Abstract: A device and a method for determining a portion of broken grain and/or non-grain components in a stream of harvested material is disclosed. The device includes a camera to generate images of the stream of harvested material and an evaluation unit to estimate the portion in an image supplied by the camera. The evaluation unit includes a first-order classifier to estimate a first parameter of the stream of harvested material, and a plurality of second-order classifiers assigned to various values of the first parameter to estimate the portion in a stream of harvested material that has the assigned parameter value. The evaluation unit, with assistance of the first-order classifier, estimates a value of the first parameter using a first number of images of the camera, and then selects the second-order classifier assigned to the value of the first parameter to estimate the portion with assistance of the selected second-order classifier.

Abstract: A method for the operation of a self-propelled agricultural working machine has at least one working element and a driver assistance system for generating control actions within the working machine. A sensor arrangement for generating surroundings information is provided, and the driver assistance system generates the control actions based on the surroundings information. The sensor arrangement comprises a camera-based sensor system and a laser-based sensor system, each of which generates sensor information regarding a predetermined, relevant surroundings area of the working machine. The sensor information of the camera-based sensor system is present as starting camera images. The starting camera images are segmented into image segments by an image processing system according to a segmentation rule, and the segmented camera images are combined by a sensor fusion module with the sensor information from the laser-based sensor system.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine, in particular a harvester, has a header for performing agricultural work and having a control device which has at least one sensor unit for detecting a crop stream in and/or around the header and an image processing unit for processing images which are generated by the sensor unit based on the crop stream detected via sensor. The control device is configured to detect regions of like characteristics, components of the header and properties of the crop stream and is configured to use that which has been detected for open loop control and/or closed loop control of process sequences in the agricultural work machine.

Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine, particularly a combine harvester or a forage harvester, has a supporting frame, a cutting mechanism, an inclined conveyor and a driver's cab. The cutting mechanism is arranged at the supporting frame by the inclined conveyor. The driver's cab is arranged at the supporting frame with the intermediary of at least one damper unit. At least one camera is arranged in an interior of the driver's cab. The camera is oriented to the cutting mechanism and/or to the inclined conveyor through a front windshield of the driver's cab. The camera is arranged in an operative area of a cleaning device of the front windshield so that a detection area of the camera can be optically acquired at least through a portion of the operative area of the cleaning device.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a broken grain fraction of a quantity of grains is disclosed. The system includes at least one camera and a computing unit, with the camera configured to create an image of the quantity of grains, and with the computing unit configured to evaluate, using artificial intelligence, the image to determine broken grains in the image, and to determine, based on the broken grains, the broken grain fraction of the quantity of grains in the image.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine has a crop collection arrangement for separating and collecting crops from field vegetation, which crop collection arrangement has at least one crop cutting device, a crop conveying device arranged downstream thereof and a crop intake device arranged downstream thereof, and having a control device which has at least one sensor unit for optically detecting a crop flow, an image processing unit for processing images which are generated by the sensor unit based on the optically detected crop flow, and a data output unit for displaying the images processed by the image processing unit. The image processing unit generates a velocity characteristic map and a directional change characteristic map based on the images generated by the sensor unit. The two characteristic maps are utilized jointly or each individually by the control device to control processes in the agricultural work machine and/or in the crop collection arrangement.

Abstract: A device and a method for determining a portion of broken grain and/or non-grain components in a stream of harvested material is disclosed. The device includes a camera to generate images of the stream of harvested material and an evaluation unit to estimate the portion in an image supplied by the camera. The evaluation unit includes a first-order classifier to estimate a first parameter of the stream of harvested material, and a plurality of second-order classifiers assigned to various values of the first parameter to estimate the portion in a stream of harvested material that has the assigned parameter value. The evaluation unit, with assistance of the first-order classifier, estimates a value of the first parameter using a first number of images of the camera, and then selects the second-order classifier assigned to the value of the first parameter to estimate the portion with assistance of the selected second-order classifier.

