Pattern Processing Control of Self-propelling Chassis

Abstract

Pattern processing control of a travelling chassis is reported. The chassis, constructed to develope a fully automated farming system, has the horizontal span of 2.8m and the height of 1.3m and is driven by the all four AC reversible brake motors, whose motion and direction are controlled by the computer operated relays.
Objective pattern, taken from the computer controlled ITV camera, is digitized in 64×64 picture elements and the objective region is determined with the brightness threshold and the area threshold by the on-line real time operation. Then, the center point of the extracted region is calculated at every repetitive cycle and simultaneousely, the center position is dot-represented on the graphic display. When the center point is found to enter into the middle third zone of the visual field in respect to the travelling direction, the stop relay of the chassis is activated.
Successful controllability with the object of vegetable is obtained. This pattern processing control method was expected to grow to a useful tool for the farm automation.