RU2738352C1 - Method for increasing efficiency of using mobile unit equipped with drone - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to agriculture, in particular to a vehicle equipped with drones. Drones are installed on vehicle cabin roof. Drones are connected by means of eclectic cable or fuel line with accumulator or fuel tank of transport facility. Vehicle is coupled with a container (or several containers) containing liquid pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, which are pumped by means of a pump of the reservoir to sprayers installed on drones. Drones are controlled at the initial stage by the operator by selecting the operation on the display. Then the unit software tests the operation of systems and devices of drones and forms the task for each involved drone.

EFFECT: use of invention will make it possible to improve quality of treatment of agricultural lands of any shape within reach of cable-hoses connected with drones.

1 cl, 5 dwg

Description

The invention relates to agriculture, in particular to technologies and automated devices for regulating technological processes for the production of agricultural products in crop production (including agrochemistry and soil science), maintenance of reclamation construction, as well as monitoring and control of harvesting.

Known device [1], including at least one ground unit designed for active and / or passive video monitoring of the stem part of plants, as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone), designed for active and / or passive aerial video monitoring of the field, and associated with them through radio communication or also with the use of an external network directly with each or indirectly through the said apparatus or a computer unit or a monitor, to which information corresponding to monitoring of plants and fields is transmitted. At the same time, the above-mentioned unit includes at least one ground robot capable of moving on the ground surface, and the robot is designed for active and / or passive video monitoring of the plant root system, for which the robot includes a working body made with the ability to remove the plant root system from the ground.

The disadvantages of this invention include the short battery life of the drone and the complexity of the devices for recharging it.

Closest to the claimed object is a device that contains a first artificial vision unit located on a mobile device and a video signal processing unit. The device includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a second artificial vision unit, two data transmission and reception units, a testing and control unit, and an orientation unit in three-dimensional coordinates. An unmanned aircraft has the ability to move within the cropland. The first unit for receiving and transmitting data, the unit for built-in testing and control, and the unit for orientation in three-dimensional coordinates are installed on the ground mobile vehicle. The second unit of artificial vision and the second unit for receiving and transmitting data are placed on the unmanned aircraft. The output of the second block of artificial vision is connected to the input of the second block of data transmission and reception. The output of the first block for receiving and transmitting data is connected to the first input of the built-in test and control block. The output of the orientation block in three-dimensional coordinates is connected to the second input of the built-in testing and control block [2].

The disadvantages of this invention include the limited operating time of the UAV, the low payload lifted on board the vehicle, as well as the relatively long monitoring time of the processed or estimated area by a single UAV.

The proposed invention is aimed at increasing the efficiency of technological processes for the production of agricultural products in crop production, support of land reclamation construction and monitoring and control of harvesting by increasing both the number of UAVs (drones) and the time of their continuous operation during agricultural work.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the mobile unit has continuous flexible connections with several drones at the same time, providing their engines with power, and the drones with a payload, and the fuel sources (fuel) and the payload are located on the ground part of the mobile unit, while the control process drones are carried out via wired or wireless communication and contains blocks that include assessing and monitoring the position of drones in space, recognizing and assessing the state of crops, plants, soil, as well as making decisions on the need to apply pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and their dose. Moreover, in the transport or non-working position, the drones are unwilling in the horizontal and vertical planes on the roof of the mobile unit due to the electromagnetic field, the sources of which are located in its roof, while the position of the drones during their operation is limited to a three-dimensional zone (up and down and left and right) with the inability to approach in the horizontal plane - to the border of the operation area of the neighboring drone at a distance less than the diameter of the drone propellers or its maximum external dimensions (including all possible dimensions of the drone, including its diagonals), and in the vertical plane - it is limited by the length of flexible ties and / or the distance from ground surface to the bottom surface of the drone. The introduction of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers is carried out by drone sprayers by turning on the pumps located in the appropriate containers, and their dose is formed on the basis of comparing the photo and / or video images of plants with a map (table, matrix) of the state of plants compiled by soil scientists and agrochemists, taking into account the peculiarities of this climatic zone.

