CN117981735A

CN117981735A - Local spraying system

Info

Publication number: CN117981735A
Application number: CN202311425399.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 亚瑟·玛格丽特
Original assignee: Exel Industries SA
Current assignee: Exel Industries SA
Priority date: 2022-11-05
Filing date: 2023-10-31
Publication date: 2024-05-07

Abstract

The present invention relates to a local spray system comprising a spray boom, at least one optical sensor and a control system configured to process images acquired from a field of view, detect at least one point of interest and correlate the point of interest with position data in a reference frame of the spray boom, the position data being continuously updated via a computing system of the control system in dependence on the movement of the spray boom, and the control system being configured to control the at least one spray nozzle in dependence on the at least one point of interest such that when the position data corresponds to a sprayable area, the control system controls the nozzle corresponding to the area of interest to open to spray the point of interest.

Description

Local spraying system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of agricultural spraying, and more particularly to the use of agricultural machinery for localized spraying depending on real-time sensed position data. In particular, the invention relates to a local spraying system controlled via a nozzle depending on an acquired image of an area to be treated, and to an associated method.

Background

The purpose of agricultural spraying is to apply different treatment products to crops, often aimed at improving the growth, yield and/or quality of the crops. The treatment products are particularly useful for weeding, controlling disease, insect or pest infestation, and providing nutrition required for normal development of crops.

The spray system generally comprises at least one tank arranged to contain the possibly diluted treatment product, a spray boom comprising a plurality of spray sections each equipped with a nozzle or a plurality of spray nozzles, and a hydraulic circuit connecting the tank to the different spray sections. The spray boom typically extends along a transverse axis relative to the longitudinal direction of travel of the agricultural machine over the plot. The hydraulic circuit may in particular comprise a pump arranged to pump the treatment product into the tank and to direct it to the spray boom, and a pressure regulator arranged to maintain the pressure in the hydraulic circuit at a predetermined threshold pressure. Each spray nozzle is arranged to spray the treatment product over a predetermined width of the plot defined along the transverse axis. Thus, each nozzle or a plurality of nozzles is/are associated with a sprayable area on the ground, which substantially corresponds to a geometric shape, such as a disc, oval or approximately rectangular, onto which it is possible to deliver the treatment product. The sprayable area associated with each nozzle or nozzles naturally changes as the spraying system moves.

With the aim of reducing the amount of applied treatment product, the spraying system has been adapted to achieve local treatment of the plot.

Local treatment means that the product is sprayed only on the area of the land where it is actually needed to be treated. For this purpose, each spraying section is controlled, for example, by means of a dispenser arranged to assume an open position in which circulation of product from the tank to the corresponding spraying nozzle is possible and a closed position in which said circulation is blocked. The different dispensers can be controlled especially individually. Typically, each spray section can be controlled individually by means of a suitable control unit.

The spraying system further comprises an image acquisition system and a control unit. An image acquisition system is mounted to the agricultural machine and comprises at least one camera arranged to acquire images of the plot in the first few seconds of passage of the nozzles of the spraying system. Typically, the image acquisition system comprises a plurality of cameras distributed along the second transversal axis with respect to the longitudinal direction so as to cover the entire width that may be handled by the spraying system. The control unit is configured to determine an effective area to be processed using real-time image processing performed on an image acquired by the image acquisition system, and individually control each of the dispensers according to the effective area to be processed.

In particular, it is known that a spray system comprises a plurality of cameras arranged on a spray boom of the system. The camera is configured to detect a point of interest in a field of view of the camera. The point of interest is the area to be sprayed, for example due to the presence of a source of biological stress. State of the art sprinkler systems divide a plot in the field of view of a camera into a plurality of sections and place points of interest (i.e. especially areas containing sources of biological stress) in one or more sections, respectively. Once the points of interest are associated with the sections, the agricultural machine is moved to those sections and the spray portion is controlled in an open or closed position so as to deliver the treatment product only to the sections identified as to be treated.

However, when the agricultural machine turns, the partitioning of the plot is performed again. The sections of the initial partition do not correspond to the sections of the new partition. It may then no longer be known which section has been sprayed and which section has not yet been sprayed, and this may then result in, for example, one section being sprayed multiple times or another section not being sprayed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a solution for allowing local spraying by marking points of interest in the field of view of the spraying system, locating said points of interest and allowing the spraying thereof irrespective of the trajectory or movement of the agricultural machine.

