Semi-Autonomous Transport Vehicle Reverse Guidance for Harvester Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semi-autonomous unloading systems for agricultural harvesters face challenges with large harvester headers, high-yielding crops, and sugar cane harvesting, as they require lengthy unloading tubes and cannot operate in reverse, leading to inefficiencies and crop loss.
Innovation Solution
A semi-autonomous guidance system that enables the transport vehicle to position and drive in reverse, using wireless communication and sensor arrangements to accurately guide the transport implement to the harvester, allowing unloading at a desired position relative to the unloading conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the harvester header becomes larger to increase harvesting capacity, then the harvesting productivity is improved, but the unloading tube length increases making operation and storage difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The unloading system is divided into two independent vehicles: a harvester with a shortened unloading tube and a separate transport vehicle with receiving auger. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, eliminating the need for excessively long unloading tubes while maintaining unloading capability for large headers
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication system acts as an intermediary between the harvester and transport vehicle, enabling automatic guidance and positioning without requiring long physical connections. The electronic control system mediates the coordination between vehicles, replacing the need for long mechanical unloading tubes
2Productivity
If the harvester runs down crop to break through high-yielding areas, then the harvesting operation continues, but crop loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transport vehicle autonomously positions itself relative to the harvester using wireless communication and electronic control systems. This self-positioning capability allows the harvester to maintain its course through high-yielding areas without deviating to run down crop, as the transport vehicle automatically adjusts to maintain optimal unloading position
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic control system continuously receives position and operational data from the harvester and adjusts the transport vehicle's position accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures the unloading system adapts to varying crop conditions and harvester movement, maintaining efficient unloading without requiring the harvester to run down crop
3Adaptability or versatility
If the transport vehicle cannot operate in reverse, then the system is simpler, but it cannot meet special cases like sugar cane harvesting where reverse operation is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic control system with wireless communication capability provides universal guidance functionality that works for both forward and reverse operations. The same control architecture that enables automatic forward positioning also supports reverse operation, allowing the system to handle diverse harvesting scenarios including sugar cane without requiring separate control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adapts to the transport vehicle's direction of travel, whether moving forward or in reverse. The electronic guidance system automatically adjusts control signals based on the vehicle's current state, enabling flexible operation in both directions while maintaining a single, integrated control system
4Productivity
If manual steering is used in reverse direction, then the system remains simple, but unloading at typical harvest speed is not achievable
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical steering system is replaced with an electronic control system that uses wireless communication to automatically guide the transport vehicle. This substitution enables precise positioning at typical harvest speeds while eliminating the need for manual steering operations, whether moving forward or in reverse
Data Source
AI summary
A transport vehicle arrangement includes a transport vehicle, a transport implement coupled with the transport vehicle, a sensor arrangement for establishing an angular orientation of the transport implement relative to the transport vehicle, a wireless receiver for receiving harvester information related at least to the speed and direction of an agricultural harvester vehicle, and an electrical processing circuit coupled with the sensor arrangement and the wireless receiver. The electrical processing circuit is configured for steering the transport vehicle arrangement in a reverse direction such that the transport implement is positioned at a desired position relative to an unloading conveyance of the agricultural harvester vehicle, based upon the sensed angular orientation of the transport implement and the harvester information.