The technical result consists in eliminating the dependence of drones on power sources and payloads due to their transfer to a mobile unit, as well as increasing the efficiency of the mobile unit in the field due to an increase in the number of drones performing an individual task or subtask, into which the general task set for a mobile unit is divided. unit.

Distinctive features of the proposed device is that one or more drones are connected to the mobile unit by flexible connections, each of which can perform both a highly specialized task and one common one, divided into subtasks for each of them, while this connection allows them to move relative to the transport funds - within the allocated area for each - in three dimensions. In addition, the drone fuel sources and their payload are located in the respective tanks of the mobile unit, rather than located on the drones.

Essence: the method allows to increase the processing speed of agricultural fields due to the division of the general task into subtasks for each drone with the simultaneous use of all or several drones, movably connected to the vehicle, as well as efficiency - by eliminating the refueling (charging) time and removing restrictions, regarding the placement of payloads (nutrients, pesticides, herbicides, etc.) on board each of them.

The advantages of the proposed method include:

1.The operating time of the drones is limited only by the fuel reserves of the vehicle due to the inseparable connection with it by a cable (drone with electric motors) or a fuel line (drone with an internal combustion engine);

2. the time of uninterrupted supply of the necessary means to the plants is limited only by the stocks of these means on board the vehicle due to the inextricable connection with the hose / hoses;

3. an increase in the carrying capacity of drones due to the lack of batteries or fuel tanks;

4. reduction of power consumption by drones due to the absence of batteries or fuel tanks on board;

5. Both several drones and a single drone can work simultaneously;

6. Several drones can simultaneously operate at several altitude levels;

7. Possible narrow specialization of each of the drones associated with one vehicle;

8.Drones can monitor the condition of the vehicle to which they are connected.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, where FIG. 1 shows a side and top view of a vehicle (tractor) in a transport position (drones are fixed on its roof); in fig. 2 - side and top view of the vehicle (tractor) in the working position (drones implement the inherent functionality); in fig. 3 is a top view of the individual horizontal sectors allocated for each drone, including with different shapes of the processed areas (a), side and front views of the individual vertical sectors allocated for each drone (b); in fig. 4 is a side view of a mobile unit with a drone and a fertilizer tank; in fig. 5 - decision-making control units, and the following designations are introduced:

1 - vehicle (tractor);

2 - drone (UAV);

3 - electric cable / fuel line;

4 - container / containers installed on the trailer;

5 - hose for supplying pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc.;

6 - computer with display;

7 - block for dividing the task into subtasks;

8 - block for assessing and monitoring the position of drones in space;

9 - block for recognition and assessment of the state of crops, plants, soil, etc .;

10 - block for making a decision on the need to apply pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. and their dose.

The method can be implemented using a device (Fig. 1) consisting of a vehicle 1, on the roof of the cabin of which drones 2 are located, located at a distance greater than their maximum geometric dimensions (including the span of the screws), and connected by electric cables or fuel lines 3, respectively, with the battery or the fuel tank of the vehicle 1, while the vehicle 1 is coupled to a trailer on which the container 4 (Fig. 4) is placed, containing, for example, liquid pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc., which through a hose 5, containers 4 are supplied by a pump (not shown) to a sprayer (not shown) mounted on a drone 2. A computer with a display 6 is installed in the cab of the vehicle 1, which has a task input unit from the standard list of tasks available in the computer, the output of which is connected to the input of block 7 for dividing the task into subtasks, while the output of block 7 is connected to the input of block 8 for evaluating and monitoring the position of drones 2 in space, dividing the treated area in space for each of the drones 2 into non-intersecting zones with each other, and controlling them via wired or wireless communication within each of them. In addition, the camera / cameras (not shown) of the drones 2 are connected to the input of the unit 9 for recognizing and assessing the state of crops, plants, soil, etc., which has pre-installed maps (tables, matrices, etc.) describing the state of the plants and corresponding to their necessary state. doses, for example, top dressing, compiled by soil scientists and agrochemists, taking into account the characteristics of a given climatic zone, while the output of block 9 is connected to the input of block 10 for making a decision on the need to apply pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. and their dose, and its output is connected to the module pump control (not shown) tank 4.

