Harvester Unloading Path Planning Around Field Obstacles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural systems face difficulties in maintaining a desired spatial relationship between agricultural harvesters and material transfer vehicles while navigating around obstacles and unharvested areas during the unloading process, leading to potential collisions and material spillage.

Innovation Solution

A system that automatically identifies obstacles and unharvested areas, calculates accurate path planning constraints, and generates navigation paths for both the harvester and material transfer vehicle to avoid obstacles and maintain a desired spatial relationship, considering vehicle characteristics and turning radii.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the material transfer vehicle moves alongside the harvester to receive harvested material, then the unloading operation efficiency is improved, but the risk of collision with obstacles and loss of spatial relationship increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunloading operation efficiencyVSAvoidcollision avoidance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the positions of the harvester and material transfer vehicle using GPS receivers and processors, comparing actual positions against the planned path. When deviations are detected or obstacles are identified, the system automatically adjusts the navigation path to maintain safe spacing and avoid collisions, enabling efficient operation without compromising safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The path planning system pre-calculates navigation paths for both vehicles before operations begin, incorporating obstacle locations and vehicle dimensions. This preliminary path planning establishes safe spatial relationships and avoidance routes in advance, preventing collisions before they occur while maintaining operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If the vehicles maintain a fixed spatial relationship during unloading, then material transfer stability is improved, but the ability to navigate around obstacles decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial transfer stabilityVSAvoidobstacle navigation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the spatial relationship between vehicles based on real-time conditions. The path planning processor continuously recalculates navigation paths that maintain appropriate spacing for stable material transfer while adapting to obstacles and changing field conditions, allowing both stability and flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters such as vehicle speed, position offsets, and path coordinates in response to detected obstacles. By dynamically modifying these parameters while maintaining safe spatial relationships, the system ensures stable material transfer during normal operation and adapts smoothly when obstacles require path adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250390104A1Automated path parameter computation in generating a navigation path

Publication Date: 2025.12.25 DEERE & CO

AI summary

A processing system identifies an obstacle in a field that is harvested by an agricultural harvester. A material transfer vehicle moves along with the agricultural harvester in order to receive harvested material from the agricultural harvester. The processing system calculates a location and offset corresponding to the obstacle and a path planning system calculates a navigation path that can be followed by the agricultural harvester and/or the material transfer vehicle so that both the agricultural harvester and the material transfer vehicle avoid the obstacle while traveling through the field.