Horsch will exhibit its new BoomSight system for the first time at Agritechnica 2015, where it has been awarded a silver medal by the DLG.
The current standard for the boom control systems are sensors that record the distance to the target area about one metre in front of the boom and then react and adapt the boom to the terrain. The Horsch BoomControl Pro system, that was awarded a silver medal at Agritechnica 2013 and is available for the whole Horsch plant protection range, operates in this way.
With BoomSight, however, the field is scanned and recorded over the whole working width of the boom by means of a sensor system. Thus, it’s possible to adjust the boom in advance in such a way that the deviation is as low as possible. The boom does not need to react anymore because it can now act immediately. To achieve this, a laser scanner is installed on the roof of the tractor or sprayer cab that scans a range of approximately 20m to the left and to the right, and approximately 15m to the front.
Based on the measured data, a surface model is created that reflects the terrain including gaps, tramlines or irregularities in the crop population or of the terrain. On the basis of this information, the middle part of the boom, the inclination degree of the slope compensation and maybe the angle between the wings is adjusted according to the surface model. The measured values of the existing ultrasonic sensors are still used for regulation and control purposes.
If in an oilseed rape crop there’s a gap in the range of the sensor, for example because of a damage caused by wildlife or poor germination, a sensor-only based boom would dive into the crop. The laser scanner, however, identifies the gap as a gap, and the boom is guided automatically over this area.
Obstacles that protrude above the population, for example well casings or power poles, are also identified by the scanner. Accordingly a regulation starts or a warning is issued.
In case of a well casing, the lifting height of the boom normally is enough and the boom is simply lifted above it. If the obstacle is so high that the lifting height is no longer sufficient, like for example in case of a power pole, a warning is issued. The driver’s attention is drawn to the obstacle in the working area and he can stop in front of the obstacle or drive around it.
For more information visit: www.horsch.com.
