Common farm problems to solve via tech/app

[holwellcourtfarm]

An app that can interpret error codes from different machines, even a link to a database would do!
Also, a thermal camera for a phone so you can see if bearings are getting warm, etc.

Flir do one as an ad-on to any Android or iOS phone: https://www.flir.co.uk/flir-one/

CAT phones have a thermal camera built in from memory.

Only the CAT S61 iirc.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

It beats me how there are still some jobs that could be made so much easier if the manufacturers put a little more thought into it.

Take Round baling:
1. Most modern Round balers tell you which side needs more material, therefore where the position the tractor over the swath. This could be automated.
2. When the bales diameter is reached, the box beeps to tell you to stop. Surely this could automatically stop the tractor and bring it to a halt.
3. Tha baler then beeps to say that applying the net is complete, therefore you must open the rear to let the bale out. Why cant this be automated?
4. When the bale has exited the chamber, you lower it and the box beeps to tell you to start moving forward to make the next bale. Why can’t this be automated?

It strikes me that so much of this repetitive work can be automated. If anything goes wrong, it is usually the operator that did something in the wrong order.

Your problem @young-entrepreneur is that it is the tractor and machinery manufacturers that need to deal with these problems to sort the mechanical sides of theses equations. However, they need code-writers such as yourself the create the algorithm to make it happen.

I know NH are looking into these situations.

The problem here is likely H&S.

If you let a bale go on a steep hill and it rolls away causing damage or injure someone stood behind the baler then you are liable. If it happened automatically who would be liable?

 

[Highland Mule]

The problem here is likely H&S.

If you let a bale go on a steep hill and it rolls away causing damage or injure someone stood behind the baler then you are liable. If it happened automatically who would be liable?

Go the other way then - design a device that stops the baler being opened if it is pointing down a hill.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Hey!!! I am a young enterpreneur/software engineer. I am doing a research in farming, finding ideas and asking opinions from more people in the field. Which common issues/problems farmers facing and what could be useful to solve by creating/building an app or platform. It could be potentially an internal farming app helping farmers and managers to manage the farm flow. It could be a tool solving particular problems or organising labours. Increase productivity and efficiency of pickers/packers if it’s a vegetable/fruits business.

Really curious to hear what could be the common challenges that farmers experiencing nowadays and would also happy to pay for a good solution.

@Clive the very man , the man of my dreams , I shall call him, "Clives App man"

 

[SamN]

It beats me how there are still some jobs that could be made so much easier if the manufacturers put a little more thought into it.

Take Round baling:
1. Most modern Round balers tell you which side needs more material, therefore where the position the tractor over the swath. This could be automated.
2. When the bales diameter is reached, the box beeps to tell you to stop. Surely this could automatically stop the tractor and bring it to a halt.
3. Tha baler then beeps to say that applying the net is complete, therefore you must open the rear to let the bale out. Why cant this be automated?
4. When the bale has exited the chamber, you lower it and the box beeps to tell you to start moving forward to make the next bale. Why can’t this be automated?

It strikes me that so much of this repetitive work can be automated. If anything goes wrong, it is usually the operator that did something in the wrong order.

Your problem @young-entrepreneur is that it is the tractor and machinery manufacturers that need to deal with these problems to sort the mechanical sides of theses equations. However, they need code-writers such as yourself the create the algorithm to make it happen.

I know NH are looking into these situations.

John Deere variable chamber balers are halfway there, stops automatically and opens the tailgate.

V451R | Variable Chamber Balers | Balers | John Deere UK & IE

The new Variable Chamber Balers from John Deere - dedicated to versatility

www.deere.co.uk

 

[Derrick Hughes]

An app wired to a camera on me head to say stop when I'm about to break summat

 

[Andrew]

An app that allows you to take a few photos of a baler knotter that’s playing up, then analyses them and gives advice on what to alter to get it to tie.

