Harvester Crop Sensor Layout for Accurate Width Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current harvesting machines lack accuracy in detecting the harvesting width and area, which affects the efficiency and reliability of farm field work data collection, particularly in rice farming, leading to suboptimal performance and data quality.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a harvesting machine with a wide harvesting part equipped with multiple crop sensors positioned at intervals in the left-right direction, including on a frame member below the lateral conveying member, to detect the presence and area of crops, and a conveying part that conveys crops in a left-right direction, ensuring reliable detection and minimizing interference with the conveying mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple crop sensors are provided in the harvesting part at intervals in the left-right direction, then the measurement precision of harvesting width and area is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harvesting part is divided into multiple detection zones along the left-right direction, with each crop sensor responsible for detecting crops in its specific zone. This segmentation allows accurate measurement of harvesting width by determining which zones have crops present, without requiring continuous sensor coverage across the entire width.
Solution Approach 2:
Each crop sensor is positioned at a specific location to detect local crop presence in its designated zone. The sensors are arranged at intervals rather than continuously, optimizing the balance between detection accuracy and system simplicity by placing sensors only where critical width measurement data can be obtained.
2Reliability
If crop sensors are provided on the frame member below the lateral conveying member, then the reliability of crop detection is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to potential interference with crop conveyance
Solution Approach 1:
The crop sensors are mounted on the frame member as an intermediary structure that supports the sensing elements without directly contacting the crops during conveyance. This allows the sensors to detect crops reliably while the lateral conveying member maintains uninterrupted crop flow, as the sensors serve as a mediating detection layer rather than a physical obstacle.
3Productivity
If the harvesting part has a large width to cover more area, then the productivity is improved, but the measurement precision of harvesting area deteriorates due to difficulty in detecting the full width
Solution Approach 1:
The wide harvesting part is divided into multiple detection zones along the left-right direction, with crop sensors positioned at strategic intervals across the full width. This segmentation enables accurate measurement of the actual harvesting width by identifying which zones contain crops, even when the total harvesting width is large and variable.
Data Source
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AI summary
A harvesting machine including: a harvesting part 4 that is provided forward of a machine body, and harvests crops in a farm field; and a plurality of crop sensors 31, 32, 33, and 34 that are provided in the harvesting part 4 at intervals in a left-right direction, and detect the presence of crops upon coming into contact with the crops. The harvesting machine may also include: a harvesting width detector that detects a harvesting width corresponding to crops harvested through harvesting work that has actually been performed, included in a workable width within which harvesting work can be performed by the harvesting part 4; and a travel transmission unit that changes the travel speed of the machine body. The harvesting machine may also include a speed controller that shifts the travel transmission unit to a lower speed as the harvesting width increases, and shifts the travel transmission unit to a higher speed as the harvesting width decreases, based on the result of detection performed by the harvesting width detector.