Method of steering an agricultural vehicle

Details Method of steering an agricultural vehicle Method of steering an agricultural vehicle

1994-08-12

1996-04-23

Melius, Terry Lee

Earth working

Automatic power control

Obstruction sensing type

56 102E, 172 5, A01B 6300

Patent

active

055094864

ABSTRACT:
The invention described herein uses the periodicity of the relative height of the surface of a crop or soil surface that is measured over a large area to control the position of a farm vehicle as it passes between rows of crops. The range and angle of return wave energy that are caused by a scanning beam of energy that sweeps across the crop canopy are measured. Signal processing techniques are employed to utilize the range and angle information to derive steering correction signals to control the farm vehicle. There is no contact with the crop and, therefore, there is no entangling with the crop or weeds with the invention. In addition, a plurality of heights are simultaneously determined across the path of the vehicle which are averaged by signal processing techniques. In this manner local anomalies due to weeds, clumps of soil, damaged or missing plants and erosion will not confuse the device or decrease its accuracy.

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