METHOD AND DEVICE FOR APPLYING A SPRAY AGENT TO AN AGRICULTURAL LAND

Abstract

A method for applying a spray agent to an agricultural land using a spray nozzle unit of an agricultural spray device. The method includes detecting first and second field sections of the agricultural land using an optical detection unit to obtain first and second pieces of image information from the first and second field sections, wherein the pieces of image information have a common lateral overlapping area having a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device; classifying plants in the obtained pieces of image information using a control unit; determining first and second plant identification numbers for first and second image evaluation areas in the obtained first and second pieces of image information using the classified plants; and applying the spray agent as a function of the determined plant identification numbers using the spray nozzle unit of the agricultural spray device.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. A method for applying a spray agent to an agricultural land using at least one spray nozzle unit of an agricultural spray device, comprising the following steps: detecting, using at least one optical detection unit, a first field section of the agricultural land, and a second field section of the agricultural land arranged transversely to a travel direction of the agricultural spray device adjacent to the first field section, to obtain a first piece of image information from the first field section and a second piece of image information from the second field section, wherein the first and second pieces of image information have a common lateral overlapping area having a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device; classifying plants in the obtained first and second pieces of image information using the control unit; determining a first plant identification number for a first image evaluation area in the obtained first piece of image information, and a second plant identification number for a second image evaluation area in the obtained second piece of image information, using the classified plants in the first and second image evaluation areas using the control unit, wherein the first and second image evaluation areas, in the lateral overlapping area, abut one another and have a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device, which is less than or equal to the depth of the overlapping area; and applying the spray agent as a function of the determined first and second plant identification numbers using the spray nozzle unit of the agricultural spray device.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein each of the first and second pieces of image information in the travel direction have a rear image edge having a width and an equally dimensioned or larger front image edge having a width.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the front and rear image edges of the first and second pieces of image information are respectively aligned with one another.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the width of each of the rear image edges is greater than the width of each the front image edges, and mutually facing end points of the rear image edges are congruent.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the depth of the lateral overlapping area is less than or equal to the depth of the first and second pieces of image information.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein each of the first and second image evaluation areas in the travel direction has a rear evaluation edge having a width and a equally dimensioned front evaluation edge having a width.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the width of each of the first and second image evaluation areas is variably selectable using the control unit in to ensure an abutting arrangement of the first and second image evaluation areas with respect to one another.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the front and the rear evaluation edges of the first and second image evaluation areas are respectively aligned with one another.

26. The method according to claim 18, wherein a common lateral edge of the first and second image evaluation areas is arranged transversely to the travel direction centrally in the lateral overlapping area.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first and second image evaluation areas each represent a corresponding field evaluation area of the detected first and second field sections, and in the step of applying, the spray agent is applied to the corresponding field evaluation areas.

28. The method according to claim 18, wherein each of the first and second plant identification numbers represents a degree of coverage of the first and second image evaluation areas, respectively, of plant material and/or an amount of plant material in the first and second image evaluation areas, respectively and/or a number of identified plants in the first and second image evaluation areas, respectively.

29. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the first and second field sections are detected at an inclination angle of an optical axis of the optical detection unit of greater than 0° relative to a vertical in the travel direction of the spray device.

30. The method according to claim 18, further comprising identifying plant rows in the first and second pieces of image information using the classified plants in the first and second pieces of image information using the control unit, wherein in the step of applying, the spray agent is further applied as a function of the identified plant rows.

31. An arrangement, comprising: at least one first and second optical detection unit, wherein an optical axis of the first and second optical detection units has an inclination angle greater than 0° relative to vertical in the travel direction of a spray device, wherein the first optical detection unit is configured to capture a first field section of the agricultural land, and the second optical detection unit is configured to capture a second field section of the agricultural land arranged transversely to the travel direction of the agricultural spray device adjacent to the first field section, to obtain a first piece of image information from the first field section and a second piece of image information from the second field section, wherein the first and second optical detection units are arranged such that the first and second pieces of image information have a common lateral overlapping area having a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device, such that defined image evaluation areas in the obtained first and second pieces of image information abut one another in the lateral overlapping area and have a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device, which is less than or equal to the depth of the overlapping area.

