Remote Forward Sensing for Debris-Free Agricultural Machine Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural work machines face challenges with on-board sensors that have limited detection areas, are obstructed by debris, and are not easily adjustable, leading to detection errors and increased complexity and expense.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing drones equipped with sensor systems that can be remotely positioned and adjusted to detect various attributes at different measurement areas, overcoming obstructions and providing accurate sensor data for machine control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If on-board sensors are used for detection, then the detection area is limited and the sensors are obstructed by debris, but the device complexity and expense are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote sensor system (drone) as an intermediary between the agricultural work machine and the field environment. The drone carries sensors that can be positioned remotely to detect attributes in front of the machine, avoiding obstructions from debris while providing extended detection coverage without requiring complex on-board sensor arrays on the machine itself.
2Adaptability or versatility
If on-board sensors are used for detection, then the sensor positions are fixed, but the detection flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic sensor positioning system where the drone can be remotely controlled to move to different positions and orientations. This allows the sensor system to adaptively position itself to detect attributes of interest in front of the agricultural work machine, providing flexibility in detection areas and angles that fixed on-board sensors cannot achieve.
3Reliability
If on-board sensors are used, then the sensor system is integrated with the machine, but the sensors are obstructed by debris and detection errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sensor system from the agricultural work machine and relocates it to a remote platform (drone). This separation removes the sensors from the harmful environment of debris and obstructions generated by the machine's operation, allowing the sensors to detect attributes in front of the machine without being affected by debris, thereby improving detection reliability and accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural system includes: a sensor system communicably coupled to and remotely positionable from an agricultural work machine, the sensor system configured to detect one or more attributes in a measurement area ahead of the agricultural work machine, relative to a travel direction of the agricultural work machine, and generate sensor data indicative of the detected one or more attributes in the measurement area ahead of the agricultural work machine; one or more processors; and memory storing instructions, executable by the one or more processors. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain the sensor data; identify the one or more attributes in the measurement area ahead of the agricultural work machine based on the sensor data; and generate a control signal based on the identified one or more attributes in the measurement area ahead of the agricultural work machine.