 

[Chris F]

An app that allows you to take a few photos of a baler knotter that’s playing up, then analyses them and gives advice on what to alter to get it to tie.

Wondered when you would find this thread.

 

[puppet]

ulefone armor 9 has thermal camera, think also has option of endoscope.
Not used 1 myself.

Need plenty lube for that and would probably affect the signal

 

[teslacoils]

Analyses dead horse location and suggests most effective way to remove.

 

[DavidHammond123]

My a fellow engineer in Agri tech so keen for more machinery ideas

 

[DrWazzock]

The problem here is likely H&S.

If you let a bale go on a steep hill and it rolls away causing damage or injure someone stood behind the baler then you are liable. If it happened automatically who would be liable?

It could at least warn you when it’s going to let one out.

 

[DrWazzock]

An algorithm for feed forward control of my continuous flow grain drier to vary the bed speed to keep the output moisture spot on 14.9% with varying input moisture. Response takes about half an hour so feedback is fairly useless. It needs a look up table for the setting of bed speed based on input moisture and crop type and plenum temperature. It also needs a temperature control loop.
But it’s hardly worth it on a 60 year old machine. Presently done mandraulically.
For this to work it also needs transducers on the inlet and outlet to measure moisture continuously. That’s where the hard work would be. It often is with controls systems engineering. The programming is the fun bit.

 

[DrWazzock]

I also need speed measurement of the drier bed. I used to use the position of the variable speed pulley handle then I tightened the belt a bit and it ran at a higher speed for the same position of the handle which screwed things up a bit. I also need a max speed limiting function to avoid overloading the output elevator and all hell breaking loose. It would be fascinating system to automate but more of a hobby project than anything. I love that sort of thing. It’s what I used to do.

 

[DrWazzock]

Why not run two round balers at once so while one is netting and ejecting, the other is baling. They could swing in and out on a fancy drawbar. I always hated them with a passion for all the reversing and the waiting. I think my old IH square baler was actually faster. Just keeps on pumping them out.

 

[melted welly]

What about an app that recognises when the operator has been stationary in the same place for an extended period of time and prompts a response, if none is forthcoming then an alert is sent out for someone to check on them.

I suppose mainly from a health and safety point of view, but would also be useful in a (purely hypothetical) scenario where the tyre fitter was due to be out over 2 hours ago and I just assumed, having heard nothing back, that all was good and machine was up and running again, and was therefore quite surprised to receive a text 15 mins ago that read “no ones come, I’m going home”, that’s a totally hypothetical situation though, can’t imagine anyone doing that……

 

[manhill]

An app that can interpret error codes from different machines, even a link to a database would do!
Also, a thermal camera for a phone so you can see if bearings are getting warm, etc.

like a CAT mobile phone with thermal imaging camera?

 

[DavidHammond123]

An algorithm for feed forward control of my continuous flow grain drier to vary the bed speed to keep the output moisture spot on 14.9% with varying input moisture. Response takes about half an hour so feedback is fairly useless. It needs a look up table for the setting of bed speed based on input moisture and crop type and plenum temperature. It also needs a temperature control loop.
But it’s hardly worth it on a 60 year old machine. Presently done mandraulically.
For this to work it also needs transducers on the inlet and outlet to measure moisture continuously. That’s where the hard work would be. It often is with controls systems engineering. The programming is the fun bit.

That sounds cool, I work in control and yeah a 30min response time is pretty wild for getting feedback to work

 

[manhill]

An app that pulls up the website that publishes the animated North Atlantic jetstream forecast.
Have difficulty getting it to work recently.

 

[DrWazzock]

That sounds cool, I work in control and yeah a 30min response time is pretty wild for getting feedback to work

I think it would need a feed forward look up table/function possibly that could refine itself and “self learn” based on the actual performance.
When I studied (but didn’t necessarily understand!) control theory many many years ago it was all about PID feedback control loops but in reality folk programmed all sorts of clever means of controlling systems, classical PID being rarely used in its pure form in my very limited experience.