Agricultural Sprayer Boom Offset Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural sprayers face challenges in accurately applying agricultural products due to misalignments and offsets caused by steering and kinematic issues, leading to inefficiencies and potential over- or under-application.
Innovation Solution
A system for an agricultural sprayer that includes a boom assembly, a steering system with a sensor, imaging devices, and a computing system. The computing system processes data from the imaging devices and steering system to determine target and boom offsets relative to the sprayer path, allowing for precise activation of nozzle assemblies based on lateral offsets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the sprayer uses a cantilevered boom assembly to cover wide swaths of the field, then the productivity and coverage area are improved, but the boom assembly develops lateral offsets relative to the sprayer path during steering operations, causing misapplication of agricultural product
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by calculating the predicted lateral offset of the boom assembly based on steering commands before the offset actually occurs. The computing system uses the steering sensor data to anticipate the boom's lateral displacement and pre-compensates by adjusting nozzle activation timing or position, ensuring accurate agricultural product application despite the cantilevered boom's inherent offset during steering maneuvers.
2Device complexity
If the sprayer activates nozzles based on sensor data without accounting for boom offset, then the system complexity is reduced, but the spray application accuracy deteriorates due to misalignment between target detection and actual spray delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The computing system acts as an intermediary between the sensor data and nozzle activation. It receives steering commands from the steering sensor, calculates the resulting boom lateral offset, and uses this information to adjust which nozzles are activated and when. This intermediary calculation layer adds minimal complexity but significantly improves target positioning accuracy by compensating for the boom's lateral displacement during steering operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for an agricultural sprayer includes a boom assembly operably coupled with a chassis. A steering system is operably coupled with the chassis and includes a steering sensor. The system also includes one or more imaging devices and one or more nozzle assemblies. A computing system is operably coupled with the one or more imaging devices and the one or more nozzle assemblies. The computing system is configured to receive data related to a first imaged portion of an agricultural field from the one or more imaging devices; identify a target within the first imaged portion of the agricultural field; receive data related to an inputted steering command from the steering system; and determine a target offset of the target relative to the sprayer path and a boom offset of the assembly relative to the sprayer path.