Swath Sensor Monitoring for Moisture and Foreign Object Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural machines waste time and energy moving to fields where the harvested material is unsuitable for processing due to moisture or foreign objects, and struggle to estimate transportation needs accurately.
Innovation Solution
A swath sensor system integrated with the agricultural machine detects properties like moisture, foreign objects, and material amount during swath formation, allowing for early intervention and precise planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the agricultural machine moves to the field to process harvested material, then processing can be performed, but time and energy are wasted when the material is unsuitable for processing
Solution Approach 1:
The swath sensor system performs preliminary detection of moisture content and foreign objects in the harvested material swath before the agricultural machine arrives at the field. This advance information allows operators to determine material suitability beforehand, preventing wasted travel time and energy to fields with unsuitable material.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system acts as an intermediary between the harvested material and the processing decision. By providing objective measurements of moisture content and detecting foreign objects, the sensor system enables informed decisions about whether to proceed with processing, eliminating the need for trial-and-error field visits.
2Productivity
If the agricultural machine processes material without prior detection, then processing can begin, but foreign objects may cause injury and require abrupt braking
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs preliminary detection of foreign objects in the harvested material swath before processing begins. This allows operators to remove foreign objects in advance, preventing injury during processing and eliminating the need for abrupt braking that causes soil displacement and unevenness.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system enables preliminary anti-action by detecting foreign objects before they can cause harm. Operators can take preventive measures to remove foreign objects from the swath, counteracting the potential harmful effects before they manifest during processing.
3Device complexity
If transportation capacity is estimated after processing begins, then capacity planning can occur, but accurate estimation is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs preliminary measurement of the swath properties during formation, providing advance data on material volume and characteristics. This enables accurate estimation of transportation capacity needs before the agricultural machine begins processing, allowing for timely and efficient logistics planning.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural machine comprising a swath sensor system. The swath sensor system is configured to detect one or more properties of a swath on an agricultural area traversed by the agricultural machine. The agricultural machine further comprises a swather for swath generation. At least one sensor of the swath sensor system is configured to detect properties of a stream of swath-forming material during or after its processing into a swath by the swather.