In a steering method for an agricultural machine, the agricultural machine is steered by track steering action independent of GNSS position data along an initial travel track in a working region until a headland adjoining the working region is reached at an exit point of the initial travel track. The agricultural machine is automatically steered by turn steering action, steering it based on an actual position determined based exclusively on GNSS position data, through the headland until an entry point of a target travel track in the working region is reached. The agricultural machine is steered by track steering action along the target travel track. The agricultural machine automatically detects a transition from a travel track of the working region into the headland and/or a transition from the headland into a travel track of the working region and switches accordingly between turn steering action and track steering action.

A method for path planning for a machine to traverse an area includes calculating a spline trajectory based on a plurality of control points of a first path. A subset of the plurality of control points having an equal step is selected. A direction of the normal to the spline trajectory for each of the selected points is determined. Control points within the subset that are a solution to a second order cone programming class optimization problem along each normal to the spline trajectory are searched for and the spline trajectory is extended to a border of the area to create a second path adjacent to the first path based on the control points. The optimization problem can minimize the weighted sum of the average curvature at junction points of elementary sections of the spline trajectory and/or the average width overlap of adjacent paths.

A method for automatically steering an agricultural machine on an agricultural area that is to be worked. The method includes optically detecting a first region of the area that is to be worked lying in a direction of travel of the agricultural machine in a first recording via a first optical sensor in a first position with a first viewing direction. The method further includes optically detecting a second region of the area that is to be worked lying in the direction of travel of the agricultural machine in a second recording via a second optical sensor in a second position with a second viewing direction. The method additionally includes detecting a tramline in the first recording and detecting a tramline in the second recording, determining a first trajectory and a second trajectory, and determining a steering signal based on the first trajectory and/or the second trajectory.

An integrated technology platform enables any application of autonomous agricultural equipment operation in an agricultural or other off-road setting, within a common software structural architecture. The platform represents a technology stack that is a modular architecture for multiple use cases and vehicle types. The platform includes a vehicle interface component responsible for the physical interface to agricultural equipment, a telematics component that enables stable in-field communications between all aspects of the integrated technology platform, and a perception component that operates as a safety mechanism and includes object detection and classification. Additionally, a cloud-side application performs account management, field setup and syncing of field equipment and operating systems in a common operating system. The platform also includes an executive control layer that enables rapid porting from one platform to another, so that software applications in the integrated technology platform can work with hardware of any manufacture.

An area registration method including setting information about a work vehicle that autonomously travels in a travel area; setting a work area which is included in the travel area and in which the work vehicle performs work; setting a headland area that is included in the travel area and is located on the outer side of the work area; and, when an operation for inputting the set information of the headland area is received after the work area and the headland area have been set, changing the sizes of the work area and the headland area on the basis of the inputted set information.

A method for controlling a vehicle (100) includes reading-in measurement data about a surface (6) of a substrate (2) lying ahead of the vehicle (100) in its travel direction (F), where the surface contains a ground-level obstacle (4) and recognizing the ground-level obstacle (4) from the measurement data. The method also includes determining a movement vector (V4) of the recognized ground-level obstacle (4) in a vehicle-associated coordinate system on the basis of the measurement data read in and determining a movement vector (V1) of the vehicle (100) in a coordinate system superordinate relative to the vehicle-associated coordinate system. The method further includes checking whether the ground-level obstacle (4) is a dynamic ground-level obstacle (4) in the superordinate coordinate system and emitting a control signal for controlling an operational safety system (30) of the vehicle (100) as a function of the result of the check. Also disclosed is a control unit (200) for carrying out a method of that type and a vehicle (100) with a control unit (200) of that type.

A combine harvester is provided with a controller, and the controller functions as an automatic traveler and a switch. The automatic traveler executes the automatic traveling of the combine harvester in the automatic straight work. The switch switches automatic traveling of the combine harvester to manual traveling, during the performing of the automatic traveling, when detecting a shift from an un-mowed area to an already mowed area.

A display section displays information related to a plurality of fields. The operating section accepts a selection operation for one of the plurality of fields displayed on the display section. If the operating section accepts a selection operation for the one field, and if the position information acquired by the positioning unit corresponds to a position within the one field, the control section controls the display section to display a start button for starting the operation of the fertilizing apparatus. If an operation to the start button is accepted by the operating section, the control section starts the operation of the fertilizing apparatus, based on the work information for the one field stored in the storage section.

Control systems and methods for coordinating multiple agricultural machines for operation on an agricultural field are provided. Each machine may receive field data for an agricultural field that optionally includes a plurality of pre-defined swaths. Each machine may receive state data from other machine(s). The state data for the other machine(s) may include a next swath and a current swath. Each machine may, after an indication of a start of its current swath, determine a next swath based on open swaths and the state data for the other machine(s). A next swath may also be determined using vehicle kinematic data, and conflicts between machines may be resolved.

Disclosed is an automatic row-guiding method for maize combine harvester based on the situation of missing plants, comprising: S1, guiding calculation of missing plants according to a traveling speed of a harvester and output values of left and right detecting sensors; and S2, performing guiding calculation of missing plants if there is a situation of missing plant, obtaining a first target turning angle of an electric steering wheel; or obtaining a second target turning angle according to the output values of the left and right detecting sensors if there is no situation of missing plant, then adjusting the steering wheel in terms of controlling direction, and finally, realizing automatic row-guiding of the combine harvester.