Stereo Camera Bale Orientation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of moving bales of material from fields is labor-intensive and time-consuming, especially with limited labor availability and the need for rapid removal to prevent spoilage and dry-matter loss, particularly in biomass conversion and forage harvesting scenarios.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous bale mover system equipped with stereo cameras and a sensor system that detects, confirms, and picks up bales, using disparity data to determine orientation and position, and transports them to a specified stacking location without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual labor is used to move bales from fields, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but productivity is low and labor requirements are high
Solution Approach 1:
The bale mover is equipped with sensors (cameras, LIDAR, GPS) that enable it to autonomously detect, locate, and navigate to bales without human intervention. The system self-determines bale positions, computes orientations using disparity data, and autonomously navigates to pick up and transport bales, making the machine serve itself rather than requiring manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated control system that uses sensors (optical cameras and LIDAR), computer vision algorithms, and GPS for navigation. The mechanical bale moving process is substituted with an automated system that detects bales through image processing, computes their orientation using disparity data from stereo cameras, and autonomously navigates to retrieve and transport them.
2Productivity
If bales are left in the field for extended periods, then labor requirements are reduced, but spoilage and dry-matter loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous bale mover operates continuously without interruption to remove bales from the field. The system continuously scans for bales using sensors, navigates to their locations, picks them up, and transports them to the stacking location, maintaining an unbroken workflow that prevents bales from remaining in the field longer than necessary, thereby minimizing spoilage and dry-matter loss.
3Measurement precision
If stereo cameras and disparity data processing are used to detect bales, then detection precision and orientation accuracy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses stereo cameras to capture images from two different spatial positions, creating a three-dimensional perception of the environment through disparity data. By processing the difference in image positions between the two cameras, the system computes depth information and bale orientation, effectively adding a spatial dimension to the detection process and achieving precise 3D localization and orientation measurement.
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 significantly increases the speed and efficiency of bale removal from fields, reducing labor requirements and minimizing spoilage by enabling automated detection and transport of bales within a specified region.
Implementation Method 1
scanning a region of land using a sensor comprising stereo cameras, and producing, by the sensor, an image and disparity data for the image
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprises a sensor comprising a left camera and a right camera. A processor is coupled to the sensor. The processor is configured to produce an image and disparity data for the image, and search for a vertical object within the image using the disparity data. The processor is also configured to determine whether the vertical object is a bale of material using the image, and compute an orientation of the bale relative to the sensor using the disparity data. The sensor and processor can be mounted for use on an autonomous bale mover comprising an integral power system, a ground-drive system, a bale loading system, and a bale carrying system.