EP-4444070-B1 - A METHOD FOR CULTIVATING A PIECE OF SLOPING FARMLAND, AND A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING A CULTIVATION PLAN

Inventors

• HIDDEMA, JORIS JAN
• SCHMITZ, Laurentius Hubertus Margaretha

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20221208

Claims (8)

1. A method for cultivating a piece of sloping farmland using an autonomous agricultural vehicle for performing an agricultural operation to attain said cultivating, the method comprising generating a cultivation plan for the piece of farmland, which plan comprises multiple contiguous paths that extend over the piece of farmland, which paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle in a predetermined order, and after the plan has been generated, controlling the autonomous vehicle such that it crosses the land by moving over each of the multiple contiguous paths according to the predetermined order, wherein a predetermined direction of movement of the autonomous vehicle over each of the paths depends on an angle of inclination of the each of these paths, characterised in that if the angle of inclination for a particular path is above a predetermined threshold, the predetermined direction of movement of the vehicle is downwardly over that path.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that for each path the angle of inclination is determined over multiple consecutive sub-sections of that path.
3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the angle of inclination of the sub-section that has the highest angle of inclination determines the direction of movement of the vehicle over that path.
4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the direction of movement in addition to the angle of inclination depends on the type of agricultural operation.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein for each path the angle of inclination is determined over multiple consecutive sub-sections of that path, characterised in that the cultivation plan is generated such that there is no path that comprises two sub-sections that have an angle of inclination above the threshold, wherein for one of these sub-sections the inclination is downwardly and for the other sub-section the inclination is upwardly.
6. A method according to any of the preceding clams, characterised in that the autonomous agricultural vehicle comprises an autonomous tractor and operatively coupled thereto an agricultural machine that performs the agricultural operation.
7. A method for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle for cultivating a piece of sloping farmland, the method comprising determining multiple contiguous paths that extend over the piece of farmland, determining an order in which the paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle and determining the direction of movement of the vehicle on each of said multiple contiguous paths, wherein the direction of movement of the autonomous vehicle over each of the paths depends on an angle of inclination of the each of these paths, characterised in that if the angle of inclination for a particular path is above a predetermined threshold, the determined direction of movement of the vehicle is downwardly over that path.
8. A system (1) for generating a cultivation plan for an autonomous agricultural vehicle (10) for cultivating a piece of sloping farmland (20), the system comprising a processing unit (2) configured to determine multiple contiguous paths (21 to 28) that extend over the piece of farmland, configured to determine an order in which the paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle, and configured to determine the direction of movement of the vehicle on each of said multiple contiguous paths, wherein the direction of movement of the autonomous vehicle over each of the paths depends on an angle of inclination of the each of these paths, characterised in that if the angle of inclination for a particular path is above a predetermined threshold, the determined direction of movement of the vehicle is downwardly over that path.

Description

GENERAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to a method for cultivating a piece of sloping farmland using an autonomous agricultural vehicle for performing an agricultural operation to attain said cultivating, the method comprising generating a cultivation plan for the piece of farmland, which plan comprises multiple contiguous paths that extend over the piece of farmland, which paths are to be crossed by the autonomous vehicle in a predetermined order, and after the plan has been generated, controlling the autonomous vehicle such that it crosses the land by moving over each of the multiple contiguous paths according to the predetermined order. The invention also pertains to a method and system for generating a cultivation plan for such an autonomous vehicle. BACKGROUND ART The adoption of technology in agriculture has improved the approaches that farmers use in the farmland nowadays. Modern agriculture has made it easy for farmers to achieve high produce while using less input, in particular less labour. According the trends in the use of technology in agriculture, there are high concerns whether or not the future of agriculture is bright. For example, mechanization in agriculture has reduced the overuse of manpower in doing some of the farming activities. As a consequence, agricultural machines have become bigger and bigger and more dedicated towards performing one type of cultivation. The introduction of autonomous agricultural vehicles, such as an autonomous tractor that is operatively connected to an agricultural machine such as a plough, is considered a next step into the future of farming and it is expected that using autonomous vehicles there is more freedom to cultivate the land using even less labour. Self-driving cars are common these days. Based on the trends in regards to the advancement of technology, it is expected that the technology will also be used for cultivating farmland. At present farmers in advanced countries are giving a tactical approach to how they plant, harvest, as well as maintain their crops. A good example of new tactical approaches is the use of autonomous vehicles in agriculture. The concept of autonomous vehicles (form now on also denoted as autonomous tractors) can be traced back prior to the introduction of the concept of precision farming in the eighties. During these days, farmers used GPS technology as a guide to the tractors across the farmland. The aim of such an approach was the reduction of fuel consumption and enhancing the efficiency of the tractors and the farming activities. As such, these initial steps formed the basis for the development of autonomous tractors, following the introduction of technologies that improved communication over wireless devices. Autonomous tractors employ much the same approach as the driverless vehicles, i.e. using advanced control systems and sensors. With the inclusion of auto-steering abilities, such tractors have added control abilities. Evidently, the launch of the autonomous tractors is considerably a manifestation of the extended use of technology in farming. Benefits to farmers are obvious. It is an undeniable fact that farming is not an easy undertaking, it involves working for long hours and the subscription to hard labor in harsh weather conditions. Taking into consideration the common state of farmers, the majority of them have no employees to task them in the farmland and hence, have to do everything all by themselves. The autonomous tractors can be a positive outcome. Next to this, accuracy and precision are important aspects in agriculture in various aspects such as planting. All in all, the use of such tractors may lead to higher return on investment since accuracy is enhanced. It is generally recognized that data plays a significant role in determining the farmers' decisions. Usually, the absence of clear and reliable data can interfere with the decisions farmers make, and subsequently, have adverse impacts on the amount of outcome obtained from the fields. There are diverse sources and types of data that a farmer needs to succeed in their farming activities. For example, data on soil is important in that it helps farmers in determining what crops will do well in a given piece of land by establishing the moisture content, and the amount of nutrients. The autonomous tractors can be fitted with various sensors that can be used in the collection of data on the conditions of the soil, and hence, offer a platform for improving the outcome of the available crops. The elimination of the human interaction in farming following the use of autonomous tractors may thus be advantageous. Stressed employees cannot achieve the required efficiency level in the fields. Similarly, it is often hard for humans to manage diverse tasks on the farm especially where a large farmland is involved. Autonomous tractors have the appropriate sensors to offer the necessary help in the management of a several tasks in the farmland