Crop row guidance systems
Technologies for guiding an agricultural vehicle through crop rows using a camera and signal processing to locate the crop row or centers of the crop row. The signal processing uses a filter to filter data from images captured by the camera and locates the row or the centers based on the filtered data. The filter is generated based on a signal processing transform and an initial image of the crop row captured by the camera. The filter is applied to subsequent images of the crop row captured by the camera. In some embodiments, the camera includes one lens. For example, monocular computer vision is used in some embodiments. Also, in some embodiments, a central processing unit generates the filter based on the transform and the initial image of the crop row and applies the generated filter to the subsequent images of the row.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a camera, comprising a single lens; and
a central processing unit (CPU) operably coupled to the camera and comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to:
receive image data of at least one crop row from the camera, the image data comprising a plurality of images of the at least one crop row;
generate a signal processing filter based on a signal processing transform and initial image data of an initial image of the plurality of images of the at least one crop row of the image data;
apply the signal processing filter to subsequent image data of subsequent images of the plurality of images to determine an attribute of the at least one crop row, wherein the subsequent images are captured by the camera after the initial image is captured by the camera;
wherein the (CPU) controls steering of an agricultural vehicle, via a controller of the agricultural vehicle, based at least partially on the determined attribute of the at least one crop row.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be attached to the agricultural vehicle, an agricultural implement, or an agricultural boom.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein determining the attribute of the at least one crop row comprises determining a crop row center line of the at least one crop row, and wherein causing the controller to control steering of the agricultural vehicle comprises utilizing the crop row center line to generate and provide crop row guidance.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the camera is configured to:
capture the plurality of images of the at least one crop row, one image at a time; and
transmit the image data comprising the plurality of images over an electronics coupling to the CPU.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein generating the signal processing filter based on the signal processing transform and the initial image of the at least one crop row of the image data comprises:
transforming the initial image data associated with the initial image into a frequency domain, wherein a dominant frequency in an output of the transformation of the initial image data corresponds to a number of rows of crop in the initial image; and
generating the signal processing filter based on the output of the transformation of the initial image data.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing transform comprises a Fourier transform.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing transform comprises a discrete Fourier transform (DFT), a discrete-space Fourier transform (DSFT), or a discrete-time Fourier transform (DTFT).
8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing transform comprises a fast Fourier transform (FFT).
9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing filter comprises a bandpass filter, and wherein the CPU further comprises instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to:
identify a lower boundary frequency at a selected decibel of a bandpass in the output of the transformation of the initial image data;
identify an upper boundary frequency at the selected decibel of the bandpass in the output of the transformation of the initial image data; and
generate the bandpass filter based on the identified lower boundary frequency and the identified upper boundary frequency.
10. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the CPU further comprises instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to apply the signal processing filter to the subsequent image data associated with subsequent images of the plurality of images to locate the crop row center line.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is attached to an agricultural vehicle and wherein the CPU further comprises instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to estimate a direction in which the agricultural vehicle is traveling with respect to a direction of the located crop row center line based on the located crop row center line and a signal sent from a sensor that senses a physical quality related to the direction in which the agricultural vehicle is traveling when the agricultural vehicle is moving.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the CPU further comprises instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to transmit the estimated direction in which the agricultural vehicle is traveling to a controller of the agricultural vehicle to steer the agricultural vehicle according to the estimated direction in which the agricultural vehicle is traveling with respect to the direction of the crop row center line.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is attached to an agricultural vehicle and wherein the CPU further comprises instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to:
estimate a direction in which the agricultural vehicle is traveling with respect to a direction of the located crop row center line based on the located crop row center line and a signal sent from a sensor that senses a physical quality related to the direction in which the agricultural vehicle is traveling when the agricultural vehicle is moving; and
determine a vehicle heading error according to the estimated direction in which the agricultural vehicle with respect to the direction of the located crop row center line.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the CPU further comprises instruction that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to transmit the determined vehicle heading error to a controller of the agricultural vehicle to steer the agricultural vehicle according to the determined vehicle heading error.
15. A method, comprising:
capturing a plurality of images of a crop row, one image at a time, by a camera attached to a part of an agricultural vehicle, an implement attached to the agricultural vehicle, or a boom attached to the agricultural vehicle;
transmitting image data associated with the captured plurality of images over an electronics coupling to a central processing unit (CPU);
generating, by the CPU, a filter based on a signal processing transform and initial image data associated with an initial image of the crop row in the captured plurality of images;
applying the filter to subsequent image data associated with subsequent images in the captured plurality of images to locate a crop row center in the crop row, wherein the subsequent images are captured by the camera after the initial image is captured by the camera; and
controlling, by a controller, steering of the agricultural vehicle according to the located crop row center.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising utilizing the located crop row center in the crop row to provide crop row guidance.
17. A system, comprising:
a camera, comprising a single lens and configured to:
be attached to an agricultural vehicle, an implement attached to the agricultural vehicle, or a boom attached the agricultural vehicle;
capture a plurality of images of crop rows, one image at a time, after the camera has been attached to the agricultural vehicle; and
transmit image data associated with the plurality of images over an electronics coupling;
a central processing unit (CPU), operably coupled to the camera and comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the CPU to:
receive the image data from the camera;
generate a filter based on a signal processing transform and initial image data associated with an initial image in the captured plurality of images; and
apply the filter to subsequent image data associated with subsequent images in the captured plurality of images to locate a crop row center in a crop row of the crop rows, wherein the subsequent images are captured by the camera after the initial image is captured by the camera; and
wherein the (CPU) controls steering of an agricultural vehicle, via a controller of the agricultural vehicle, according to the located crop row center.