Disclosure of Invention

More precisely, one object of the present invention is a local spraying system comprising: spraying a suspender; at least one spray nozzle disposed on the spray boom, the spray nozzle being associated with a sprayable area; at least one optical sensor; and a control system, each optical sensor having a field of view, the control system configured to process images acquired from the field of view, detect at least one point of interest and correlate the point of interest with position data in a reference frame of the spray boom, the position data being continuously updated via a computing system of the control system in dependence on movement of the spray boom, and the control system controlling the at least one spray nozzle in dependence on the at least one point of interest such that when the position data of a point of interest corresponds to a sprayable region, the control system controls the spray nozzle corresponding to the sprayable region to be opened to spray the point of interest.

In particular, the optical sensor includes at least one depth camera configured to allow obtaining three-dimensional position data of the point of interest.

Advantageously, the spraying system comprises a set of nozzles, each of the nozzles being associated with a sprayable region, and each of the nozzles being controlled such that when the position data of a point of interest corresponds to a sprayable region of the nozzle associated with the point of interest, the control system controls the spraying nozzle to open to spray the point of interest.

More advantageously, the spraying system comprises a set of nozzles forming nozzle groups corresponding to the spraying portion, each of the nozzle groups being associated with a sprayable area, and each of the nozzle groups being controlled in dependence on the point of interest associated therewith, such that when the position data of a point of interest corresponds to a sprayable area of a nozzle group associated with said point of interest, the control system controls said spraying nozzle groups to open to spray said point of interest.

Preferably, the spraying system comprises a collection of nozzles forming nozzle groups, each nozzle group being controlled independently of each other by the control system.

Still preferably, the spray system is configured to process images acquired from the field of view, detect at least one point of interest and correlate the point of interest with position data in a reference frame of the spray boom.

Specifically, the control system implements rules for activating the spray nozzles: depending on conditions other than, inter alia, the conditions in which the point of interest is present in the sprayable area, the activation rules may include the possibility of activating the spray nozzle to deliver the treatment product, deactivating the spray nozzle to not deliver the treatment product; when the nozzle is activated, the activation rules may provide for determining a specific dose of treatment product to be applied.

The invention also relates to a method for spraying a product to be sprayed by means of a spraying system as briefly described above, said spraying system being carried or towed by an agricultural machine, wherein the control system:

processing an image acquired from a field of view by an optical sensor;

Detecting at least one point of interest;

correlating the point of interest with position data in a reference frame of a spray boom;

Controlling the at least one spray nozzle in dependence on the at least one point of interest; such that when the position data of the point of interest corresponds to the sprayable area, the control system controls the corresponding spray nozzle to open to spray the point of interest under consideration.

The control system of the spray system continuously determines position data of the point of interest to be processed by means of the adapted computing system in dependence of the movement of the spray boom moving forward, turning, etc.

Advantageously, the control system further associates said point of interest with a dose of the product to be sprayed.

Drawings

The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely as an example and given as a non-limiting example by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same references are made to similar objects and in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a spray system according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a spray system according to the present invention in operation.

It is noted that the drawings set forth the invention in detail in order to achieve embodiments of the invention; although not limiting, the figures are particularly useful for better defining the invention when applicable.

Description of the reference numerals

5: A point of interest;

10: spraying a suspender;

11. 111, 112: a sprayable area;

15: an agricultural machine;

21: an optical sensor;

22: a field of view.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to a local spray system. The spraying system is carried by the agricultural machine 15 to allow different treatment products to be sprayed onto the crop, typically with the aim of improving the growth, yield and/or quality of the crop. In particular, the treatment product to be sprayed can be used to treat biological stressors present in crops.

The spray system comprises a spray boom 10, at least one spray nozzle, at least one optical sensor 21 and a control system. Reference numerals are shown facing the schematic drawing 1 and the schematic drawing 2.

The spray boom 10 includes at least one spray nozzle, typically a collection of spray nozzles.

A collection of spray nozzles is arranged on the spray boom 10, and each nozzle or group of nozzles is associated with a sprayable area 11.

Thus, the nozzles in the set of nozzles are independent of each other, or form a group of nozzles and are divided into spray portions.

The set of nozzles is particularly configured to allow the sprayable area 11 to be adjustable. In practice, the independently used nozzles allow spraying over a circular area. Nozzle groups used together may allow, for example, spraying over an elliptical or substantially rectangular area.

The optical sensor 21 has a field of view 22 and each point of the field of view may be associated with position data.

According to one embodiment, the optical sensor 21 is configured such that two-dimensional position data, in particular two-dimensional position data of any point of interest 5 detected in the image, can be obtained.