The operation of the device that implements the proposed method is as follows. Drones 2 in the transport position are fixed on the roof of the vehicle 1, for example, using electromagnets (not shown) located in the roof of the vehicle 1 - individual for each drone 2 - electromagnets (not shown), in the switched on state, attracting the bases of the drones 2 made of magnetic materials.

After entering the cultivated field, the operator of the vehicle 1 stops it and cuts off the power of the electromagnets holding the drones 2 on its roof, simultaneously with the power off of the electromagnets, the motors of the drones 2 are powered by the electric cable or the fuel line 3 from the battery or the fuel tank of the vehicle 1 (in depending on the type of drone engine used 2), while it is possible to combine drones 2 with different types of engines on one vehicle 1. Next, the operator selects a task on display 6, corresponding to the takeoff of one or several drones 2 at once (Fig. 2), which is transmitted from block 6 to block 7 and, further, to block 8, transmitting a command to take off to drones 2 via wired or wireless communication. Moreover, if not all drones 2 are used, then after take-off of those involved in solving the problem, the power of the electromagnets attracting the bases of the drones is automatically turned on 2 remaining on the roof.

Let us consider the case of applying fertilizers to the fields at once by all available drones 2 (Fig. 3), while the vehicle 1 is coupled to the container 4, connected by hoses 5 to the drones 2 (Fig. 4). Combined (complex) processing of fields is possible due to the use of various liquids from several containers 4 installed on one trailer coupled to a vehicle 1. In this case, one can use both one hose 5, through the fittings connected to the pumps of containers 4, or several hoses 5 - one for each container 4 located on the trailer of the vehicle 1. When using one hose 5 connecting containers 4 and drone 2, dosing and its alternate filling with various liquids from the respective containers 4 will be carried out by their individual pumps (not shown).

After the drones 2 take off from the roof of the vehicle 1, the operator selects the next operation from the available set of all possible operations, visualized on the display 6, and activates it by pressing the corresponding key, for example, touch. The software of the block 7 for dividing the task into subtasks tests the operation of the systems and devices of drones 2, after which it forms a subtask 2 for each involved drone, while some of the drones 2 can be excluded from the overall task, and they are given a command to land on the roof of the vehicle 1, where, after landing, they will be free from vertical and horizontal movements by the field of electromagnets located in the roof of the vehicle 1.

The reverse decision-making procedure is also possible, when the operator first selects a task, after which the software of block 7 for dividing the task into subtasks tests the operation of the systems and devices of drones 2 and generates - for a certain number of drones 2 - subtasks, after which it issues a command to raise only them having previously disconnected the corresponding electromagnets located in the roof of the vehicle 1. In this case, testing of the operation of systems and devices is carried out only for drones 2 in the air.

If during the testing conducted by Unit 7, any systems of an individual drone 2, some of them or all of them do not work correctly, then the command is automatically sent to land them on the roof of vehicle 1, the holding electromagnets are turned on, and diagnostics of all drone systems 2 and the system managing them. If it is impossible to eliminate the problem, the emergency service is called remotely or the operator of vehicle 1 is informed about the need to return to the park by visualizing the message on the display 6.

In case of a positive result of testing the systems and devices of drones 2, the operator of vehicle 1 starts it in motion along the selected route. After the start of the movement, the drones 2 in the air begin to perform their subtask, while their position is set in vertical and horizontal coordinates by block 8, which limits the area allocated to each of them by a three-dimensional zone (up-down and right-left) with the inability to approach in the horizontal plane - to the border of the selected area at a distance less than the size covered by the drone screws 2 or the maximum external dimensions (including including all possible diagonals), and, in the vertical plane, it is limited by the length of the hose 5 (up) and the distance from the bottom plane drone 2 to the surface of the soil (down). In this case, block 8 sets a phased (step-by-step) passage by each drone 2 of the area allocated to it both in the vertical and in the horizontal planes.

