Weeding Unit with Segmented Shovel and Blade Actuation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current weeding units in agricultural fields risk damaging crops by uncovering their roots during the weeding process, leading to withering, and struggle with uneven soil distribution and weed separation.

Innovation Solution

A method and weeding unit equipped with weeding blades and shovel blades that can be actuated independently, using imaging units to detect crops and weeds, and adjust their positions to avoid damaging crops, while also redistributing loosened soil to cover roots and equalize soil height, and separate weeds effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If weeding blades cut and loosen soil for weed removal, then weed destruction is improved, but crop roots may be uncovered and wither

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweed removal efficiencyVSAvoidcrop health

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A shovel blade acts as an intermediary element between the weeding blade and the crop roots. The shovel blade collects loosened soil and redistributes it to cover crop roots that were exposed by weeding, thereby preventing root drying while maintaining effective weed removal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The weeding system is segmented into two independent functional components: a weeding blade for cutting and loosening soil to remove weeds, and a shovel blade for collecting and redistributing soil to cover crop roots. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the other

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If weeding blades are actuated independently from shovel blades, then adaptability to detect crop and weed positions is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse to crop and weed detectionVSAvoidblade actuation system

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Both the weeding blade and shovel blade are designed with dynamic actuation capabilities, allowing them to independently adjust their positions based on real-time detection of crop and weed locations. The blades can move between working positions and retraction positions, enabling adaptive response to varying field conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The independent actuation system provides multi-functionality: the weeding blade performs weed cutting while the shovel blade performs soil redistribution. Both blades can be controlled separately to optimize their respective functions, and the system can adapt to different operational scenarios such as weeding only, soil covering only, or both operations simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4466968A1A weeding unit and a method for treating an agricultural field

Publication Date: 2024.11.27 AGCO INT GMBH

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B

AI summary

A weeding unit (4a, 4b, 4c) and a method for treating an agricultural field (9) with the weeding unit (4a, 4b, 4c) traversing the agricultural field (9) with the steps for detecting crop (7) of a crop row (6b, 6c) growing in soil (42) of the agricultural field (9), cutting and loosening the soil (42) for weeding the crop row (6b, 6c) and moving loosened soil (43) within the crop row (6b, 6c).