Weed Tool Actuator Evasion for Obstacle-Tolerant Row Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical weed control systems face challenges in maintaining reliability and stability when encountering randomly located obstacles, particularly in high-resolution weed control applications, due to the lack of effective mechanisms to avoid damage from fixed obstacles like stones and debris.
Innovation Solution
A device with individually controllable tool actuator units that perform evasive movements upon encountering obstacles, using energy storage devices to reset to their initial position, synchronized with sensor detection of weeds, and controlled to limit exposure to maximum restoring forces, reducing installation space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemical herbicides are used to control weeds, then weed control effectiveness is improved, but environmental pollution and health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical herbicide application with a mechanical weed control system consisting of multiple independently controllable tool actuator units. Each unit can mechanically interact with the ground or crop rows to control weeds through physical means such as cultivation, slashing, or other mechanical actions, eliminating the need for chemical substances and their associated environmental and health hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The weed control system is divided into multiple separate tool actuator units that can be independently controlled and positioned. Each unit can be selectively activated or deactivated based on real-time detection of weeds versus crops, allowing precise mechanical control without chemical contamination. This segmentation enables targeted weed control while preserving crops and reducing environmental impact.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If mechanical weed control tools are used, then environmental safety is improved, but selectivity between weeds and crops deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates detection units that continuously monitor the field environment and provide real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables the control system to distinguish between weeds and crops based on detected characteristics (such as optical, spectral, or structural features) and selectively activate only those tool actuator units positioned over weeds, achieving high selectivity without chemical agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool actuator units are designed to be dynamically controllable, with their activation, positioning, and operational parameters adjustable in real-time based on feedback information. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt to varying field conditions and maintain high selectivity between weeds and crops throughout the operation, overcoming the limitation of static mechanical tools.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple independently controllable tool actuator units are used, then weed control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multiple tool actuator units are designed with universal functionality, where each unit can perform the same range of weed control operations (such as cultivation, slashing, or other mechanical actions). This universality allows the system to achieve high precision through selective activation of identical modular units, rather than requiring complex specialized tools for each function, thereby managing device complexity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a modular architecture where tool actuator units can be independently activated, deactivated, and repositioned as needed. Units that have completed their function can be effectively 'discarded' from active operation and recovered for reuse in other areas, allowing precise control over which units are operational at any given time and reducing the effective complexity of the active system configuration.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for selectively, mechanically controlling weeds and to a method for using same. The device ensures robust and stable operation in undefined agricultural fields, in particular in that the device is designed to not be damaged by solid obstacles, such as rocks for example. This is made possible in that the device according to the invention for selectively, mechanically controlling weeds is designed so as to comprise a carrier vehicle, at least one sensor unit for detecting weeds, and at least one assembly of multiple individually controlled tool actuator units. The actuators are connected to the frame of the carrier vehicle, are moved by the carrier vehicle over the surface to be treated, and move at least one associated tool from a rest position into a working position by means of at least partially vertical strokes that are controlled in synchronization with the sensor unit and the travel path of the carrier vehicle. The tool is brought into the working position at least when the sensor unit has completely or partly detected at least one weed to be controlled at the field location where the tool is located. Additionally, the individual actuators are rotatably mounted about at least one axis transverse to the travel direction and stroke direction or are movably mounted at least in the travel direction, and in the starting position the individual actuators are pretensioned against at least one associated energy store such that the tool can carry out an evasive movement opposite the travel direction in the event of striking at least one solid obstacle in the working position. In the process, a restoring force is built up in the energy store, and the tool actuator unit is returned to its starting position by the release of the restoring force in the energy store in the travel direction after passing over the solid obstacle or after the tool is restored to the rest position by the actuator.