GPS Steering Corrections for Towed Implement Drift on Curved Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current GPS-based navigation and steering control systems for agricultural ground vehicles fail to accurately place towed implements on curved paths, leading to drift issues during headland turns, resulting in uneven tillage or application of seeds and chemicals, especially near field peripheries due to the limitation of GPS antenna mounting and lack of consideration for implement position.
Innovation Solution
A GPS-based navigation and steering control system that calculates instantaneous placement corrections, including ground vehicle offset, heading offset, and feed forward steering angle, to adjust the path of the ground vehicle and ensure the towed implement follows the desired curved path, using a processing system and steering control unit to compensate for implement drift.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If GPS-based navigation and steering control systems only use ground vehicle receiver position for regulation, then the system complexity remains simple, but the towed implement placement accuracy deteriorates due to drift on curved paths
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates instantaneous placement corrections for the ground vehicle based on the desired implement trajectory and vehicle kinematics before the implement actually drifts. By computing corrective steering angles and position offsets in advance during the turn, the system proactively compensates for the predicted implement drift, ensuring accurate placement without requiring complex real-time feedback control of the implement itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary computational layer that translates the desired implement trajectory into corrected ground vehicle guidance commands. Rather than directly controlling the implement (which would require complex implement actuation), the system mediates through the vehicle's steering system, using calculated position offsets and steering angle corrections as intermediaries to indirectly achieve precise implement placement.
2Manufacturing precision
If operators intentionally overshoot the desired track with the ground vehicle to compensate for implement drift, then the implement placement accuracy may improve, but the operational precision and uniformity deteriorate due to operator skill variability
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the ground vehicle's actual position and orientation using GPS receivers and inertial measurement units, comparing these measurements against the desired trajectory. This feedback information is fed into the control algorithm, which automatically adjusts the guidance commands to maintain precise implement placement, eliminating the need for operator judgment and compensation techniques that vary by skill level.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs its own compensation for implement drift automatically through onboard computing and control algorithms. Rather than relying on the operator to manually compensate, the system self-corrects by calculating and applying the appropriate position and steering adjustments based on real-time vehicle state and predicted implement behavior, ensuring consistent results regardless of operator expertise.
3Ease of manufacture
If GPS antenna is mounted on the ground vehicle for clear sky view, then the antenna positioning is simplified, but the implement position determination accuracy deteriorates because the GPS receiver only determines vehicle position
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the need for physical implement-mounted GPS antennas with a computational approach. Instead of mechanically installing additional antennas on the implement (which would be complex and expensive), the system uses mathematical models and kinematic calculations to determine implement position based on vehicle position, orientation, and the known relative geometry between the vehicle and implement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy or representation of the implement's position and orientation through computational modeling rather than direct physical measurement. By calculating the implement's expected position based on vehicle state and trailer kinematics, the system generates an accurate virtual model of implement location without requiring duplicate GPS hardware on the implement itself.
Data Source
AI summary
A global positioning system (GPS) based navigation and steering control system for ground vehicles, in particular, agricultural ground vehicles such as tractors, combines, sprayers, seeders, or the like, calculates instantaneous placement corrections to achieve desired towed implement placement on curved paths, and a method for same.