Harvester with a sensor mounted on an aircraft

摘要

A sensor for monitoring a plant population in front of a harvester and a transfer process of the crop from the harvester to a transport vehicle is arranged on an unmanned aircraft. The aircraft moves in the vicinity of the harvester in the harvesting mode and communicates in a wireless fashion with a control unit that controls an actuator for influencing an operating parameter of the harvester and/or the transport vehicle (in real time based on signals of the sensor in the harvesting mode.

主权项

1. An assembly for a harvester, the assembly comprising:
a sensor for monitoring a transfer process of the crop from the harvester to a transport vehicle, the sensor comprising a camera or a range finder; a control unit for controlling an actuator to adjust an orientation of a transferring device of the harvester for transfer of plant material into the transport vehicle in real time based on signals of the sensor in the harvesting mode, the sensor mounted on an unmanned aircraft that is designed for moving in the vicinity of the harvester in the harvesting mode and for communicating with the control unit on the harvester in a wireless fashion, wherein the sensor on the unmanned aircraft is positioned, between the harvester and the transport vehicle in the lateral direction, at a height above that of the harvester with a favorable angle for visibility of harvested crop within a loading container associated with the transport vehicle; and an altitude range finder on the unmanned aircraft for interacting with the ground to control an altitude of the unmanned aircraft to be generally positioned a few meters above the harvester during the harvesting mode, consistent with the height.