Vehicle-Mounted Crop Spraying System with Dynamic Mode Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-based chemical spraying systems are complex, incompatible with different manufacturers' equipment, and prone to errors due to limited cross-talk between electronics and mechatronics systems, leading to inaccurate chemical application and wastage, especially in uneven agricultural fields with changing environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
An electro-mechanical agricultural equipment system mounted on a vehicle that uses image-capture devices and AI to determine the health and growth state of crops, dynamically select spray modes, and control electronically controlled sprayer nozzles to accurately apply chemicals without prior row demarcation, adapting to real-time environmental changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional GPS is used for location determination, then the system can determine position, but the error range is 1-10 meters which is insufficient for precision spraying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines GPS with additional sensors (wheel encoders, inertial measurement units, and visual odometry systems) to create a multi-source positioning system. This fusion of multiple positioning methods reduces the error range from 1-10 meters to centimeter-level accuracy, enabling precise spray application without sacrificing system reliability
2Adaptability or versatility
If row-based processing is implemented, then the system can identify crop rows, but it fails when proper rows are not demarcated in the agricultural field
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its processing mode based on field conditions. When rows are properly demarcated, it uses row-based processing; when rows are not demarcated, it automatically switches to individual plant detection and localization modes. This dynamic adaptability ensures continuous reliable operation regardless of field preparation status
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensor units are used to improve detection accuracy, then the system can distinguish crops from weeds, but the complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a single multi-functional camera system that can operate in different modes (row detection mode, individual plant detection mode, spectral analysis mode) depending on the task requirements. This universal approach eliminates the need for multiple specialized sensors while maintaining high detection accuracy for distinguishing crops from weeds
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional spraying systems are used, then chemical application can be performed, but compatibility with different manufacturers' equipment is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed as a modular platform with standardized interfaces that can be independently configured and integrated with different manufacturers' spraying equipment. Each module (positioning, detection, control, spraying) can be selected and combined from different suppliers, enabling high compatibility while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture
Data Source
AI summary
A system mounted in a vehicle includes a plurality of image-capture devices to capture a sequence of color images corresponding to a plurality of field—of views (FOVs) of a plurality of defined areas. The system includes one or more hardware processors to determine a health state of a crop plant and a growth state of the crop plant. A spray mode is determined and dynamically selected from a predefined list of spray modes based on the determined health state of the crop plant, the growth state of the crop plant, and a type of chemical to be sprayed from the obtained sequence of colour images. A different set of electronically controlled sprayer nozzles is automatically operated at different time instants to release the selected type of chemical from a predefined number of the electronically controlled sprayer nozzles based on the selected spray mode.