Oscillating Tillage Tool for Plant-Avoidance Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanical weed control systems often result in damage to desired plants due to inaccuracies in plant positioning, leading to an unprocessed protection zone around them, which reduces the reliability of avoiding damage to the plants and increases the risk of yield loss and disease transmission.
Innovation Solution
A transverse processing device with an oscillating drive and detection system that moves the processing tool in an oscillating manner, allowing for precise control of opening and closing strokes based on plant dimensions and positions to avoid undesired treatment of the plants, using a double oscillating drive mechanism with a control device to adjust positions and prevent collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed processing tool position is used for mechanical weed control, then the device structure is simple, but the reliability of avoiding damage to plants is reduced due to positioning inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The processing tool is made dynamically adjustable in its transverse position through an oscillating drive mechanism. The tool can oscillate between different positions to adapt to actual plant locations detected by the detection device, transforming the static tool position into a dynamic, adaptable configuration that maintains reliability while managing complexity through controlled motion
Solution Approach 2:
A detection device with control unit provides real-time feedback on plant positions and dimensions. The control unit processes this information and adjusts the processing tool's position and oscillation parameters accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that enhances reliability by continuously adapting to actual field conditions rather than relying on fixed predetermined positions
2Productivity
If the processing tool is moved closer to plants to reduce the unprocessed protection zone, then weed control effectiveness improves, but the risk of damaging desired plants increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing tool employs oscillating motion that dynamically adjusts its effective working position. During the oscillation cycle, the tool approaches closer to plants for effective weed processing during the closing stroke, then retreats during the opening stroke, creating a dynamic safety margin that maintains productivity while reducing damage risk through controlled temporal separation
Solution Approach 2:
The oscillating drive creates periodic motion of the processing tool between open and closed positions. This periodic action allows the tool to repeatedly approach and retreat from the plant zone, enabling effective weed control during the approach phase while the retreat phase provides periodic safety margins that reduce cumulative damage risk to desired plants
3Productivity
If a continuously moving processing tool is used, then the processing efficiency is high, but the precision of avoiding plants is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous motion, the processing tool uses periodic oscillating motion between open and closed positions. This periodic action creates distinct phases where the tool is stationary or moving slowly at turnaround points, allowing the detection and control system to precisely determine plant positions and adjust the oscillation pattern, thereby maintaining processing efficiency through continuous cyclic operation while achieving high precision in avoiding plants
Solution Approach 2:
The oscillating drive maintains continuous useful action by keeping the processing tool in constant cyclic motion between processing positions. Rather than stopping between operations, the tool continuously oscillates, ensuring that weed processing action is maintained throughout the oscillation cycle while the detection system continuously monitors and adjusts the oscillation parameters to maintain precision
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural transverse tillage device (46) for tilling vegetation arranged between plants (59) of a planting row (58). In the transverse tillage device (46), tillage tools (51, 52) are moved in an oscillating motion by means of at least one oscillation drive (1). An opening and/or closing stroke, an open position, a closed position and/or a neutral position of the tillage tools (51, 52) are/are variable depending on information acquired by a detection device (62).