Optical-Filtered Event Sensing for Reliable Crop Material Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural harvesting machines face challenges in accurately monitoring crop material properties, such as straw quality and presence of weeds, due to limitations in sensing resolution and reliability, which affect operational efficiency and automation.
Innovation Solution
An event-based sensor with an optical filter is used to monitor crop material flow, filtering light to enhance detection of crop components, and a controller analyzes the sensor data to determine parameters like length, shape, and speed, enabling control of machine operations for improved efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensors are used to monitor crop material properties, then the system can detect material presence, but the measurement precision and reliability are insufficient for accurate crop quality assessment
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into multiple sensing elements arranged in an array, where each element independently detects properties of crop material passing through its field of view. This segmentation allows for more precise measurements by combining data from multiple elements and identifying specific material characteristics with higher accuracy than a single sensor could provide.
Solution Approach 2:
An optical filter is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the sensor array. The filter selectively transmits specific wavelengths of light that enhance the detection of crop material properties while blocking interfering wavelengths. This intermediary element improves measurement precision by ensuring that the sensor receives optimized spectral information about the crop material.
2Measurement precision
If an optical filter is added to the sensor system, then the detection accuracy of crop components is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical filter is designed to serve multiple functions: it enhances detection accuracy for different types of crop materials (straw, grain, weeds), works across various lighting conditions, and can be integrated with different sensor types. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing broad applicability and robust performance across diverse agricultural monitoring scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical filter enables the system to operate effectively by changing the spectral parameters of the light reaching the sensor. By selecting specific wavelength bands that are most informative for crop material detection, the filter transforms the raw light signal into optimized spectral data, thereby improving detection accuracy without requiring fundamental changes to the sensor architecture.
3Productivity
If real-time monitoring of crop material properties is implemented, then operational efficiency can be improved through automation, but the processing requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array provides continuous real-time feedback about crop material properties (such as moisture content, composition, or presence of contaminants) to the control system. This feedback enables automatic adjustment of harvesting parameters or alerts the operator to quality issues, improving operational efficiency by eliminating the need for manual inspection and enabling responsive control based on actual material conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides accurate identification and monitoring of crop material properties, allowing for real-time adjustments and automation to enhance operational effectiveness and quality of crop processing components.
Implementation Method 1
the system comprises an optical filter associated with the event based sensor for filtering light incident on one or more sensing elements thereof
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for determining one or more properties of crop material in a working environment. Sensor data is received from an event based sensor mounted or otherwise associated with the agricultural machine, with the sensor data being indicative of a measure of material present within a material flow associated with one or more working components of an agricultural machine. The sensor data is analysed to determine a crop material parameter for the material flow and operation of one or more operable components of or otherwise associated with the agricultural machine can be controlled in dependence on the determined crop material parameter. The event based sensor is provided with an optical filter associated therewith for filtering light incident on one or more sensing elements thereof.