32. An agricultural spray device for applying a spray agent to an agricultural land, comprising: at least one spray nozzle unit; and an arrangement including at least one first and second optical detection unit, wherein an optical axis of the first and second optical detection units has an inclination angle greater than 0° relative to vertical in the travel direction of a spray device, wherein the first optical detection unit is configured to capture a first field section of the agricultural land, and the second optical detection unit is configured to capture a second field section of the agricultural land arranged transversely to the travel direction of the agricultural spray device adjacent to the first field section, to obtain a first piece of image information from the first field section and a second piece of image information from the second field section, wherein the first and second optical detection units are arranged such that the first and second pieces of image information have a common lateral overlapping area having a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device, such that defined image evaluation areas in the obtained first and second pieces of image information abut one another in the lateral overlapping area and have a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device, which is less than or equal to the depth of the overlapping area.

33. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for applying a spray agent to an agricultural land using at least one spray nozzle unit of an agricultural spray device, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps: detecting, using at least one optical detection unit, a first field section of the agricultural land, and a second field section of the agricultural land arranged transversely to a travel direction of the agricultural spray device adjacent to the first field section, to obtain a first piece of image information from the first field section and a second piece of image information from the second field section, wherein the first and second pieces of image information have a common lateral overlapping area having a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device; classifying plants in the obtained first and second pieces of image information using the control unit; determining a first plant identification number for a first image evaluation area in the obtained first piece of image information, and a second plant identification number for a second image evaluation area in the obtained second piece of image information, using the classified plants in the first and second image evaluation areas using the control unit, wherein the first and second image evaluation areas, in the lateral overlapping area, abut one another and have a depth in the travel direction of the agricultural spray device, which is less than or equal to the depth of the overlapping area; and applying the spray agent as a function of the determined first and second plant identification numbers using the spray nozzle unit of the agricultural spray device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The present invention will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to the figures.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an agricultural spray device according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a basic geometric arrangement of the optical detection unit and the spray nozzle unit with respect to one another, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of an arrangement of optical detection units and pieces of image information, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a piece of image information with an image evaluation area, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of a method according to one embodiment example of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0049] In the following description of preferred embodiment examples of the present invention, identical or similar reference numbers are used for the elements shown and acting similarly in the various figures, a repeated description of these elements being omitted.

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an agricultural spray device, which is provided in its entirety with the reference number 10.

[0051] The agricultural spray device 10 is configured as a field sprayer 10. The field sprayer 10 is arranged on a mobile land vehicle 12, which is developed as a towing vehicle 12 or tractor 12.

[0052] The agricultural spray device 10 has a spray boom 14. Spray nozzle units 16 and optical detection units 18 are arranged on the spray boom 14. The spray nozzle units 16 are configured to apply a spray agent 20 onto plants 22 or weeds 23 of an agricultural land 24. The optical detection units 18 are configured as optical cameras 18. The optical cameras 18 each comprise a filter unit in order to extract a color fraction, for example the green fraction of an obtained or a detected piece of image information, or of a detected image, in order to detect plants 22 or weeds 23.

[0053] The agricultural spray device 10 further has a conveyor unit (not shown), using which the amount of application or the amount of an active agent in the spray agent 20 to be applied can be adjusted or varied.

[0054] The agricultural spray device 10 also has control units (not shown) connected to the optical cameras 18 in order to receive information from the latter. The control units have a computing unit, which is configured to carry out calculation steps or image processing steps to execute the method according to the present invention. The control units are further configured to output a control signal such that the spray agent 20 is applied by the associated spray nozzle units 16 depending on the determined plant identification number.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a basic geometric arrangement of a spray nozzle unit 16, which, in the event of a positive spray decision, applies the spray agent 20 to a spray area 26, and an inclined optical detection unit 18 or camera 18 on the agricultural spray device 10. The inclination angle a is the angle in the travel direction 28 of the spray device 10 between an optical axis 30 of the camera 18 and a vertical 32.

