Object Tracking Shift Prediction for Precise Weed Targeting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous systems struggle to accurately track and locate objects in unpredictable environments due to factors like speed of the moving body, positional changes, object shape or position changes over time, and optical distortions, making it difficult to distinguish and track multiple objects with high precision.
Innovation Solution
A method for predicting the location of a tracked object relative to a moving vehicle by determining actual locations in multiple images, applying shifts based on distance and velocity, and identifying a refined shift to track and target the object with high precision using a targeting system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional object tracking methods are used in unpredictable environments, then the system can operate with simple algorithms, but the tracking precision and object location accuracy deteriorate due to factors like vehicle speed, positional changes, and optical distortions
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies a predicted shift based on vehicle velocity and time difference to proactively adjust object locations before comparing them in the second image. This preliminary action compensates for expected motion blur and positional changes, improving tracking accuracy without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines a refined shift by comparing test locations with actual locations in the second image and uses this feedback to correct the predicted shift. This closed-loop feedback mechanism continuously improves tracking precision by adapting to actual object positions while maintaining algorithmic efficiency
2Measurement precision
If multiple test shifts are applied to track objects accurately, then the object tracking precision improves, but the computational time and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies multiple test shifts that may exceed the actual object displacement, then selects the refined shift based on which test shift produces the best match with actual locations. This approach ensures accurate tracking by testing more shifts than strictly necessary, while the selection process efficiently identifies the correct one without requiring exhaustive computation of all possibilities
3Measurement precision
If the system accounts for vehicle velocity and time differences in location prediction, then the tracking accuracy in dynamic environments improves, but the computational complexity of determining shifts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the predicted shift using vehicle velocity and time difference before processing image comparisons. This preliminary calculation of the expected object displacement based on known vehicle motion parameters simplifies subsequent matching operations by providing a starting point for the refined shift determination
Solution Approach 2:
The predicted shift acts as an intermediary between vehicle velocity data and final object location prediction. It translates vehicle motion parameters into a preliminary object displacement estimate, which then guides the refined shift calculation based on actual image comparisons, bridging the gap between vehicle dynamics and object tracking
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods, devices, modules, and systems which may be employed to accurately track, and subsequently target, objects of interest relative to a moving body, such as a vehicle. An object tracking method may be implemented by a detection system with a sensor coupled to the moving body. A targeting system may be used to target objects tracked by the detection system, such as for automated crop cultivation or maintenance. Devices disclosed herein may be configured to locate, identify, and autonomously target a weed with a beam, such as a laser beam, which may burn or irradiate the weed. The methods, devices, modules, and systems may be used for agricultural crop management or for at-home weed control.