The invention relates to a method in a forest machine. In the method the surroundings of the forest machine are observed using one or more sensors. The observations are assembled to form a database of the surroundings, and the database is utilized in the operation of the forest machine. In the method observations of a limited area are used. In addition, a database is formed in real time in the forest machine. Further, a view is formed from the database of selected observations, from which a track in the surroundings is recognized. The forest machine is then oriented in the direction of the track, once the forest machine's direction of travel relative to the recognized track has been recognized. The invention also relates to a system in a forest machine.

A vehicle includes a chassis, an engine coupled to the chassis, a power source coupled to the chassis, and a track assembly. The track assembly includes an electric motor coupled to the chassis, a first drive wheel coupled to the electric motor and pivotally coupled to the chassis, a second drive wheel coupled to the engine and pivotally coupled to the chassis, and a track engaging the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel. The engine is configured to provide mechanical energy to the second drive wheel to drive the track and propel the vehicle. The electric motor is configured to receive electrical energy from the power source and provide mechanical energy to the first drive wheel to drive the track and propel the vehicle.

A combine harvester comprising a controller, at least one first sensor adapted to measure a first parameter related to soil deformation, and at least one second sensor adapted to measure a second parameter related to wheel slip. The first sensor is adapted to provide a first output to the controller. The second sensor is adapted to provide a second output to the controller. The controller is configured to determine a ground bearing capacity based on a combination of the first output and the second output.

A robotic vehicle apparatus for transporting a harvested crop within a cultivation area is disclosed and includes a vehicle controller operably configured to receive a pickup signal indicating that a harvested crop portion is available for transport to a post-harvesting location and identifying a location of a worker within the cultivation area. The vehicle controller navigates the vehicle to the location of the worker for loading the harvested crop portion into a load carrying repository and generates an identifier attributing the harvested crop portion to the worker. A quantity sensor is operable to produce a quantity signal representative of a quantity of the harvested crop portion loaded and the vehicle controller transmits quantity data to a host controller including the quantity of the harvested crop portion and the identifier. A method for navigating a robotic vehicle within an area having items arranged in a plurality of generally longitudinally extending adjacent rows is also disclosed.

One or more information maps are obtained by an agricultural system. The one or more information maps map one or more characteristic values at different geographic locations in a worksite. An in-situ sensor detects a material dynamics characteristic value as a mobile machine operates at the worksite. A predictive map generator generates a predictive map that predicts a predictive material dynamics characteristic value at different geographic locations in the worksite based on a relationship between the values in the one or more information maps and the material dynamics characteristic value detected by the in-situ sensor. The predictive map can be output and used in automated machine control.

Embodiments of an intelligent hybrid powertrain system include an engine, a controller architecture, and an electric drive subsystem having a battery supply and a motor/generator. The controller architecture is configured to: (i) monitor a current state of charge (SoC) of the battery supply when the combine harvester engages in a combine harvest cycle having a tank fill phase and a tank unload phase; (ii) during the tank fill phase, operate the motor/generator to supplement the engine power output and regulate a rate of battery discharge to prevent the current SoC of the battery supply from decreasing below a lower predetermined SoC threshold prior to completion of the tank fill phase; and (iii) during the tank unload phase, operate the motor/generator to charge the battery supply until the current SoC of the battery supply is equal to or greater than a first upper predetermined SoC threshold.

A detector detects an overall fill level of a receiving vehicle. A mobile device on the receiving vehicle includes a mobile application that receives and displays the overall fill level of the receiving vehicle. The overall fill level can be overlaid on a geographic map that shows locations of multiple receiving vehicles, in which case an overall fill level indicator for each receiving vehicle is displayed on the geographic map as well.

An automatic driving system for grain processing, an automatic driving method, and an automatic identification method is illustrated. The automatic driving system includes a grain processing host, an image acquiring device, and an image processing system. The image acquiring device is provided in the grain processing host. The image acquiring device acquires at least one image around the grain processing host. The image processing system identifies areas in the image by utilizing an image segmentation and identification technique on the basis of the image acquired by the image acquiring device. The grain processing host automatedly controls driving based on the areas identified by the image processing system.

A method and system for controlling a power-transmission gear in a forest machine having a harvester head includes measuring a selected property of at least two trees with aid of observation means on a basis of electromagnetic radiation at a distance from the trees being measured to create measurement data. The power-transmission gear is controlled by software on the basis of the measurement data to change a state of the power-transmission gear to optimize energy required to perform an operation of an operating device. The operating device uses the energy transmitted by the power-transmission gear (after the change in state of the power-transmission gear so that operation of the operating device create a change in the attitude, location, or state of the harvester head.

A method for planning traveling paths for multiple automatic harvesters, includes performing detection and forming basic agricultural land information by a detection device and receiving the basic agricultural land information at a path planning module. The path planning module sets quantity setting information and divides harvesting areas of the multiple automatic harvesters and travel paths thereof.