Predictive Harvesting Path Planning for Transport-Aware Field Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coordinating the various operations and movements during agricultural harvesting is difficult, affecting the overall productivity of the harvest system, particularly due to challenges in managing the availability of crop transport vehicles and field conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a controller to identify crop transport availability and predict a harvesting path based on a productivity performance index, guiding the harvester to areas that maximize harvest production by optimizing the use of available transport systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the harvester operates at high speed to maximize harvest rate, then productivity is improved, but coordination with transport vehicles becomes difficult causing wait times
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting transport vehicle availability before the harvester reaches transport points. The controller uses predictive algorithms to anticipate when grain carts or trucks will be available, allowing the harvester to maintain optimal speed while automatically adjusting its path to arrive at transport points when vehicles are ready, thereby eliminating wait times without reducing harvest rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The harvesting path is made dynamic rather than static. The controller continuously adjusts the predictive harvesting path in real-time based on changing transport availability conditions. This dynamic path adjustment allows the harvester to optimize its speed and routing dynamically, maintaining high productivity while adapting to transport coordination requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the harvester follows a fixed harvesting path, then operational simplicity is maintained, but transport coordination efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the controller continuously receives data on transport vehicle locations and availability, processes this information through predictive algorithms, and adjusts the harvesting path accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system automatically optimizes path coordination without increasing operational complexity, as the adjustment is performed autonomously by the control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual path planning and coordination with an automated electronic control system. The controller uses computational algorithms to predict transport availability and generate optimized harvesting paths, substituting mechanical/operator-based coordination with intelligent automated decision-making, thereby improving transport coordination efficiency while maintaining ease of operation.
3Productivity
If the harvester prioritizes high productivity areas, then harvest output is maximized, but transport availability constraints are violated causing bottlenecks
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of harvesting path selection from static high-productivity-only zones to dynamic predictive paths that incorporate transport availability as a variable. The controller evaluates multiple parameters including predicted crop yield, transport vehicle availability, and current harvester position to determine the optimal path, balancing harvest output maximization with reliable transport coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary prediction of transport availability before the harvester reaches areas requiring transport. By anticipating future transport conditions, the controller can plan harvesting sequences that maximize output in high-productivity areas while ensuring transport vehicles will be available when needed, thus maintaining both high harvest output and reliable transport coordination.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for improving harvesting productivity, such as by harvesting path planning. This includes determining a harvest productivity for a plurality of areas of a field and determining off site transport availability for offloading and transport of the harvested crop for one or more harvester vehicles harvesting the field. Harvest productivity determination can be performed for the one or more harvester vehicles based on current and historical data for the plurality areas of the field, and the availability of vehicles for off site transport can be identified. Based on the productivity and the availability of vehicles, one or more predictive paths for the harvester are identified, and may be adjusted in response to changes in transport availability and/or changing site conditions.