Abstract: A self-propelled forage harvester, a method for operating a forage harvester, and computer readable medium to perform the method for operating the forage harvester. The forage harvester includes a cutterhead driven at a variable rotational speed (nHT) for chopping harvested material, a cracker roller pair with a variable gap width positioned behind the cutterhead on a path of the harvested material through the forage harvester for comminuting grains in the chopped harvested material, and a control unit for controlling the rotational speed and the gap width. The control unit is part of a setting device controlled using a characteristic map, wherein the characteristic map describes or is indicative of a corn silage processing score (CSPS) depending on at least the rotational speed and the gap width.

Abstract: A sensor system for counting elements of a flow of harvested material. The sensor system comprises an oscillating circuit and a measuring device, wherein the oscillating circuit comprises at least one capacitive component with a capacitance and an inductive component with an inductance. The oscillating circuit has a resonance frequency which depends on the capacitance and the inductance. Further, the capacitive component is positioned in the region of the flow of harvested material, so that the capacitance is influenced by individual elements of the flow of harvested material. The measuring device is configured to determine the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit. In this way, the sensor system is configured to deduce at least one property of the particular element of the flow of harvested material from the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit.

Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine, with at least one work assembly and a monitoring assembly, is disclosed. The agricultural harvesting machine transports harvested material in a harvested material flow along a harvested material transport path. The monitoring assembly includes an measuring system positioned on the harvested material transport path and an evaluation device configured to determine at least one harvested material parameter. The measuring system includes a first passive optical sensor that senses image data indicative of visible light in a first section and a second non-passive non-optical sensor that senses data in a second section that at least partly overlaps the first section. The evaluation device correlates the image data for the overlapping section from the first optical sensor and the data from the second optical sensor and determines, based on the correlation, at least one harvested material parameter.

Abstract: An optical measuring device for the spectral measurement of a sample is disclosed. The optical measure device includes an integrating cavity that has a diffusely reflective interior in order to render the light in the integrating cavity diffuse, a light source that is configured to emit light of a predetermined wavelength range into the integrating cavity, and a sensor that is configured to receive light from the integrating cavity, wherein the integrating cavity comprises an optical opening, and wherein the optical measuring device is provided and configured to measure a sample located outside of the integrating cavity directly in front of the optical opening.

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 and a system for monitoring the operation of at least one autonomous agricultural production machine is disclosed. The method comprises collecting data representing the operating parameters and environmental parameters of the autonomous agricultural production machine and detecting an irregularity based on the data. Once an irregularity is determined, the collected data are transmitted to a database and saved there. The irregularity is identified by processing the collected data in an analysis routine, and an instruction is generated for switching the autonomous agricultural production machine from a safe operating state to a normal operating state depending on the identified irregularity, and the instruction is executed.

Abstract: A method and a system for deployment planning and coordinating a vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of agricultural work vehicles is disclosed. Different agricultural work processes may be performed on a field with the work vehicles having a work unit for performing at least one of the agricultural work processes. At least one work vehicle of the vehicle fleet is operated autonomously. Further, the database-driven management system may generate the deployment plan. For example, while planning a particular agricultural work process comprising a sequence of work steps, the work vehicles in the vehicle fleet are coordinated with one another by assigning at least one autonomous work vehicle to a respective work step of the agricultural work process with operational parameters being transmitted to the autonomous work vehicle in order to perform the assigned respective work step.

Abstract: A method for monitoring autonomous agricultural production machines is disclosed. The autonomous agricultural production machine autonomously performs an agricultural job. When an anomaly occurs, the autonomous agricultural production machine performs a response routine, interrupting the performance of the agricultural job. The autonomous agricultural production machine senses anomaly data during and/or after the response routine and transmits the anomaly data to a remote monitoring center in a reporting routine that a user may access in the remote monitoring center. The remote monitoring center generates, based on the anomaly data, a control instruction and transmits the control instruction to the autonomous agricultural production machine to execute in order to further respond to the anomaly and thereafter continue to perform the agricultural job.

Abstract: A swarm assistance system for autonomous agricultural universal production machines is disclosed. The swarm assistance system is integrated into an agricultural work network. The agricultural work network connects autonomous agricultural universal production machines as providers of agricultural jobs and customers of agricultural jobs with each other and with the swarm assistance system. The autonomous agricultural universal production machines are configured to perform a plurality of different agricultural jobs by being equipped with changing work assemblies. The swarm assistance system receives request data relating to a requested agricultural job from the customers, matches the request data with capacity data of at least one of the agricultural universal production machines and, based on the result of the matching, rents at least one agricultural universal production machine to perform the requested agricultural job.

