System and method for sensing and mapping stalk diameter
First Claim
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1. A system for sensing the diameter of stalks of plants, the system comprising:
- a row harvesting unit with a frame defining an elongate gap along which stalks of plants move during a harvesting operation;
a first sensor coupled to a laterally movable member arranged to contact a stalk of a plant located within the elongate gap and adapted to generate a signal representative of the position of the laterally movable member; and
a processing unit adapted to derive a stalk diameter value representative of a diameter of the stalk from the signal of the first sensor and to store the stalk diameter value in a memory.
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Abstract
A system for sensing the diameter of stalks of plants senses the position of a laterally movable member arranged to contact a stalk of a plant located within an elongate gap in a row harvesting unit to determine and map the stalk diameters.
34 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A system for sensing the diameter of stalks of plants, the system comprising:
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a row harvesting unit with a frame defining an elongate gap along which stalks of plants move during a harvesting operation; a first sensor coupled to a laterally movable member arranged to contact a stalk of a plant located within the elongate gap and adapted to generate a signal representative of the position of the laterally movable member; and a processing unit adapted to derive a stalk diameter value representative of a diameter of the stalk from the signal of the first sensor and to store the stalk diameter value in a memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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receiving an electronic signal from a sensor associated with a laterally movable stalk contacting member, the electronic signal indicating a position of the laterally movable stalk contacting member; and determining a stalk diameter value based upon the electronic signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus comprising:
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a non-transitory computer-readable medium providing computer-readable programming to direct a processor to; receive an electronic signal from a sensor associated with a laterally movable stalk contacting member, the electronic signal indicating a position of the laterally movable stalk contacting member; and determine a stalk diameter value based upon the signal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification