System and method for autonomous control of agricultural machinery and equipment
A system and method of controlling agriculture equipment which combines geographical coordinates, machine settings, machine position, path plans, user input, and equipment parameters to generate executable commands based of a variety of different in-field agricultural operation objectives for a vehicle equipped with an automatic or electronically controlled locomotion systems capable of reading and executing the commands.
1. A method for the autonomous control of one or more agricultural vehicles comprising:
selecting autonomy inputs for at least one agricultural operation, wherein selecting autonomy inputs includes:
selecting the agricultural operation;
selecting at least one agricultural vehicle for conducting the agricultural operation; and
selecting at least one field for conducting the agricultural operation;
compiling the selected autonomy inputs as a configuration profile for the agricultural operation;
generating an executable command chain for the selected agricultural operation based on the configuration profile of selected autonomy inputs; and
implementing the executable command chain with the at least one agricultural vehicle to autonomously conduct the agricultural operation in the at least one field.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the executable command chain includes remotely generating the executable command chain relative to the at least one agricultural vehicle with a remote application independent of the at least one agricultural vehicle.
3. The method of claim 2 comprising:
receiving the executable command chain at the at least one agricultural vehicle; and
wherein implementing the executable command chain includes independently implementing the executable command chain with the at least one agricultural vehicle relative to the remote application after reception of the executable command chain.
4. The method of claim 3 comprising:
modifying the executable command chain received at the at least one agricultural vehicle or an input interface with one or more modifications, wherein modifying is independent of the remote application; and
logging the one or more modifications with the remote application.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more modifications include user reactions to events including obstacles.
6. The method of claim 4 comprising incorporating the one or more modifications in generating a future executable command chain for the selected agricultural operation.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein implementing the executable command chain includes autonomously operating the at least one agricultural vehicle and associated agricultural equipment.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting autonomy inputs includes:
selecting agricultural equipment for conducting the agricultural operation with the at least one agricultural vehicle.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the agricultural operation, the at least one agricultural vehicle or the at least one field include operation configuration parameters, vehicle configuration parameters or field configuration parameters, respectively.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the field configuration parameters include one or more of a shape file, coordinate based polygon file, geographical boundary, mapping function drawing, obstacle location, traffic area, traffic pattern or turning area.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle configuration parameters include one or more of turning radius, vehicle dimensions, GPS position, maximum speed, steering performance or agricultural equipment settings.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the operation configuration parameters include one or more of projected travel pattern, projected travel path, operation speed, target depth, overlap, tilling depth, planting depth, application rate, seed population density, sprayer flow rate, specified spacing between vehicles, specified position between vehicles or offloading location.
13. A system for the autonomous control of one or more agricultural vehicles comprising:
an input interface configured for selection of a plurality of autonomy inputs for at least one agricultural operation, wherein the plurality of autonomy inputs includes:
at least one agricultural operation;
at least one agricultural vehicle configured to conduct the agricultural operation;
at least one field for conducting the agricultural operation; and
wherein the plurality of autonomy inputs are compiled into a configuration profile for the agricultural operation; and
an executive controller unit configured for installation with the at least one agricultural vehicle, wherein the executive controller unit includes:
a communications module configured to receive an executable command chain generated for the agricultural operation based on the configuration profile of selected autonomy inputs; and
a vehicle controller configured to autonomously operate the at least one agricultural vehicle according to the received executable command chain.
14. The system of claim 13 comprising a mobile device having the input interface.
15. The system of claim 13 comprising a local user interface or field computer having the input interface.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the executive controller unit includes a vehicle telematics unit.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the executive controller unit is configured for installation in a plurality of agricultural vehicles.
18. The system of claim 13 comprising a remote application server configured to generate the executable command chain based on the configuration profile of selected autonomy inputs.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the remote application server is independent from the executive controller unit, and the vehicle controller is configured to operate the at least one agricultural vehicle according to the received executable command chain independently from the remote application server after receipt of the received executable command chain.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the executive controller unit is configured to log one or more modifications to the executable command chain at the at least one agricultural vehicle or the input interfaces and transmit the one or more modifications to the remote application server.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the one or more modifications include user reactions to obstacles in the at least one field.
22. The system of claim 13 , wherein the input interface is configured for selection agricultural equipment configured to conduct the agricultural operation.
23. The system of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the at least one agricultural operation, the at least one agricultural vehicle or the at least one field include operation configuration parameters, vehicle configuration parameters or field configuration parameters, respectively.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the field configuration parameters include one or more of a shape file, coordinate based polygon file, geographical boundary, mapping function drawing, obstacle location, traffic area, traffic pattern or turning area.
25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the vehicle configuration parameters include one or more of turning radius, vehicle dimensions, GPS position, maximum speed, steering performance or agricultural equipment settings.
26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the operation configuration parameters include one or more of projected travel pattern, projected travel path, operation speed, target depth, overlap, tilling depth, planting depth, application rate, seed population density, sprayer flow rate, specified spacing between vehicles, specified position between vehicles or offloading location.