Agricultural Vehicle Route Planning Using Tramline Center Lines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural route planning techniques fail to efficiently utilize tramline information for optimizing vehicle paths, leading to inefficiencies in fuel consumption and soil compaction, and lack adaptive mechanisms to correct deviations during agricultural processes.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method generates a recommended route for agricultural vehicles using boundary and tramline information, including center lines and connecting segments, and updates the route in real-time to adapt to deviations, utilizing machine learning and position monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If traditional route planning techniques are used, then route generation is simple, but fuel consumption increases and soil compaction worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel consumptionVSAvoidroute planning complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining tramline information from previous agricultural operations and generating center lines in advance. This pre-processing of spatial data enables optimized route planning that minimizes fuel consumption and soil compaction without requiring complex real-time calculations during vehicle operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a digital copy of the physical field structure by generating center lines that represent the optimal paths through the field. These center lines are derived from tramline information, creating an abstract geometric model that guides the agricultural vehicle along fuel-efficient routes while avoiding soil compaction issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional route planning techniques are used, then route generation is simple, but soil compaction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoil compactionVSAvoidroute planning complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining tramline information from previous agricultural operations and generating center lines in advance. This pre-processing of spatial data enables optimized route planning that minimizes fuel consumption and soil compaction without requiring complex real-time calculations during vehicle operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a digital copy of the physical field structure by generating center lines that represent the optimal paths through the field. These center lines are derived from tramline information, creating an abstract geometric model that guides the agricultural vehicle along fuel-efficient routes while avoiding soil compaction issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If real-time route updating is implemented, then route adherence precision improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute adherence precisionVSAvoidguidance system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the agricultural vehicle's actual position and comparing it to the recommended center line route. When deviations are detected, the system provides guidance corrections to steer the vehicle back onto the optimal path, ensuring precise route adherence while maintaining manageable system complexity through incremental adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4715513A1Route planning for an agricultural vehicle
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 AGCO INT GMBH
  • EP4715513A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4715513A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4715513A1 patent drawingFigure 2C~2D

AI summary

A mechanism for generating a recommended route for an agricultural vehicle in advance of performing an agricultural process. The mechanism further includes tracking adherence of the agricultural vehicle to the recommended route and/or controlling the vehicle to follow the recommended route. The recommended route is generated responsive to at least boundary information and a plurality of center lines generated based on identified pairs of parallel tramlines.