Agricultural Vehicle Control Mode Switching for Crop Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for coordinating the movement of harvesting vehicles and transport vehicles during crop transfer are challenging, particularly when cornering, leading to potential crop loss and difficulties in maintaining precise control, especially with the introduction of remote-controlled systems which can result in uneven distribution of crops.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allows agricultural vehicles to switch between driver-controlled and remote-controlled modes, using specific control interventions to determine the type of correction needed, with a threshold-based system for switching modes to ensure efficient crop transfer and prevent loss, utilizing radio interfaces for synchronized control commands and sensors for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If remote control is used to precisely follow the harvesting vehicle's movements, then crop transfer precision is improved, but crop distribution uniformity deteriorates due to suppression of longitudinal fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the control mode based on operational needs. The transport vehicle switches between remote-controlled mode (for precision positioning during transfer) and manual control mode (for correcting crop distribution). This dynamic switching allows the system to optimize for precision when needed and for uniformity when needed, resolving the contradiction between the two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter state by switching between automated remote control and manual control. When the transport vehicle is positioned for optimal crop transfer, remote control maintains precise positioning. When crop pileup is detected or anticipated, the system transitions to manual control mode, allowing the driver to intervene and redistribute crops evenly, thus changing the control parameter from automated to manual.
2Measurement precision
If the transport vehicle enters curves earlier than the harvesting vehicle, then positioning accuracy is improved, but control difficulty increases due to counter-reflex maneuvers
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical control with automated remote control during curve negotiations. The remote control system automatically calculates and executes the necessary early entry into curves to maintain optimal positioning relative to the harvesting vehicle. This substitution eliminates the need for drivers to perform counter-intuitive manual maneuvers, reducing control difficulty while maintaining positioning accuracy.
3Productivity
If remote control mode is used to maintain precise positioning, then transfer efficiency is improved, but driver response time deteriorates in emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically switches between remote-controlled mode and manual control mode based on situational requirements. During normal transfer operations, remote control maintains precise positioning and high efficiency. When emergency situations arise, the driver can immediately take control, and the system transitions to manual mode, ensuring rapid response time is available when needed without compromising normal transfer efficiency.
4Measurement precision
If the transport vehicle drives faster than the harvesting vehicle to negotiate curves, then positioning accuracy is improved, but safety deteriorates due to speed differential
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual speed control with automated remote control during curve negotiations. The remote control system precisely manages the speed differential required to maintain optimal positioning, eliminating the safety risks associated with manual high-speed curve negotiation. The automated system can safely execute the necessary speed variations that would be too risky for a human driver to manage manually.
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural vehicle can be switched between a driver-controlled driving mode, in which the vehicle's direction and speed are determined by the driver, and a remote-controlled driving mode, in which the vehicle's direction and speed are determined by externally received information. In remote-controlled driving mode, a control device operable by the driver is monitored (S4, S6, S7), and the vehicle switches back to driver-controlled mode (S5) if a first-type intervention by the driver at the control device is detected. In the event of a second-type driver intervention (S8, S10), the remote-controlled mode is maintained, and a correction determined by the driver intervention is made to the vehicle's movement based on the externally received information (S9, S11).