Autonomous Agriculture Platform With Telescopic Chassis Beams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large agricultural machines cause soil compaction, leading to reduced crop yields due to increased weight and pressure, which complicates soil recovery and affects water infiltration, erosion, and nutrient uptake.
Innovation Solution
Development of smaller, lightweight, electric-powered autonomous machines with interchangeable implements and a docking station for refilling and charging, equipped with on-board computing for navigation and operation, reducing soil compaction by minimizing pressure and enhancing soil health.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If larger agricultural machines are used to increase operational scale and labor productivity, then productivity is improved, but weight increases leading to soil compaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the agricultural operation into multiple smaller autonomous robots that work in parallel rather than using a single large machine. Each robot is independently controlled and can perform specific tasks, allowing the farm to scale operations by adding more robots rather than increasing individual machine size.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple small autonomous robots are combined to achieve the operational capacity of large machines. The swarm of robots works collectively to cover large areas, performing planting, monitoring, and harvesting tasks simultaneously, thereby achieving high productivity without individual machines becoming excessively heavy.
2Area of stationary object
If larger machines are used to increase operational capacity, then area coverage is improved, but soil compaction increases due to increased weight
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the field coverage task among multiple lightweight autonomous robots instead of using one heavy machine. Each robot covers a portion of the field independently, and their collective coverage achieves the desired area without the harmful concentration of weight that causes soil compaction.
Solution Approach 2:
Each autonomous robot is designed with localized capabilities to perform specific agricultural tasks in its operational zone. The distributed architecture ensures that no single location experiences excessive pressure, as the weight and operational impact are spread across multiple devices covering different areas.
3Productivity
If traditional heavy machinery is used for field operations, then operational efficiency is improved, but crop yield decreases due to soil compaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple specialized autonomous robots for different agricultural tasks (planting, monitoring, harvesting) that operate efficiently without the soil-compacting effects of heavy machinery. This segmented approach maintains operational efficiency while protecting soil health and ensuring sustainable crop yields.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical tractor-based systems with electric-powered autonomous robots. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy combustion engines and complex mechanical transmissions, reducing weight and soil impact while maintaining or improving operational efficiency through automated control and precision agriculture techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for performing autonomous agricultural operations may include a toolbar to which a plurality of implements may be interchangeably coupled, and a pair of parallel chassis beams mounted perpendicularly on the toolbar. At least a portion of each of the chassis beams may be telescopic and configured to be extended outward from, and retracted inward towards, the toolbar. The device may also include a plurality of drive assemblies each mounted on one of the chassis beams, and a plurality of motors corresponding to the drive assemblies and configured to drive the drive assemblies in accordance with one or more drive parameters to move the device throughout a site. The device may further include a computing device configured to automatically determine the drive parameters, and cause the plurality of motors to drive the corresponding drive assemblies in accordance with the drive parameters.


