A Cloud-Based In-Field Fleet Coordination System for Multiple Operations

Abstract

In large-scale arable farming, multiple sequential operations involving multiple machines must be carried out simultaneously due to restrictions of short time windows. However, the coordination and planning of multiple sequential operations is a nontrivial task for farmers, since each operation may have its own set of operational features, e.g., operating width and turning radius. Taking the two sequential operations-hoeing cultivation and seeding-as an example, the seeder has double the width of the hoeing cultivator, and the seeder must remain idle while waiting for the hoeing cultivator to finish two rows before it can commence its seeding operation. A flow-shop working mode can coordinate multiple machines in multiple operations within a field when different operations have different implement widths. To this end, an auto-steering-based collaborative operating system for fleet management (FMCOS) was developed to realize an in-field flow-shop working mode, which is often adopted by the scaled agricultural machinery cooperatives. This paper proposes the structure and composition of the FMCOS, the method of operating strip segmenting, and a new algorithm for strip state updating between successive field operations under an optimal strategy for waiting time conditioning between sequential operations. A simulation model was developed to verify the state-updating algorithm. Then, the prototype system of FMCOS was combined with auto-steering systems on tractors, and the collaborative operating system for the server was integrated. Three field experiments of one operation, two operations, and three operations were carried out to verify the functionality and performance of FMCOS. The results of the experiment showed that the FMCOS could coordinate in-field fleet operations while improving both the job quality and the efficiency of fleet management by adopting the flow-shop working mode.

An Overview of Cooperative Robotics in Agriculture

“…A collaborative fleet management system for coordinating the flow of operations in a field was demonstrated in simulation and field experiments in [71]. The system supports all the operating stages of a field crop and is based on a novel algorithm which assigns strips of field to each robot, then dynamically updates the state of each strip.…”

Novel Route Planning Method to Improve the Operational Efficiency of Capacitated Operations. Case: Application of Organic Fertilizer

“…These new nodes should be added to the field graph and the cost matrix should be updated based on them. According to Figure 3, the original cost matrix includes the nodes (0, 1,6,7,12,13,16,17,20,21,24,25,26,27,28), and it shows the distances of these nodes from each other. For example, after adding the node 3, the distance from this node to the others can be determined by adding the length L1 to the values in the column corresponding to the node 1 in the original cost matrix [6].…”

“…Therefore, in order to complete the task in capacitated operations, machines need to visit the depot and return to the field several times for refilling or unloading. Several coverage planning methods for the agricultural field have been recently developed [10][11][12]. However, the case of capacitated operations has not been explicitly examined due to the complexity of consecutive decision-making related to the in-field driving actions of these operations.…”

In-Field Performance of Biomass Balers

“…Management strategies and enhanced design can be implemented to minimize inefficiencies [7][8][9]. Subsequent analysis could then be used to compare various machinery operation techniques and practices.…”