According to another embodiment, the optical sensor 21 may comprise at least one depth camera configured to enable obtaining three-dimensional position data.

The control system is configured to process the image acquired from the field of view 22, detect at least one point of interest 5 and correlate the detected point of interest 5 with position data in the reference frame of the spray boom 10.

To locate the point of interest 5 in the acquired image, the optical sensor 21 may implement a beam of light passing through its optical center and through the point of interest 5 to be located.

The control system is further configured to control the set of spray nozzles in dependence of the at least one point of interest 5 such that when the position data of the point of interest 5 corresponds to a sprayable area 11 of the set of nozzles, the control system controls the corresponding nozzle or the group of spray nozzles to be opened for spraying the point of interest 5 in question.

In particular, the control system may control the spray nozzles or groups of spray nozzles depending on each of the identified points of interest 5. For example, if the point of interest 5 extends, the system for controlling the spray system will control the nozzle groups corresponding to the sprayable area that the point of interest 5 will extend.

In the case of a smaller point of interest 5, the control system will preferably control the spray nozzles independently.

According to one embodiment, the spraying system may adapt the number of nozzles to be activated and/or the dose of treatment product delivered by each nozzle in order to be adapted to each of the points of interest 5.

When the spraying system comprises a plurality of nozzles independent of each other, each of the nozzles is associated with a sprayable area 11 and each of the nozzles is controlled in dependence of the point of interest 5 associated therewith. Thus, when the position data of the point of interest 5 corresponds to the sprayable area 11 of the nozzle or nozzle group associated with the point of interest, the control system controls the nozzle or spray nozzle group to open to spray the point of interest 5 under consideration.

When the spraying system comprises a set of nozzles forming nozzle groups, each of the nozzle groups is thus associated with a sprayable area 11, and each of the nozzle groups is independently controlled. Thus, when the position data of a point of interest corresponds to a sprayable area 11 of a nozzle group associated with said point of interest, the control system controls the spray nozzle group to be opened to spray the point of interest 5 under consideration.

For example, referring to fig. 2, an agricultural machine 15 pulls or carries a spray boom 10 that includes spray nozzles or groups of spray nozzles associated with a sprayable area 111 and a sprayable area 112 (here rectangular), respectively. The point of interest 5 is marked by analyzing the image acquired by the optical sensor 21 mounted on the spray boom 10. The point of interest 5 is first associated with position data in the reference frame of the optical sensor 21 and then with position data in the reference frame of the spray boom 10, because the relative position of the optical sensor 21 on the boom 10 is predefined.

The control system comprises a memory hosting a database in which all information about the point of interest 5 (including its location data) is stored.

Still referring to FIG. 2, as the agricultural machine 15 and spray boom 10 move, the database is updated by the computing system that transforms the position data depending on the movement of the agricultural machine 15 and spray boom 10. The computing system compares the position data with sprayable areas 111, 112. Thus, when the position data of the point of interest 5 corresponds to the sprayable area 111, 112, the corresponding nozzle or group of spray nozzles is activated to process the point of interest under consideration.

Thus, referring to fig. 2, the sprayable area 111, which is considered at the moment, of the point of interest 5 is treated by activating the corresponding spray nozzle. Conversely, sprayable region 112 does not include point of interest 5, and moment of time contemplates deactivating the corresponding spray nozzle.

According to one embodiment, the control system is configured to process images acquired from the field of view 22 of the optical sensor 21 (or, where appropriate, from the fields of view of the various optical sensors distributed over the spray boom), detect at least one point of interest 5 and correlate the point of interest and corresponding dose with position data in the reference frame of the spray boom 10.

The invention further relates to a method for spraying a treatment product to be sprayed by means of a spraying system carried by an agricultural machine 15.

In the spraying method, a system for controlling the spraying system processes the image acquired by the optical sensor 21 from the field of view 22, and then detects at least one point of interest 5. The system then associates the point of interest 5 with position data in the reference frame of the spray boom 10 and controls at least one spray nozzle depending on the point of interest, in particular in terms of activation or deactivation and, where applicable, in terms of the dose to be applied. Finally, when the position data of the point of interest 5 corresponds to the sprayable area 11 (or 111 and 112 in fig. 2), the control system controls the spray nozzles or spray nozzle groups to be opened to spray the area.

The spray system accounts for movement of the spray boom when establishing the position data of the point of interest.

Furthermore, in the spraying method, the control system may correlate the point of interest 5 with the dose of treatment product to be sprayed before correlating the point of interest 5 and the corresponding dose with the position data in the reference frame of the spray boom 10. After verifying the activation rules, the product dose is calculated by the activation function.

