, including plant characteristics attributed to the planting material, placing the planting material in the field management unit (25) with the agricultural machine, according to the data relating to the field management unit (25), georeferencing the position of the placed planting material, including plant characteristics attributed to the planting material, in the field management unit (25). Further, the invention relates to an agricultural machine, for placing planting material. Further, the invention relates to the use of the agricultural machine in and/or with a method and/or system for managing agricultural processes.