Spraying Fleet Route Planning for Precise Field Zone Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current crop spraying technologies, including aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), face limitations such as restricted flying times, accuracy issues due to altitude requirements, and limited material capacity, particularly for large farmlands and precision application.
Innovation Solution
A computerized system manages a fleet of spraying vehicles, including manned and unmanned aerial systems, by selecting field zones, calculating travel plans that ensure accurate spraying within designated areas while maintaining safety distances, and adjusting plans in real-time for vehicle malfunctions, weather conditions, and obstacles, using algorithms like Spanning Tree Coverage and Travelling Salesman Problem approximations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If aircraft are used for spraying large farmlands, then spraying speed and material capacity are improved, but spraying accuracy and safety are worsened due to high altitude flight requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the spraying task by dividing the farm into multiple zones and assigning different vehicle types to different zones. Large aircraft handle open areas requiring high speed, while smaller precision vehicles handle areas requiring accuracy. This segmentation allows each vehicle type to operate in its optimal performance range.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assigns tasks to different vehicle types based on real-time conditions. The fleet management system can reassign zones between aircraft and precision vehicles depending on weather changes, obstacle detection, or performance requirements, making the system adaptable rather than static.
2Reliability
If aircraft fly at high altitude to avoid obstacles, then safety is improved, but spraying accuracy is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the spraying operation into different altitude zones. High-altitude aircraft are assigned to open areas where high flight paths provide safety without compromising accuracy, while low-altitude precision vehicles are assigned to areas requiring precise material placement. This spatial segmentation resolves the altitude-accuracy conflict.
Solution Approach 2:
The fleet management system acts as an intermediary that matches vehicle characteristics with field zone requirements. It analyzes obstacle data, wind patterns, and material requirements to assign the appropriate vehicle type to each zone, ensuring both safety and accuracy are optimized for each specific area.
3Manufacturing precision
If UAS fly at lower distances from ground, then spraying accuracy is improved, but material capacity is worsened compared to aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the total material requirement by calculating the capacity of each precision UAS and assigning corresponding field zones. The fleet management system divides the total spraying task into multiple sub-tasks, each matched to a UAS's capacity. This ensures that while individual vehicles have limited capacity, the fleet as a whole can handle large volumes through coordinated multiple passes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the capabilities of multiple UAS vehicles to achieve the total material capacity of a single aircraft. By coordinating multiple precision vehicles working in parallel on different zones or making sequential passes, the fleet collectively delivers the required material volume while maintaining the accuracy advantages of low-altitude operation.
4Productivity
If multiple spraying vehicles operate simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but collision risk and safety management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fleet management system implements continuous feedback loops where each vehicle reports its position, status, and environmental conditions to the central system. The system processes this feedback and dynamically adjusts route assignments and speed commands to maintain safe separation distances. This real-time feedback mechanism coordinates multiple vehicles without requiring complex pre-planning for every scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic route adjustment where vehicle paths are not fixed but continuously optimized based on real-time fleet positions. If one vehicle encounters delays or obstacles, the system dynamically recalculates and redistributes work zones to other available vehicles, maintaining both safety margins and productivity without rigid predetermined paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing system is providing for managing a fleet of spraying vehicles by selecting one or more field zones to be sprayed by a fleet of spraying vehicles. The system reviews spraying requirements including material and quantity to be sprayed and reviews spraying vehicle parameters for each spraying vehicle in of the fleet. The system then calculates a travel plan for each spraying vehicle such that the selected field zones can be sprayed accordingly without spraying areas outside the selected field zones. Once in operation, the system verifies travel plan execution of each spraying vehicle and adjusts one or more travel plans in case of vehicle malfunctions, unexpected weather conditions, and unexpected field obstacles.