Vision-based crop line tracking for harvesters

Details Vision-based crop line tracking for harvesters Vision-based crop line tracking for harvesters

1997-04-16

1999-06-15

Carone, Michael J.

Harvesters

Motorized harvester

With condition-responsive operation

36442407, G06F 1520

Patent

active

059116692

ABSTRACT:
A self-propelled harvester is provided with apparatus for tracking a crop line and steering the harvester along the crop line without operator assistance. The apparatus includes a video camera for viewing the landscape in front of the harvester and forming an image which may be electronically scanned pixel-by-pixel and line by line to produce a video signal containing information regarding the spectral characteristics of the image at each pixel. A microprocessor is programmed to act as a discriminator and a segmentor. The discriminator produces discriminant signals D(i,j) where i is the magnitude of a discriminant function and j is the relative position of a pixel on a scan line. The segmentor determines a step function which best fits the magnitudes of the discriminant signals for one scan line. The pixel position j.sub.n corresponding to the step of this step function is taken as a vote on the location of the crop line and thus a vote on the direction the harvester should be steered. The votes are summed for each pixel position j over one full scan of image. The summed votes are then normalized, time-weighted, and averaged with the normalized and time-weighted votes derived from previously scanned images to derive a steering command.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4077488 (1978-03-01), Bennett, Jr. et al.
patent: 4482960 (1984-11-01), Pryor
patent: 4700301 (1987-10-01), Dyke
patent: 5442552 (1995-08-01), Slaughter et al.
patent: 5444965 (1995-08-01), Colens
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jul. 11, 1996; (Farm Machines: The Next Step in Field Robotics), (Robo-Cop - A farm tractor that drives itself?).
D16 Jan. 1996 - Farm Futures; A window on AG innovation (Robo-Crop).

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