Agricultural electronics include many components. The components can be connected via an electronic link that connects the various components to components of an agricultural implement. This can include the use of a component type identifier and a master module. The identifier and the module can communicate data, including identification data and instructional data, to easily acknowledge and operate various electrical components of the agricultural implement. Additional sensors can be included to provide even additional data that is communicated between the module and the components of the agricultural implement to aid in providing instructions for operation and to provide additional data information.

The invention relates to an autonomously guided machine (10) comprising at least a steering body and a steering mechanism (13), said machine also comprising: a guide system (11) including an optical filter (17) which has a receiving surface exposed to the exterior and which can transmit light rays directed substantially in one direction and eliminate other light rays; a screen (18) that receives the filtered light; a digital camera (19) for capturing pixel resolution images of the screen (18); a pre-processing element for selecting the pixels corresponding to an incident planar laser beam received by the guide system (11), and filtered and projected onto the screen (18), and for generating a response detection image; a line generator for generating an estimate J of the coordinates of the detected lines based on the response detection image, involving the processing of the pixel columns pixels; and a locator which receives the estimate of the coordinates of the detected lines and calculates values representative of pixel columns based on said estimate and on parameters of the guide system (11), and subsequently calculates a distance y.sub.w from the guide system (11) to the planar laser beam in order to control the steering mechanism (13) so as to minimise this distance y.sub.w.

An agricultural machine includes a soil roughness system mounted to the machine. The soil roughness (SR) system includes at least one radar unit configured to emit signals, receive reflected signals, and generate radar signals. The reflected signals are the emitted signals reflected from a field. The SR system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one radar unit. The controller is configured to generate soil roughness values of the field based at least upon the radar signals. The controller or an operator of the machine may then adjust properties of an agricultural implement based upon the soil roughness values.

One or more information maps are obtained by an agricultural work machine. The one or more information maps map one or more agricultural characteristic values at different geographic locations of a field. An in-situ sensor on the agricultural work machine senses an agricultural characteristic as the agricultural work machine moves through the field. A predictive map generator generates a predictive map that predicts a predictive agricultural characteristic at different locations in the field based on a relationship between the values in the one or more information maps and the agricultural characteristic sensed by the in-situ sensor. The predictive map can be output and used in automated machine control.

An implement includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and an implement control system. The global positioning system receiver is configured to obtain position information for the implement. The implement control system is configured to determine a lateral error for the implement based on the position information, estimate a lateral error for a vehicle relative to the implement, the vehicle being attached to the implement, and steer the vehicle to guide the implement based on at least the lateral error for the implement and the lateral error for the vehicle.

An illustrative modular smart implement for precision agriculture includes a chassis having a hydraulic system, a control system, and articulating tool arms that are adapted to releasably receive one of a tool attachment for working a crop and/or field, including precision planting, cultivating, thinning, spraying, harvesting, and/or data collection. A toolbar fixed to the chassis receives and supports the articulating tools arms. An alignment member and side shift actuator provide movement of a portion of the tool arms along an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of the toolbar, and a lift actuator provide movement along a vertical axis.

An illustrative control system for an precision agricultural implement includes a controller having a convolutional neural network, a machine vision module, a plurality of sensors, and a plurality of actuators in communication with the controller, the plurality of actuators including a plurality of agricultural tool actuators.

A self-propelled work vehicle is provided with systems and methods for communicating the presence of nearby objects to an operator. A horizontally rotatable machine frame supports a work implement which is further vertically rotatable. Various object sensors are each configured to generate object signals representative of detected objects in respective fields of vision. A controller determines a working area for the work vehicle, corresponding at least to a swing radius of the machine frame and optionally further to a swing radius of the work implement at a given orientation and/or angle of rotation. The controller determines positions of each detected object relative to the machine frame based on the object signals and known positions of the respective object sensors, and generates output signals based on the determined object positions with respect to the working area. The output signals may facilitate vehicle interventions, and/or visual alerts corresponding to bird's eye displays.

A system for picking up, bundling and depositing agricultural material having a traction vehicle and a towed implement, the system comprising: an actuator associated with the implement; a control device configured to generate control data for controlling the orientation of the implement and steering of the traction vehicle, the control data including information relating to the orientation of the implement adjustable by the actuator, a desired orientation of the deposited agricultural material and at least one of a speed and a direction of travel of the traction vehicle; and wherein, using the control data, the actuator adjusts the orientation about a vertical axis of the implement relative to the traction vehicle to deposit the agricultural material.

An articulated towing apparatus pulls a rotary driven implement in a forward working direction across a ground surface behind a towing vehicle. The apparatus includes a longitudinal frame pivotally connected at a leading end to the towing vehicle by a coupling frame and pivotally connected at a trailing end to a wheeled frame that supports the implement thereon. The coupling frame defines lateral and vertical pivot axes between the longitudinal frame and the towing vehicle. A drive line, connected between a power take-off of the towing vehicle and the implement, includes (i) a longitudinal drive shaft extending at a downward slope, and (ii) an output for connection to the implement that is rotatably supported on the wheeled frame.