Seed Orientation Vision System for Uniform Planting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Seed planting technologies face challenges in achieving consistent seed orientation within furrows, leading to non-uniform growth conditions for crops such as corn and soybeans, including uneven emergence, growth, water consumption, and sunlight distribution.
Innovation Solution
A system incorporating a vision system to determine seed orientation data and a seed belt that adjusts seed orientation on a seed disk to ensure uniform placement within furrows, utilizing a seed belt to position seeds with desired orientation and depth for optimal growth conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional planting methods are used to deliver seeds in high speed, then planting efficiency is improved, but seed orientation uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seed belt receives and orients seeds before they are deposited into the furrow. The vision system captures images of seeds on the seed belt, determines their orientation, and the system adjusts seed placement to achieve desired orientation before planting, ensuring uniform orientation even at high planting speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system continuously monitors seed orientation on the seed belt and provides real-time feedback. Based on this feedback, the system adjusts the placement of seeds into the furrow to maintain desired orientation, creating a closed-loop control system that ensures orientation uniformity while maintaining high planting speed
2Productivity
If seeds are planted with non-uniform orientation, then planting speed is maintained, but crop growth uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system provides continuous monitoring of seed orientation with real-time feedback to the planting mechanism. This closed-loop control ensures that seeds are placed in the furrow with consistent orientation, creating uniform growth conditions for all plants while maintaining high planting speed
Solution Approach 2:
Seeds are pre-oriented on the seed belt before being deposited into the furrow. The system ensures proper orientation is achieved before planting occurs, so that when seeds are planted at high speed, they already have the correct orientation for uniform emergence and growth
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, implements, and methods for seed orientation during planting operations of agricultural plants include a system for seed orientation having a vision system positioned in proximity to a seed disk. The vision system determines seed orientation data for seed on the seed disk. A seed belt receives seed from the seed disk and the seed belt adjusts an orientation of the seed from the seed disk to a desired seed orientation within a furrow during planting.