Transfer Vehicle Positioning for Automated Haulage Loading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The current process of transferring harvested material from a harvester to a haulage vehicle is labor-intensive and prone to errors, requiring manual alignment and control to prevent spillage and ensure an even fill, which can be tedious and difficult.
Innovation Solution
A system equipped with a haulage vehicle sensor on the transfer vehicle, such as a stereo camera, automatically localizes the receiving area of the haulage vehicle and controls the position of the material conveyance subsystem to execute an automated transfer operation, using image processing and fill level detection to optimize the transfer strategy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual alignment and control are used to transfer material, then the transfer process can be completed with simple equipment, but the process is labor-intensive and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment and control with an automated vision-based system. Sensors (cameras) detect the position of the haulage vehicle's receiving area, and a control system automatically adjusts the material conveyance subsystem's position and orientation, eliminating the need for manual operation while improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the material transfer vehicle to automatically perform alignment and positioning without external assistance. The onboard sensors and control systems allow the vehicle to self-correct its position and orient the spout accurately toward the receiving area, making the operation autonomous.
2Manufacturing precision
If automated control is implemented to reduce human error, then transfer precision improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary vision system (cameras and image processing) that bridges the gap between the material transfer vehicle and the haulage vehicle. This intermediary system captures visual data, processes it to determine position and orientation, and feeds this information to the control system, enabling precise automated control without requiring complex direct sensing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism where sensors continuously monitor the position of the spout relative to the receiving area, and the control system automatically adjusts the spout's position and orientation based on this feedback. This ensures high precision while keeping the control logic manageable through iterative correction.
3Measurement precision
If the transfer vehicle manually positions itself, then the vehicle can operate with simple navigation, but alignment accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual positioning operations with an automated vision-based positioning system. The camera system detects the receiving area's position and dimensions, and the control system automatically calculates and executes the necessary positioning adjustments, achieving high accuracy without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy (image) of the receiving area using cameras, processes this copy to extract position and dimension information, and uses this information to guide the positioning of the material conveyance subsystem. This copying approach simplifies the sensing task while improving positioning accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A detector on a material transfer vehicle detects a haulage vehicle. A localization processor locates a receiving area of the haulage vehicle relative to the material transfer vehicle. A control signal is generated to control a position of the material transfer vehicle so that a material conveyance subsystem is positioned to convey material from the material transfer vehicle to the haulage vehicle.