Abstract: A forage harvester comprising an edge sharpness detection device for detecting a degree of edge sharpness of a cutting mechanism. The cutting mechanism comminutes a stream of harvested material, with a material inflow area being defined where the cutting blades interact with the shear bar to comminute the harvested material. The edge sharpness detection device excites one or more magnetic circuits, with the respective magnetic circuit being closed by the respective cutting blade during rotation of the cutter drum once one of the cutting blades passes the magnetic assembly. The edge sharpness detection device detects the magnetic flux in the respective magnetic circuit and, based on a detected change, determines a degree of edge sharpness of the respective cutting blade. Further, the magnetic flux of the magnetic circuit may be guided lengthwise in the cutting blade at least along a longitudinal section of the respective cutting blade.

Abstract: A combine harvester has at least one header for cutting plants to be harvested with the aid of the combine harvester, a feeder for conveying the cut plants in the direction of a threshing mechanism, and a threshing mechanism, with the aid of which fruits can be removed from the cut plants in such a way that the fruits are then present separately from plant residue of the plants. The feeder comprises a revolvingly driveable conveying unit and a conveyor channel within which the cut plants can be conveyed with the conveying unit. The feeder interacts with a measuring unit in the form of a sensor unit that contactlessly detects material feed height of plants conveyed with the aid of the feeder in the conveyor channel.

Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine, particularly a combine harvester or a forage harvester, has a supporting frame, a cutting mechanism, an inclined conveyor and a driver's cab. The cutting mechanism is arranged at the supporting frame by the inclined conveyor. The driver's cab is arranged at the supporting frame with the intermediary of at least one damper unit. At least one camera is arranged in an interior of the driver's cab. The camera is oriented to the cutting mechanism and/or to the inclined conveyor through a front windshield of the driver's cab. The camera is arranged in an operative area of a cleaning device of the front windshield so that a detection area of the camera can be optically acquired at least through a portion of the operative area of the cleaning device.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine, in particular a harvester, has a header for performing agricultural work and having a control device which has at least one sensor unit for detecting a crop stream in and/or around the header and an image processing unit for processing images which are generated by the sensor unit based on the crop stream detected via sensor. The control device is configured to detect regions of like characteristics, components of the header and properties of the crop stream and is configured to use that which has been detected for open loop control and/or closed loop control of process sequences in the agricultural work machine.

Abstract: A detection arrangement for detecting a state of wear of a chopping assembly comprises at least one magnet arrangement which includes a magnetic excitation arrangement and a flux-conducting device magnetically coupled thereto. The magnet arrangement provides a pole arrangement which forms at least one magnetic pole for outwardly conducting magnetic flux. At least one portion of the chopping blades moves past the pole arrangement during a rotation of the cutting cylinder, and forms an air gap arrangement including at least one air gap with respect to the pole arrangement and, as a result, at least one magnetic circuit excited by the excitation arrangement is closed via the chopping blade. At least one portion of the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic excitation arrangement is longitudinally guided in the chopping blade at least across one longitudinal portion of the chopping blade.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine has a crop collection arrangement for separating and collecting crops from field vegetation, which crop collection arrangement has at least one crop cutting device, a crop conveying device arranged downstream thereof and a crop intake device arranged downstream thereof, and having a control device which has at least one sensor unit for optically detecting a crop flow, an image processing unit for processing images which are generated by the sensor unit based on the optically detected crop flow, and a data output unit for displaying the images processed by the image processing unit. The image processing unit generates a velocity characteristic map and a directional change characteristic map based on the images generated by the sensor unit. The two characteristic maps are utilized jointly or each individually by the control device to control processes in the agricultural work machine and/or in the crop collection arrangement.

Abstract: A combine harvester has at least one header for cutting plants to be harvested with the aid of the combine harvester, a feeder for conveying the cut plants in the direction of a threshing mechanism, and a threshing mechanism, with the aid of which fruits can be removed from the cut plants in such a way that the fruits are then present separately from plant residue of the plants. The feeder comprises a revolvingly driveable conveying unit and a conveyor channel within which the cut plants can be conveyed with the conveying unit. The feeder interacts with a measuring unit in the form of a sensor unit that contactlessly detects material feed height of plants conveyed with the aid of the feeder in the conveyor channel.

