Work Vehicle Route Selection to Prevent Repetitive Topsoil Damage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Work vehicles performing automatic traveling on predetermined routes for spraying chemical solutions on crops consistently damage the topsoil due to repetitive travel paths.

Innovation Solution

A route determination method and system that generates multiple candidate routes for work vehicles to travel along, allowing selection of a first candidate route as the target route, which disperses travel paths and avoids repeated soil damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the work vehicle travels along a predetermined target route for automatic traveling, then the work vehicle can perform work efficiently with consistent routing, but the topsoil of the work site is damaged due to repetitive travel paths

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiencyVSAvoidtopsoil damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the target route changeable rather than fixed. The route determination device dynamically adjusts the target route based on accumulated travel frequency data, selecting routes that have been traveled fewer times. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain work efficiency while distributing travel patterns to prevent repeated damage to the same soil areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If the work vehicle follows the same target route every time, then automatic traveling is simplified and consistent, but the topsoil damage accumulates in the same locations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic traveling consistencyVSAvoidtopsoil damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using a travel frequency management device that accumulates and tracks how many times the work vehicle has traveled along each route. This feedback information is then used by the route determination device to select alternative routes that have been traveled fewer times, creating a closed-loop system that automatically adjusts routing to prevent soil damage while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4099120A1Route determination method, route determination system, and route determination program
Publication Date: 2022.12.07 YANMAR HLDG CO LTD
  • EP4099120A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4099120A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4099120A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Problem] The problem is to provide a route determination method, a route determination system, and a route determination program for determining a target route where a work vehicle can work while performing automatic traveling without damaging the topsoil of the work site. [Solution] The solution is to provide a route determination method, a route determination system, and a route determination program for determining a target route where a work vehicle can work while performing automatic traveling without damaging the topsoil of the work site.