Harvester Imaging System for Dynamic Crop Condition Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing harvesting systems lack the ability to efficiently adjust settings based on real-time crop conditions, leading to inefficiencies and economic losses due to residue crops and uneven harvesting.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an imaging system on harvesters that captures images of field regions to analyze crop conditions, allowing for the adjustment of harvester settings such as header angle, speed, and reel tine angle to optimize harvesting efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If harvester settings are kept fixed during harvesting, then operational simplicity is maintained, but harvesting efficiency decreases and residue crops increase due to uneven crop conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The harvester settings are made dynamically adjustable during operation. The system continuously monitors crop conditions using sensors and automatically adjusts harvesting parameters (such as cutting height, speed, and reel rotation) in real-time to match varying crop density and height across different field regions, thereby maximizing harvesting efficiency without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback loops where sensors detect crop conditions (density, height, moisture) and feed this information to the control system. The control system then adjusts harvester settings based on this feedback, creating a closed-loop control mechanism that optimizes harvesting performance while adapting to changing field conditions throughout the harvesting process.
2Productivity
If harvester settings are adjusted frequently to match crop conditions, then harvesting efficiency improves, but operational complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The harvester system performs self-adjustment of its settings without requiring operator intervention. Automated sensors and control systems continuously monitor crop conditions and make real-time adjustments to harvesting parameters, eliminating the time loss associated with manual setting changes and allowing the harvester to adapt autonomously to varying field conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous harvesting operation without interruption for manual adjustments. The automated control system ensures uninterrupted monitoring and adjustment of settings, allowing the harvesting process to proceed continuously at optimal efficiency levels throughout the field, thereby minimizing time loss and maximizing productivity.
3Loss of substance
If uniform harvesting settings are applied across the entire field, then operational simplicity is maintained, but economic losses occur due to residue crops in certain regions
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different harvesting settings to different local regions of the field based on specific crop conditions in each area. Sensors detect variations in crop density, height, and moisture across the field, and the control system adjusts settings locally to match each region's characteristics, thereby minimizing residue crop loss while maintaining high harvesting efficiency across diverse field conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes harvesting parameters (such as cutting height, reel speed, and rotor rotation) based on detected crop conditions. By continuously adjusting these parameters to match local crop variations, the system minimizes residue loss and maximizes yield recovery across different field regions without requiring uniform settings throughout the entire field.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are methods and harvesters for adjusting settings of a harvester. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method includes capturing, with at least one image capture device that is located on the harvester, images of a field view of an unharvested region to be harvested, analyzing the captured images to determine crop information for a crop of a harvested region that is adjacent to the unharvested region, and adjusting settings or operating parameters of the harvester for the unharvested region based on the crop information for the crop of the harvested region.