Harvester-Support Vehicle Turn Path Control for On-the-Go Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural harvesting machines face challenges in coordinating turns with support machines, leading to inefficiencies and potential crop loss during unloading operations.
Innovation Solution
A control system for agricultural harvesting machines that identifies turns, determines harvesting machine turn paths, generates corresponding support machine turn paths, and communicates these paths to associated communication devices, enabling coordinated operation with support machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the harvesting machine performs turns in the field, then the harvesting machine can change direction to continue harvesting, but the support machine cannot maintain proper positioning for unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by predicting the harvesting machine's turn path in advance and calculating the corresponding support machine turn path before the actual turn occurs. This allows the support machine to prepare and execute the turn smoothly, maintaining unloading capability throughout the maneuver.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the harvesting machine's actual position and comparing it with the predicted turn path. Based on this feedback, the support machine's path is dynamically adjusted to maintain proper positioning relative to the harvesting machine during the turn.
2Ease of operation
If the support machine stops unloading during turns, then proper positioning can be maintained, but crop loss increases due to interrupted unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the support machine's turn path in advance based on the predicted harvesting machine turn path, allowing the support machine to execute the turn smoothly without stopping unloading operations. This preliminary path planning enables continuous unloading while maintaining proper positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static positioning (stopping during turns) to dynamic positioning (continuous movement along calculated turn paths). Both machines execute coordinated turn paths that allow the support machine to maintain proper positioning relative to the harvesting machine throughout the dynamic turning maneuver, enabling continuous unloading.
3Productivity
If real-time coordination control is maintained during turns, then unloading continuity is preserved, but coordination accuracy deteriorates due to high turning rates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary path calculation for both machines before the turn begins. By predicting the turn path in advance and calculating the corresponding support machine path beforehand, the system reduces the real-time coordination burden during high-rate turns, maintaining accuracy while preserving unloading continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic path adjustment by continuously monitoring actual positions and comparing them with predicted paths. During high turning rate maneuvers, the feedback mechanism allows for real-time corrections while maintaining overall coordination accuracy, enabling continuous unloading without sacrificing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural harvesting machine includes a harvested crop repository and a crop processing system configured to engage crop in a field, perform a crop processing operation on the crop, and move the processed crop to the harvested crop repository, the crop processing system including a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the processed crop to a support machine. The agricultural harvesting machine includes a control system configured to identify a turn to be performed by the agricultural harvesting machine in the field, determine a harvesting machine turn path for the agricultural harvesting machine to perform the turn on the field, generate a support machine turn path based on the harvesting machine turn path, and communicate an indication of the support machine turn path to a communication device associated with the support machine.