Abstract: An assistance system based on electronic data exchange for enabling an autonomous vehicle to act as an autonomous agricultural production machine and an autonomous agricultural production machine is disclosed. The assistance system is configured to plan the deployment of at least one autonomous vehicle, to transmit the information required for the deployment to the autonomous vehicle, to at least partially control the autonomous vehicle during working mode and to monitor the working mode of the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: An agricultural work machine and a method for operation an agricultural work machine are disclosed. The agricultural work machine includes a driver’s cab with an interior space spatially partially delimited by a front window and at least one side window, a driver’s seat arranged in the interior space, an input device for entering input by an operator, a visualization system for visualizing information for an operator sitting on the driver’s seat, and a control device which is communication with the visualization system. The control device controls the visualization system in such a way that process information relevant to the selected work process is visualized.

Abstract: A self-propelled combine for collecting and handling harvested material and a method for cleaning and/or referencing an optical measuring device of the self-propelled combine are disclosed. The self-propelled combine has a bypass device with an optical measuring device for determining harvested material properties of the partial flow of harvested material.

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: 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: An optical measuring device for the spectral measurement of a sample is disclosed. The optical measure device includes an integrating cavity that has a diffusely reflective interior in order to render the light in the integrating cavity diffuse, a light source that is configured to emit light of a predetermined wavelength range into the integrating cavity, and a sensor that is configured to receive light from the integrating cavity, wherein the integrating cavity comprises an optical opening, and wherein the optical measuring device is provided and configured to measure a sample located outside of the integrating cavity directly in front of the optical opening.

Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine, with at least one work assembly and a monitoring assembly, is disclosed. The agricultural harvesting machine transports harvested material in a harvested material flow along a harvested material transport path. The monitoring assembly includes an measuring system positioned on the harvested material transport path and an evaluation device configured to determine at least one harvested material parameter. The measuring system includes a first passive optical sensor that senses image data indicative of visible light in a first section and a second non-passive non-optical sensor that senses data in a second section that at least partly overlaps the first section. The evaluation device correlates the image data for the overlapping section from the first optical sensor and the data from the second optical sensor and determines, based on the correlation, at least one harvested material parameter.

Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine, with at least one work assembly and a monitoring assembly, is disclosed. The agricultural harvesting machine transports harvested material in a harvested material flow along a harvested material transport path. The monitoring assembly includes an optical measuring system positioned on the harvested material transport path and an evaluation device configured to determine at least one harvested material parameter. The optical measuring system includes a first optical sensor that senses spatially-resolved image data indicative of visible light in a first section and second optical sensor that senses image data indicative of invisible light in a second section that at least partly overlaps the first section. The evaluation device correlates the image data for the overlapping section from the first optical sensor and from the second optical sensor and determines, based on the correlation, at least one harvested material parameter.

Abstract: A sensor system for counting elements of a flow of harvested material is disclosed. The sensor system comprises an oscillating circuit and a measuring device, wherein the oscillating circuit comprises at least one capacitive component with a capacitance and an inductive component with an inductance. The oscillating circuit has a resonance frequency which depends on the capacitance and the inductance. Further, the capacitive component is positioned in the region of the flow of harvested material, so that the capacitance is influenced by individual elements of the flow of harvested material. The measuring device is configured to determine the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit. In this way, the sensor system is configured to deduce at least one property of the particular element of the flow of harvested material from the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit.

Abstract: A sensor system for counting elements of a flow of harvested material is disclosed. The sensor system comprises an oscillating circuit and a measuring device, wherein the oscillating circuit comprises at least one capacitive component with a capacitance and an inductive component with an inductance. The oscillating circuit has a resonance frequency which depends on the capacitance and the inductance. Further, the capacitive component is positioned in the region of the flow of harvested material, so that the capacitance is influenced by individual elements of the flow of harvested material. The measuring device is configured to determine the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit. In this way, the sensor system is configured to deduce at least one property of the particular element of the flow of harvested material from the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus for use downhole is disclosed that, in one configuration includes a downhole tool configured to operate in an active position and an inactive position and an actuation device, which may include a control unit. The apparatus includes a telemetry unit that sends a first pattern recognition signal to the control unit to move the tool into the active position and a second pattern recognition signal to move the tool into the inactive position. The apparatus may be used for drilling a subterranean formation and include a tubular body and one or more extendable features, each positionally coupled to a track of the tubular body, and a drilling fluid flow path extending through a bore of the tubular body for conducting drilling fluid therethrough. A push sleeve is disposed within the tubular body and coupled to the one or more features.