At each step in the selected area, the camera / cameras of the drones 2 are transmitted to the unit 9 for recognizing and assessing the state of crops, plants, soil, etc., photo and / or video materials, which performs actions to compare the state of the plant / plants present in the operating area of the drone 2 , with maps (tables, matrices, etc.) of the state of plants and the corresponding required dose, for example, top dressing, compiled by soil scientists and agrochemists, taking into account the characteristics of a given climatic zone, and conveys a decision on the need (or lack of) the introduction of appropriate substances, for example, directly on the soil surface, where, presumably, the zone of the root system of the plant is located, the photo image (video image) of which is identified as having received less mineral (or other) substances for its normal growth at this stage of development (vegetation).

If it is necessary to apply pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. and a dose determined by block 9 according to maps (tables, matrices, etc.), block 10 sends a command to turn on the corresponding pumps located in containers 4 that direct the liquid through the hose / hoses 5 to the drone 2, and an atomizer mounted on the drone 2 (not shown) introduces the liquid supplied from the corresponding container 4 into the zone of the plant root system. After applying the appropriate dose, drone 2 proceeds to diagnose the state of the next plant or group of plants.

Upon completion of the processing of the field, the operator of vehicle 1 selects on the display 6 the command corresponding to this stage, while unit 7 issues a command to unit 8 to return and automatically land drones 2 on the roof of vehicle 1, followed by fixing their bases with individual electromagnets located in the roof of the vehicle. Means 1. Then the vehicle 1 is ready to move to another field or return to the park.

The fixation of drones 2 when the engine is turned off, the battery supplying the roof electromagnets is disconnected, or the vehicle 1 breaks down, for example, manually - due to one or more additional fixators (mechanical, rubber, etc.), fixed on the roof, and disengaging the drones 2 regarding her.

Thus, the proposed device plays the role of a freely movable mobile system with an ordered or chaotic movement of several drones relative to the vehicle, connected with cables-hoses, which allows you to process any shape of sections within the reach of these cable-hoses.

Information sources

1. Patent No. 2648696 IPC G01N 35/10, G06F 7/00, A01G 2/00. Agrotechnical complex with an unmanned aerial vehicle / Gavrilov N.A., application 2017117895, application. 05/23/2017, publ. 28.03.2018, Bul. No. 10.

2. Patent No. 2471338 IPC A01G 7/00, A01B 79/00, A01D 91/00, G06F 7/00. Device for positioning mobile units in the cultivation of crops / Bashilov A.M., Korolev V.A., Golovko V.A., Sulyaev S.A., Bashilov S.A., Evdokimov P.B., application 2010107548/13, app. 02.03.2010, publ. 10.01.2013 Bul. # 1.

Claims (2)

1. A vehicle in the form of a tractor with a trailer equipped with drones, and the trailer is equipped with a container containing liquid pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, characterized in that the drones in the transport or non-working position are locked in the horizontal and vertical planes on the roof of the vehicle due to the electromagnetic field , the sources of which are located on its roof, the vehicle has inseparable flexible connections with several drones at the same time, providing through them the drone engines with power, and the drones themselves - with a payload in the form of the possibility of spraying pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers due to the connection of the drones through a hose with the capacity of the trailer , moreover, the fuel sources and the payload are located on the ground part of the vehicle, and the position of the drones during their operation is limited to a three-dimensional zone up and down and left and right with the impossibility of approaching in the horizontal plane to the border of the operation zone of a neighboring drone at a distance f, the smaller the diameter of the drone propellers or the maximum external parameters of the drone, including its diagonals, and in the vertical, it is limited by the length of the flexible links and / or the distance from the soil surface to the bottom surface of the drone, in addition, the drone control process is carried out via wired or wireless communication, and the control system contains blocks that include assessing and monitoring the position of drones in space, recognizing and assessing the state of crops, plants, soil, as well as deciding on the need to apply pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and their dose. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit for making a decision on the need to apply pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers determines the dose of their application based on the comparison of photo and / or video images of plants with a map of the state of plants, compiled taking into account the characteristics of a given climatic zone.

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