Multi-Robot Tillage System with Shared Environmental Map Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In systems with multiple self-propelled tillage implements, there is a challenge in ensuring that all devices have a unified and accurate environmental map, leading to potential misinterpretation and incorrect operation, especially when different devices with varying capabilities work together.
Innovation Solution
A system where at least two tillage implements use a defined selection criterion, such as the level of detail or representation of the environment map, to determine which map is stored as the common environment map, ensuring all devices access the most detailed and accurate map, which can be shared and updated wirelessly, and potentially stored in a shared memory device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple tillage implements each store their own environmental maps independently, then each device can operate autonomously with its own detected data, but the environmental data becomes inconsistent across devices leading to misinterpretation and incorrect operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges environmental maps from multiple tillage implements into a unified common environmental map stored in a shared storage device. The computing device combines data from different sources (laser scanners, cameras, GPS) across multiple implements to create a single consistent environmental representation that all devices access, eliminating data inconsistency while maintaining autonomous operation capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a common environmental map is shared among all tillage implements, then all devices have consistent environmental knowledge for accurate collaboration, but the system complexity increases due to need for coordination and data synchronization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a computing device as an intermediary that manages the common environmental map in shared storage. This intermediary automatically receives environmental data from multiple tillage implements, processes and combines it into a unified map, and distributes it back to all devices. This mediator handles the complexity of data synchronization and coordination, allowing individual implements to collaborate effectively without each device needing complex coordination logic.
3Measurement precision
If the environmental map is updated frequently to maintain current accuracy, then the operational precision is improved, but the energy consumption and communication overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective environmental map updates where the computing device determines whether a received environmental map differs significantly from the existing common map before triggering an update. Only substantial changes in the environment or significant new information from tillage implements trigger map regeneration and distribution. This partial update approach maintains current accuracy by updating when necessary while conserving energy and reducing communication overhead by avoiding unnecessary full map updates.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system with at least two automatically moving soil tillage implements (1, 2), each of the soil tillage implements (1, 2) having a navigation and self-localization device which is set up to display a map (3, 4, 5) of the surroundings using means a detection device (6) recorded environmental data of the environment of the soil cultivation device (1, 2) to create. In order to enable the soil tillage implements (1, 2) to work together in an advantageous manner, it is proposed that the soil tillage implements (1, 2) be assigned a common memory device (7) for storing maps of the surroundings and a computing device, with the computing device being designed to use a map of the surroundings ( 3) comparing a first tillage implement (1) with a map (4) of the surroundings of a second tillage implement (2) and/or with a surroundings map (5) stored in the shared memory device (7) and using a defined selection criterion to determine which of the surroundings maps ( 3, 4, 5) in the common memory device (7) and/or in a local memory (8, 9) of a soil cultivation implement (1, 2).