Agricultural Spraying Control System with Real-Time Plant Targeting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural spraying systems, including crop dusters and drones, lack precision, leading to overuse of fertilizers and herbicides, as they often spray beyond target areas, resulting in wastage and unintended application on crops.
Innovation Solution
A spray control system mounted on a spray boom, equipped with cameras and a measuring system, uses real-time image processing and distance measurement to identify and target specific plants, determining the optimal activation time for nozzles to minimize product usage and avoid misapplication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional crop dusters or drones are used for spraying, then the field of action is wide, but the precision is low leading to overuse of spraying products
Solution Approach 1:
The spray boom is divided into multiple independently controllable nozzles (first nozzles and second nozzles), each capable of selective activation. This segmentation allows precise targeting of individual plants or specific areas, enabling the system to maintain a wide field of action while achieving high spraying precision by activating only the necessary nozzles for each specific treatment location.
2Extent of automation
If cameras are used to detect target plants, then spraying can be directed based on mapping data, but the detection precision is not very precise
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images with multiple cameras before the actual spraying occurs. These images are processed to identify target plants and calculate precise activation times for nozzles. This preliminary detection and planning phase enables automated targeting while achieving high precision through careful image analysis and real-time calculation of spray activation moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from multiple cameras to continuously monitor and detect target plants, process image data to identify specific plants needing treatment, and adjust nozzle activation timing accordingly. This feedback loop enables automated decision-making while maintaining high detection precision through multi-camera verification and real-time image processing.
3Productivity
If nozzles are activated without precise timing control, then spraying can be applied broadly, but product is wasted and crops may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically controls nozzle activation timing based on real-time position data from cameras and measuring systems. Each nozzle is activated at a precisely calculated moment when it will be optimally positioned over the target plant. This dynamic timing control allows the system to maintain high spraying productivity while minimizing product waste by ensuring each droplet is applied at the correct moment and location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system calculates and determines the precise activation time for each nozzle before actual spraying occurs. This preliminary timing determination, based on camera position data and measured distances, ensures that nozzles are activated at the optimal moment, preventing both product waste from premature activation and ensuring complete coverage, thus maintaining high productivity while minimizing substance loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures precise application of agricultural products by activating nozzles only when and where needed, reducing waste and protecting crops from unnecessary herbicides, thereby optimizing resource use and improving spraying efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the or each distance sensor is based on the echo of a transmitted wave
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for agricultural spraying is especially intended to be connected to an agricultural machine comprising a spraying ramp and having at least one spraying nozzle selectively activatable to spray an agricultural product. The system includes a set of cameras (42) suitable for being secured to the spraying ramp to acquire images (51) of the ground (12) on which the agricultural machine moves (10), a measuring system (59) for determining, in real time, distance information between a camera (42) and the ground (12), and a processing unit (44) communicating with the cameras (42) and said measurement system (59), the processing unit (44) being suitable for selectively controlling the spraying nozzles (34). The processing unit (44) is suitable for:identifying a target plant (15) in a ground image (51) received from a camera (42);determining information on the position of the target plant (15) in the image (51); on the basis of distance information between the camera (42) in question and the ground, of the orientation of its viewing axis, of a speed of advance of the agricultural machine and of said information on the position of said target plant (15) in the image (51), selecting at least one nozzle (34) to be activated to spray the target plant (15) with the agricultural product (26); determining an activation time of the or each selected nozzle; and transmitting an activation command to the or each nozzle (34) to trigger the spraying of said target plant (15).