Heads-Up Display Guideline for Crop Row Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural machines with row units face challenges in accurately aligning with crop rows, especially when entering a field or turning between rows, due to the complexity and error-prone manual counting methods, which are exacerbated by fatigue, reduced light conditions, and wider headers with more row units.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural vehicle equipped with a heads-up display system that projects a dynamic guideline from a reference point on the header to the crop entry point, utilizing a projector and combiner integrated with the windshield, and employing localization sensors and path planning algorithms to determine and display the correct alignment path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual row counting and alignment methods are used, then the process is simple and usually effective, but operator error increases due to fatigue, reduced light conditions, and high ground speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical alignment process with an optical/electronic guidance system. A camera mounted on the combine captures images of crop rows, and a processor automatically calculates and displays alignment guidance to the operator, eliminating the need for manual row counting and reducing human error.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy or representation of the crop row positions through captured images and processed guidance displays. This visual copy allows the operator to see the desired alignment path without physically counting rows, improving accuracy while maintaining ease of operation.
2Productivity
If the header width increases with more row units, then productivity increases, but alignment difficulty and error proneness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual alignment procedures with an automated optical system. The camera and processor automatically handle the complexity of aligning wider headers with more row units, allowing productivity to increase without proportionally increasing alignment difficulty.
3Device complexity
If manual alignment counting is used, then no additional equipment is needed, but the process is time consuming and fatiguing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming manual counting with an automated optical recognition system that quickly captures and processes row position information, significantly reducing alignment time while requiring only a camera and processor.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically capturing row position data through the camera and calculating alignment guidance without requiring operator intervention in the counting process, reducing operator fatigue and time loss.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural vehicle having a chassis supported for movement on the ground by wheels, a header operatively connected to a front end of the chassis, an operator accommodation located on the chassis and having an associated viewing region, and a heads-up display system located on the chassis on a visual path between a reference point on the combine and the viewing region. The heads-up display system is configured to project an image visible from a predetermined location within the viewing region, the image comprising a dynamic guideline extending from the reference point on the header towards a crop entry point.