Optical Field Boundary Detection for Autonomous Farm Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety systems for mobile agricultural working machines struggle to reliably determine and maintain the boundaries of agricultural areas, leading to potential unsafe navigation and operation, especially when deviations occur or connections between control units and position-determining devices are interrupted.
Innovation Solution
A safety system equipped with a sensor device that detects environmental features like color and structural information, an evaluation device that compares these to predefined agricultural area characteristics, and a control unit that adjusts the machine's operation to prevent leaving permitted areas, including issuing warnings or initiating emergency stops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If position determination devices are used to guide the work machine along predefined lanes, then the machine can operate autonomously or semi-autonomously, but the device may deviate from the actual position by several centimeters to over a meter, causing the machine to leave the permitted agricultural area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical sensor device as an intermediary between the position determination device and the actual field boundaries. The sensor captures optical images of the environment, and the evaluation device processes these images to detect actual boundaries (roads, field paths, other crops) and compare them with the planned course, providing a mediating verification layer that corrects position determination deviations
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by constantly comparing the actual detected environment with the planned course. The evaluation device analyzes optical sensor data in real-time, detects deviations from the permitted area, and triggers corrective actions (warnings, emergency stops) when boundaries are approached or crossed, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism
2Adaptability or versatility
If the work machine operates next to roads or field paths using position determination devices, then it can access various agricultural areas, but connection interruptions between control units and position-determining devices can result in safety-critical states
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor device and evaluation system provide self-service safety monitoring that operates independently of the position determination system. The sensor continuously captures environmental data and the evaluation device autonomously analyzes it for boundary detection, creating a self-sufficient safety mechanism that does not rely on external control unit connections
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares for potential connection failures by implementing redundant boundary detection through optical sensors. Before a safety-critical state can occur due to connection interruption, the sensor-based boundary detection is already actively monitoring and can trigger emergency stops independently, cushioning against the potential failure of the primary position determination system
3Reliability
If sensor devices and evaluation devices are added to detect and evaluate environmental features, then the machine can accurately differentiate between permitted and non-permitted areas, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical sensor device serves multiple functions: it captures environmental images for boundary detection, provides visual feedback for system diagnostics, and can potentially identify crop types or field conditions. The evaluation device processes this optical data for boundary detection while also verifying the operational status of the position determination system, making the added components multi-functional to justify the increased complexity
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates, inter alia, to a safety system for a mobile agricultural machine (10). The safety system comprises a sensor device (14) configured to detect an environment, preferably a ground area of the environment. The safety system comprises an evaluation unit (16) configured to recognize an agricultural area (A) authorized for driving on and/or an area (N) not authorized for driving on within the detected environment.