Systems and methods for autonomously controlling agricultural machinery
Abstract
Systems and methods for autonomously controlling agricultural machinery such as a grain combine. The operation components of a combine that function to harvest the grain have characteristics that are measured by sensors. For example, the combine speed, the fan speed, and the like can be measured. An important sensor is the grain loss sensor, which may be used to quantify the amount of grain expelled out of the combine. The grain loss sensor utilizes the fluorescence properties of the grain kernels and the plant residue to identify when the expelled plant material contains grain kernels. The sensor data, in combination with historical and current data stored in a database, is used to identify optimum operating conditions that will result in increased crop yield. After the optimum operating conditions are identified, an on-board computer can generate control signals that will adjust the operation of the components identified in the optimum operating conditions. The changes result in less grain loss and improved grain yield. Also, because new data is continually generated by the sensor, the system has the ability to continually learn such that the efficiency of the agricultural machinery is continually improved.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1174395
- Patent Number(s):
- 6591145
- Application Number:
- 09/666,244
- Assignee:
- Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC (Idaho Falls, ID)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
A - HUMAN NECESSITIES A01 - AGRICULTURE A01D - HARVESTING
G - PHYSICS G05 - CONTROLLING G05D - SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-94ID13223
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING
Citation Formats
Hoskinson, Reed L., Bingham, Dennis N., Svoboda, John M., and Hess, J. Richard. Systems and methods for autonomously controlling agricultural machinery. United States: N. p., 2003.
Web.
Hoskinson, Reed L., Bingham, Dennis N., Svoboda, John M., & Hess, J. Richard. Systems and methods for autonomously controlling agricultural machinery. United States.
Hoskinson, Reed L., Bingham, Dennis N., Svoboda, John M., and Hess, J. Richard. Tue .
"Systems and methods for autonomously controlling agricultural machinery". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1174395.
@article{osti_1174395,
title = {Systems and methods for autonomously controlling agricultural machinery},
author = {Hoskinson, Reed L. and Bingham, Dennis N. and Svoboda, John M. and Hess, J. Richard},
abstractNote = {Systems and methods for autonomously controlling agricultural machinery such as a grain combine. The operation components of a combine that function to harvest the grain have characteristics that are measured by sensors. For example, the combine speed, the fan speed, and the like can be measured. An important sensor is the grain loss sensor, which may be used to quantify the amount of grain expelled out of the combine. The grain loss sensor utilizes the fluorescence properties of the grain kernels and the plant residue to identify when the expelled plant material contains grain kernels. The sensor data, in combination with historical and current data stored in a database, is used to identify optimum operating conditions that will result in increased crop yield. After the optimum operating conditions are identified, an on-board computer can generate control signals that will adjust the operation of the components identified in the optimum operating conditions. The changes result in less grain loss and improved grain yield. Also, because new data is continually generated by the sensor, the system has the ability to continually learn such that the efficiency of the agricultural machinery is continually improved.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 08 00:00:00 EDT 2003},
month = {Tue Jul 08 00:00:00 EDT 2003}
}