[0056] As further seen in FIG. 2, a field section 34 of agricultural land 24 is detected by optical detection unit 18 to obtain a piece of image information 36 from the field section 34 having a depth T(image) 38 in the travel direction 28. Plants 22, 23 are subsequently identified and classified in an image evaluation area 40 of the obtained piece of image information 36, wherein the image evaluation area 40 represents a corresponding field evaluation area 42 of the detected field section 34 with a depth T(evaluation) 44 in the travel direction 28 of the spray device 10. Depending on the determined plant identification number for the image evaluation area 40, the spray agent 20 is then applied in a planar manner to the field evaluation area 42 of the detected field section 34 using the spray nozzle unit 16.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an arrangement of forwardly inclined optical detection units or cameras 18A, 18B, 18C (18A-C) and the corresponding detected field sections 34A, 34B, 34C (34A-C) or pieces of image information 36A, 36B, 36C (36A-C). The pieces of image information 36A-C are configured to be identical in this case. Due to the inclined cameras 18A-C, the pieces of image information 36A-C in each case have in the travel direction 28 a rear image edge 46 having a width B(image,h) and a larger front image edge 48 having a width B(image,v). The front and rear image edges 46, 48 are respectively aligned with one another. Further, due to the advantageous arrangement of the cameras 18A-C, end points 50 of the rear image edges 46 facing one another are congruent such that a triangular lateral overlapping area 52 results between two pieces of image information 36A-C. The lateral overlapping area 52 has a depth T(overlap) 54 corresponding to the depth T(image) 38 of the pieces of image information 36A-C.

[0058] The image evaluation areas 40A, 40B, 40C (40A-C) each have in a travel direction 28 a rear evaluation edge 56 having a width B(evaluation,h) and an equally dimensioned front evaluation edge 58 having a width B(evaluation,v). Here, the front and rear evaluation edges 56, 58 of the image evaluation areas 40A-C are respectively aligned with one another.

[0059] As further seen in FIG. 3, the cameras 18A-C are arranged such that the image evaluation areas 40A-C in the lateral overlapping areas 52 abut one another. The image evaluation areas 40A-C here have a depth T(evaluation) 44 in the travel direction 28, which is less than the depth of the overlapping area 52 T(overlap) 54. The image evaluation areas 40A-C further have a common lateral edge 60 arranged transversely to the travel direction 28 centrally within the respective lateral overlapping area 52.

[0060] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment example, in which plants 22, 23 are classified in the piece of image information 36, wherein plant rows 62 are identified using the classified plants 22 in the entire image information. The determination of the plant identification number for the image evaluation area 40 is subsequently performed using the classified plants 23, wherein spray decision is made based on the plant identification number of the image evaluation area 40.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a method for applying a spray agent 20 to an agricultural land 24 using at least one spray nozzle unit 16 of an agricultural spray device 10. The method 100 comprises a step of detecting 102 a first field section 34, 34A-C of the agricultural land 24 and a second field section 36, 36A-C of the agricultural land 24 arranged transversely to the travel direction 28 of the agricultural spray device 10 adjacent to the first field section 34, 34A-C, using at least one optical detection unit 18, 18A-C, in order to obtain a first piece of image information 36, 36A-C from the first field section (34, 34A-C) and a second piece of image information 36, 36A-C from the second field section 34, 34A-C, wherein the pieces of image information 36, 36A-C have a common lateral overlapping area 52 having a depth T(overlap) 54 in the travel direction 28 of the agricultural spray device 10. The method 100 further comprises a step of classifying 104 plants 22, 23 in the obtained pieces of image information 36, 36A-C using the control unit. The method 100 also comprises a step of determining 108 a first plant identification number for a first image evaluation area 40, 40A-C in the obtained first piece of image information 36, 36A-C and a second plant identification number for a second image evaluation area 40, 40A-C in the obtained second piece of image information 36, 36A-C, using the classified plants 23 in the image evaluation areas 40, 40A-C by means of the control unit, wherein the image evaluation areas 40, 40A-C in the lateral overlapping area 52 abut one another and have a depth T(evaluation) 44 in the travel direction 28 of the agricultural spray device 10, which is less than or equal to the depth of the overlapping area 52 T(overlap) 54. The method 100 further comprises a step of applying 110 the spray agent 20 as a function of the determined at least one plant identification number using the spray nozzle unit 16 of the agricultural spray device 10.

[0062] The method 100 further comprises an optional step of identifying 106 plant rows 62 in the pieces of image information 36, 36A-C using the classified plants 22 in the pieces of image information 36, 36A-C by means of the control unit, wherein, in the step of applying 110, the spray agent 20 is further applied as a function of identified plant rows 62.

[0063] If an embodiment example comprises an “and/or” conjunction between a first feature and a second feature, this is to be read such that the embodiment example according to one embodiment has both the first feature and the second feature and according to a further embodiment has either only the first feature or only the second feature.