Geotagged Windrow Mapping for Adaptive Crop Pickup Speed

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural machines face challenges in efficiently collecting windrows of crops due to variations in crop quantity, leading to issues like windrow breaking or bulldozing, which result in crop loss and reduced efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A system that utilizes geotagged information to estimate crop quantities and adjust the speed of agricultural machines accordingly, ensuring optimal collection and minimizing crop loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the agricultural machine travels at high speed to increase productivity, then productivity is improved, but crop loss increases due to windrow breaking or bulldozing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollection speedVSAvoidcrop loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the travel speed of the agricultural machine based on real-time windrow quantity data. The controller receives sensor data about crop quantity at different locations and automatically modifies speed to match conditions - slower speeds for heavy windrows, faster speeds for light windrows - thereby preventing windrow damage while maintaining optimal productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where sensors continuously measure windrow quantity and location, transmit this data to the controller, which then adjusts speed accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that speed decisions are based on actual field conditions, preventing both over-speeding (causing damage) and under-speeding (reducing efficiency)

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of substance

If the agricultural machine travels at low speed to prevent windrow breaking, then crop loss is reduced, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop lossVSAvoidcollection speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different speed requirements to different locations in the field based on local windrow conditions. Rather than using a uniform slow speed throughout, the controller adjusts speed locally - maintaining low speed only where windrows are heavy or dense, while allowing higher speeds where windrows are light or sparse - thus preserving crops where needed while maintaining productivity elsewhere

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the speed parameter dynamically based on windrow quantity measurements. By continuously monitoring crop quantity and adjusting speed as a variable parameter rather than a fixed value, the system optimizes the balance between preventing windrow damage and maintaining efficient collection rates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250143213A1Geotagged windrow information

Publication Date: 2025.05.08 DEERE & CO

AI summary

Geotagged information about a crop harvest is captured while harvesting. The geotagged information may be communicated to a management system or other work machines. The geotagged information may be utilized by a tractor or other work vehicle during collection of the harvested crop. For instance, the vehicle may automatically control a speed or output information on a display to aid an operator to control the speed.