In this way, the control system can identify the element to be processed, in particular the point of interest 5. In particular, the control system may make it possible to identify the sources of biological stress present in the crop in the image acquired from the field of view 22. The identified sources of biological stress then form one or more points of interest 5. The control system then correlates the position data with each of the points of interest 5 identified in the frame of reference of the spray boom 10.

The control system may also assign characteristics to the points of interest 5, as applicable, such as characteristics related to its size, shape or reliability of detection and the dosage of the treatment product to be applied.

According to the invention, each image acquired by the optical sensors 21 distributed on the spray boom 10 is thus processed globally: position data is assigned to each point of interest (corresponding to the element to be processed), the position data being two-dimensional or preferably three-dimensional.

To obtain three-dimensional position data, the optical sensor 21 may be equipped with a depth camera.

The advantage of three-dimensional position data is a higher positioning efficiency and thus a higher spraying efficiency, in particular on non-planar or inclined (sloping/incorporated) plots, or plots including curved surfaces, or in the case of high elements to be treated.

As already discussed, the position data of the point of interest 5 to be processed is first determined in the reference frame of the optical sensor 21 and then in the reference frame of the spray boom 10. Because the relative position of the optical sensor 21 on the spray boom 10 is predefined, the relative position is known in practice.

Furthermore, the sprinkler system may include a satellite position sensor of the GPS type to know the position of the sprinkler boom 10 and allow the position data of the point of interest 5 to be easily transposed into the reference frame of the sprinkler boom 10.

The system for controlling the spray system continuously determines the position data of the point of interest 5 to be processed by means of the adapted computing system, depending on the movement of the spray boom 10 moving forward, turning, etc. Thus, the computing system includes an adapted processor, particularly capable of performing floating point number computations.

For this purpose, the control system stores in its memory managed as a buffer a database comprising points of interest 5 to be processed and associated information containing position data of these points of interest 5 to be processed, the position data being continuously updated depending on the movement of the spray boom 10 and the new image acquired from the field of view 22.

Next, the time at which the point of interest 5 to be treated enters the sprayable area and the corresponding spray nozzle is activated is determined.

According to one embodiment, the control system implements rules for activating the spray nozzles: depending on conditions other than, in particular, the conditions in which the point of interest 5 is present in the sprayable area, the activation rules may include the possibility of activating the spray nozzle to deliver the treatment product, deactivating the spray nozzle to not deliver the treatment product; when the nozzle is activated, the activation rules may provide for setting a specific dose of treatment product to be applied.

The activation rules may take into account the surface area of the biological stressor present at the point of interest 5 to be processed, its size or even the confidence index in the identification by image processing.

By means of the invention, the spraying system makes it possible to achieve the following advantages.

First, the information that allows to decide on the activation of the nozzles by the control system is not broadcast on the segments, but is concentrated on points such as the point of interest 5 represented in fig. 1.

Second, the present invention is not limited to two-dimensional locations.

The invention also makes it possible to manage the diagonal movement of the spraying system with respect to the previous trajectory without the risk of double treatment or neglecting the points of interest.

Furthermore, the present invention allows for easy implementation of the cornering compensation means by conventional linear algebraic calculations.

Further improving the dynamic management of the spray nozzles.

The invention facilitates the adaptation of the dose of the product applied depending on the detection by possibly taking into account additional parameters of the identified biological stressors (size, number, surface area, etc.).

The invention also allows for better management of the overlap between adjacent spray nozzles.

By means of the invention it is possible to generate a detection map of the points to be processed independent of the resolution of the grid, as is the case when the field of view of the optical sensor is partitioned.

Furthermore, the optical sensor can be mounted more freely, that is to say laterally in the direction of advance of the spray boom and in a direction opposite to said direction of advance, or even diagonally to the direction of advance, since the position data of the point of interest 5 are determined in the acquired global image and transposed into the reference frame of the spray boom 10.

In other words, the invention makes it possible to identify the area to be sprayed as a point in the reference frame of the spray boom 10.

Where applicable, each point of interest 5 may be associated with additional characteristics other than its location data (two-dimensional or three-dimensional), in particular:

its detection surface area (in square millimeters);

The algorithm detects a confidence index (RN);

The type of element to be treated (silybum marianum (thistle), alfalfa (alfalfa), etc.);

Words (height, stage, non-sprayable, etc.);

The image identifier, i.e. the element to be processed has been detected in order to detect a plurality of detected image numbers.