Abstract: A forage harvester comprising an edge sharpness detection device for detecting a degree of edge sharpness of a cutting mechanism is disclosed. The cutting mechanism comminutes a stream of harvested material, with a material inflow area being defined where the cutting blades interact with the shear bar to comminute the harvested material. The edge sharpness detection device excites one or more magnetic circuits, with the respective magnetic circuit being closed by the respective cutting blade during rotation of the cutter drum once one of the cutting blades passes the magnetic assembly (positioned outside of the material inflow area). The edge sharpness detection device detects the magnetic flux in the respective magnetic circuit and, based on a detected change, determines a degree of edge sharpness of the respective cutting blade. Further, the magnetic flux of the magnetic circuit may be guided lengthwise in the cutting blade at least along a longitudinal section of the respective cutting blade.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine configured to avoid anomalies is disclosed. Agricultural work machines may encounter anomalies, such as obstacles (e.g., tires) or irregularities in the crop (e.g., weeds), which can reduce the quality of the harvested crop. Manually steering the agricultural work machine requires the constant attention of the vehicle operator. Thus, the agricultural work machine is configured to include sensors to generate one or more images (such as images of various regions of the agricultural work machine), an image processing system to process the images and a control unit to avoid the anomalies (e.g., avoid the identified anomalies, to drive in tracks, and/or to stop the agricultural work machine).

Abstract: A method for the operation of a self-propelled agricultural working machine has at least one working element and a driver assistance system for generating control actions within the working machine. A sensor arrangement for generating surroundings information is provided, and the driver assistance system generates the control actions based on the surroundings information. The sensor arrangement comprises a camera-based sensor system and a laser-based sensor system, each of which generates sensor information regarding a predetermined, relevant surroundings area of the working machine. The sensor information of the camera-based sensor system is present as starting camera images. The starting camera images are segmented into image segments by an image processing system according to a segmentation rule, and the segmented camera images are combined by a sensor fusion module with the sensor information from the laser-based sensor system.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine, such as a self-propelled harvester, is provided. The agricultural work machine includes a crop gathering machine which has a crop cutting device, a crop collecting device and/or a crop feeding device, and at least one crop conveyor, and comprising an image processing system, a data output unit, and at least one sensor system assigned to the crop gathering machine for recording a crop flow in the crop gathering machine. The sensor system is coupled to the image processing system for transferring images. The image processing system processes a selection of available images, such as by pre-processing the images to be transferred in a first step, in a further step determining an optical flow and corresponding vector fields from the pre-processed images, and in a subsequent step deriving and assessing speed trends of the crop flow from the corresponding vector fields.

Abstract: A detection arrangement for detecting a state of wear of a chopping assembly comprises at least one magnet arrangement which includes a magnetic excitation arrangement and a flux-conducting device magnetically coupled thereto. The magnet arrangement provides a pole arrangement which forms at least one magnetic pole for outwardly conducting magnetic flux. At least one portion of the chopping blades moves past the pole arrangement during a rotation of the cutting cylinder, and forms an air gap arrangement including at least one air gap with respect to the pole arrangement and, as a result, at least one magnetic circuit excited by the excitation arrangement is closed via the chopping blade. At least one portion of the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic excitation arrangement is longitudinally guided in the chopping blade at least across one longitudinal portion of the chopping blade.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine, such as a self-propelled harvester, is provided. The agricultural work machine includes a crop gathering machine which has a crop cutting device, a crop collecting device and/or a crop feeding device, and at least one crop conveyor, and comprising an image processing system, a data output unit, and at least one sensor system assigned to the crop gathering machine for recording a crop flow in the crop gathering machine. The sensor system is coupled to the image processing system for transferring images. The image processing system processes a selection of available images, such as by pre-processing the images to be transferred in a first step, in a further step determining an optical flow and corresponding vector fields from the pre-processed images, and in a subsequent step deriving and assessing speed trends of the crop flow from the corresponding vector fields.