An agricultural machine (10) with an implement (12) for working a row culture (14), wherein the row culture (14) comprises working rows (16) which are substantially arranged parallel to one another and/or interference rows (18) which are arranged at an angle to the working rows (16), and wherein the implement (12) comprises at least one controllably moveable working section (22) with at least one activatable working device (24) for working the row culture (14), a control unit (28) for controlling the at least one working section (22) and/or working device (24) relative to at least one working row (16), and at least one optical sensor unit (30) which is connected to the control unit (28) for generating an image of at least one part of the row culture (14), wherein based on the image of the row culture (14) a sensor signal (S) for controlling the working section (22) and/or working device can be generated. According to the invention, the control unit (28) is equipped and designed so as to evaluate a validity of the sensor signal (S) for controlling the at least one working section (22) and/or working device based on at least one evaluation parameter.

A sensor system monitors the area for the undesired material. A number of operations is performed on the area using a vehicle system. The vehicle system comprises a vehicle and a structure connected to the vehicle. A computer system receives data for the area from the sensor system. The computer system identifies a presence of the undesired material along a number of paths in the area using the data to form an identification. The computer system initiates removal of the undesired material based on the identification.

The invention is directed to a driver vision support system for a self propelled agricultural machine (1), wherein the agricultural machine (1) has a configuration, which configuration may be varied by changing the mechanical setup of the agricultural machine (1), wherein depending on the configuration of the agricultural machine (1) different blind areas (4-6) result which are outside the visual reach of the driver (7). It is proposed that the driver vision support system comprises at least one camera (8-10) and at least one output device (11,12) for the output of camera signals to the driver (7), wherein the configuration of the driver vision support system is adaptable to the configuration of the agricultural machine (1) by varying the location and/or the viewing direction of the at least one camera (8-10) during normal use such that the driver (7) receives camera signals via the output device (11,12) of at least one camera (8-10) which is directed to at least one blind area (4-6).

Die Erfindung betrifft eine Vorrichtung zur Visualisierung von Steuerungsabläufen (16) einer landwirtschaftlichen Arbeitsmaschine (5), wobei der landwirtschaftlichen Arbeitsmaschine (5) eine Visualisierungseinrichtung (21) zugeordnet ist , die zumindest eine von der landwirtschaftlichen Arbeitsmaschine (5) zurückzulegende Fahrstrecke (7) visualisiert und die Steuerungsabläufe (16) in graphischen Abbildungen (25) hinterlegt sind und die graphischen Abbildungen (25) entlang der zurückzulegenden Fahrstrecke (7) in der Reihenfolge ihrer Abarbeitung in der Visualisierungseinrichtung (21) angezeigt werden. Eine solche Visualisierungseinrichtung (21) hat insbesondere den Effekt, dass auch ein nicht unmittelbar in den Steuerungsprozess der landwirtschaftlichen Arbeitsmaschine (5) integrierter Bediener 14) stets über die ablaufenden Steuerungsprozesse informiert ist.

Die vorliegende Erfindung betrifft eine landwirtschaftliche Maschine mit einer Anbauvorrichtung (2) zum Anbau verschiedener Anbaugeräte (3) zur Erntegut- und/oder Bodenbearbeitung, einer Bodenerfassungseinrichtung (11) zum berührungslosen Erfassen einer Boden- und/oder Erntegutkontur, sowie einer Steuervorrichtung (12) zur Steuerung der landwirtschaftlichen Maschine und/oder des Anbaugeräts (3) in Abhängigkeit der erfassten Boden- und/oder Erntegutkontur, wobei die Bodenerfassungseinrichtung (11) zumindest eine Lasermessvorrichtung (13) umfasst, deren Laserstrahl (14) zum Abtasten der Boden- und/oder Erntegutkontur über einen Abtastbereich (15) führbar ist. Erfindungsgemäß ist eine Erfassungsvorrichtung (16) zur Erfassung des jeweils an die Anbauvorrichtung (2) angebauten Anbaugeräts (3) vorgesehen, wobei von einer Einstellvorrichtung (17) der Abtastbereich (15) der Lasermessvorrichtung (13) in Abhängigkeit des jeweils erfassten Anbaugeräts (3) einstellbar ist.

A sensor system monitors the area for the undesired material. A number of operations is performed on the area using a vehicle system. The vehicle system comprises a vehicle and a structure connected to the vehicle. A computer system receives data for the area from the sensor system. The computer system identifies a presence of the undesired material along a number of paths in the area using the data to form an identification. The computer system initiates removal of the undesired material based on the identification.

An agricultural vehicle (2) comprises a steering system providing steering signals, said steering system comprising an imaging device (11) for imaging surroundings of the vehicle and an image processing device (13), said steering system operating to provide by means of the imaging device (11) an image of the field (21), analyse the image to obtain texture information, assign to a plurality of areas of the image probability-values reflecting the likelihood that the respective area relates to a specific structure (12), assume at least one geometric property of said specific structure (12), and establish a most possible position parameter of said specific structure taking into account said probability-values and the assumed geometric property; and to provide a steering signal in accordance with the position parameter thus established.

Gegenstand der Erfindung ist eine Vorrichtung an fahrbaren Landmaschinen zur berührungslosen Abtastung von sich Ober dem Boden erstreckenden Konturen, beispielsweise die Kontur eines Emtegutschwades. Dabei wird eine Laserentfernungsmeß-Vorrichtung bestehend aus einer an sich bekannten Laserstrahlsende/-empfangseinrichtung verwendet, die aus der Laufzeitmessung des ausgesandten und an einem Konturpunkt reflektierten Laser-Abtaststrahles die Entfernung zu diesem bestimmt. Die Laser-Abtaststrahlen werden in einem bestimmten Winkelbereich schrittweise oder stufenlos in einer Abtaststrahlen-Ebene verschwenkt. Dabei ist die Laserentfemungsmeß-Vorrichtung so an der Landmaschine ausgerichtet angebracht ist, daß die Abtaststrahlen-Ebene in einem spitzen Winkel in Fahrtrichtung nach vom zum Boden geneigt ist. Mittels einer Auswerteeinrichtung, die zu jedem Schwenkwinkel aus der gemessenen Entfernung, der Anordnung und Ausrichtung der Laserentfernungsmeß-Vorrichtung an der Landmaschine (Anbringungsort, Anbringungshöhe, Neigungswinkel zum Boden) die zu dem Schwenkwinkel korrespondierende Lage des Konturpunktes ermittelt.

A method of navigating an agricultural vehicle (1), which is equipped with a 3D imaging device (7) for imaging surroundings (13) of the vehicle, and an image processing device (15), comprises:

obtaining from the 3D imaging device (7) frames imaging at least a part of the surroundings (13₁, 13₂ ..13_n) of the vehicle at different points of time while the vehicle (1) is moving thus providing a chronological sequence of frames, analysing the frames, and establishing a change of pose of the vehicle using results of the analysis of at least two chronologically different frames.

The invention relates to a control system for agricultural working vehicles with at least two sensor systems which generate sensor signals (A, B), wherein the sensor signals (A, B) are vehicle-dependent or dependent on the crop characteristics or a combination of both.

The object of this invention is to develop a control system for agricultural working vehicles in such a manner that a suitable fusion of the sensor signals (A, B) of the sensor systems is achieved, in particular.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that at least one first and at least one second sensor signal processing algorithm (I,II,III,IV,V) is provided in the control system, and in that a selection is made as to which sensor signal processing algorithm (I,II,III,IV,V) is to be used as a function of at least one characteristic parameter (P).