The nature of the point of interest may be used to implement the activation rules.

As already stated, the advantage of locating the point of interest in the image without partitioning is in particular the ability to use a linear algebraic tool to take into account multiple rotations or translations of the spray system. The movement may also be a translation between two measured GPS positions, an integrated acceleration over time, or even a speed measurement made by an external sensor, among others.

The sprayable surface is represented by a simple geometry such as: circular, oval, rectangular, triangular, semicircular. The sprayable area associated with a nozzle or group of spray nozzles may be adapted depending on the situation. The intrinsic parameters of the geometry are variable in real time depending on the situation.

For example:

the length of the rectangular sprayable area or the radius of the circular sprayable area depends on the speed of movement of the spray boom.

The radius of the oval sprayable area is a function of the boom height;

adapting the position of the geometry in dependence of the clearance of the spray boom;

adapting the position of the geometry in dependence on the slope; etc.

According to the invention, the points to be treated are detected, located and their presence is detected in the sprayable area, which is then treated as applicable, in particular depending on the activation rules.

In this case, the activation rule is a condition that activates the spraying (possibly in the case of a specific dose) by the nozzle or the spray nozzle group at the time of verification.

For example, the activation rule may be:

Three points of interest are detected given a confidence index and an image number;

and at least one point of interest has a size greater than 3 square millimeters.

Thus, still as an example:

The control system calculates the maximum value of the sum of the surface areas of the points of interest present in the sprayable area at a given moment based on the detection in the same image number, divides it by the surface area of the sprayable area and multiplies it by the ratio of treatment product to be applied per unit of land surface area;

the control system calculates the dose of treatment product to be applied and activates the corresponding nozzle.

The dose determination may also take into account a piece of information of the amount of treatment product remaining in the corresponding treatment product tank of the spray system to increase or decrease the applied dose.

Of course, the person skilled in the art is able to adapt it to his needs, taking into account that the parameters associated with the point of interest, the number and complexity of the activation rules or even the number of different treatment products applicable are not limited to the given examples.

Claims

1. A localized spray system comprising: spraying a suspender; at least one spray nozzle disposed on the spray boom, the spray nozzle being associated with a sprayable area; at least one optical sensor; and a control system, each optical sensor having a field of view, the control system configured to process images acquired from the field of view, each optical sensor comprising at least one depth camera configured to allow three-dimensional position data of a point of interest to be obtained, the control system configured to detect at least one point of interest and associate the point of interest with position data in a frame of reference of the spray boom, the position data being continuously updated via a computing system of the control system in dependence on movement of the spray boom, and the control system being configured to control the at least one spray nozzle in dependence on the at least one point of interest such that when the position data of the point of interest corresponds to a sprayable area, the control system controls the spray nozzle corresponding to the sprayable area to open to spray the point of interest.

2. The localized spray system of claim 1, wherein the spray system comprises a set of nozzles, each of the nozzles being associated with a sprayable region, and each of the nozzles being controlled such that when the position data of a point of interest corresponds to the sprayable region of a nozzle associated with the point of interest, the control system controls the spray nozzles to open to spray the point of interest.

3. The local spray system of claim 1, comprising a set of nozzles forming nozzle groups corresponding to spray portions, each of the nozzle groups being associated with a sprayable region, and each of the nozzle groups being controlled depending on a point of interest associated therewith, such that when the position data of the point of interest corresponds to the sprayable region of a nozzle group associated with the point of interest, the control system controls the spray nozzle groups to open to spray the point of interest.

4. A topical spray system according to claim 3, wherein the spray system comprises a collection of nozzles forming nozzle groups, each nozzle group being controlled independently of each other by the control system.

5. A local spray system as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, characterized in that the control system is configured to process the image acquired from the field of view, detect at least one point of interest and correlate the point of interest with the position data in the reference frame of the spray boom.

6. A method for spraying a product to be sprayed by means of a local spraying system according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, which spraying system is carried or towed by an agricultural machine, wherein the control system:

Processing the image acquired by the optical sensor from the field of view;

Detecting at least one point of interest;

correlating the point of interest with position data in a frame of reference of the spray boom;

controlling the at least one spray nozzle in dependence on the at least one point of interest; such that when the position data of the point of interest corresponds to a sprayable area, the control system controls the corresponding spray nozzle to open to spray the point of interest under consideration.

7. The method of spraying a product to be sprayed by a local spray system of claim 6, wherein the control system further correlates the point of interest with a dose of the product to be sprayed.