Seeding and weeding overlap

What it is - examples - Recommendations

As of 2022, the FD20 does not have the possibility to control single sections. For this reason, whenever the robot is operating in the field and meets a pass/headland that is not perpendicular to its current driving direction, it needs to follow specific settings of the OVERLAP function.

The overlap function will enable/disable seeding and/or weeding in those areas that are merging inside the robot's working area.

To make it easier to understand, let's look at an example:

1. The robot is operating autonomously in a pass (note: direction top to bottom in the image below)
2. Once its front-left corner reaches the headland (RED ARROW), the trailers are detected as being in the headland area
3. If one of the "overlap" functions is activated in the HMI, it starts
4. The robot keeps driving in the same direction
5. Once the bottom-right corner of the FD20 exit the pass (GREEN ARROW), the robot stops and raise the hitch
6. If one of the "overlap" functions is activated in the HMI, it stops
7. The robot keeps driving along its planned route by turning in the headlands to start the following pass

The overlap function will determine what the robot is doing in the area between the red and the green arrow, for the full working width of the robot.

SEEDING OVERLAP OFF - WEEDING OVERLAP OFF

In the image below, it is represented what the robot would do if both seeding and weeding overlap are turned OFF.

1. The red area will neither be seeded, nor weeded
2. The grey area will be regularly seeded and weeded by the robot, when completing the headlands
   
   

SEEDING OVERLAP ON - WEEDING OVERLAP ON

In the image below, it is represented what the robot would do if both seeding and weeding overlap are turned ON.

1. The blue area will be regularly seeded and weeded
2. The yellow area will be seeded and weeded twice:
   1. The first time, when the robot is driving in the direction of the passes
   2. The second time, when the robot is driving in the direction of the headlands

This setting implies that there may be a potential loss of plants in the yellow area due to weeding in two directions (passes, headlands).

SEEDING OVERLAP ON - WEEDING OVERLAP OFF

In the image below, it is represented what the robot would do seeding overlap is ON and weeding overlap is turned OFF.

1. The green area will be regularly seeded but NOT weeded
2. The purple area will be seeded two times (when driving along the passes, when driving along the headland) and weeded regularly (when driving along the headland)

This setting implies that it may be required extra manual labour in the green area, to reduce the weed pressure.

SEEDING OVERLAP OFF - WEEDING OVERLAP ON

In the image below, it is represented what the robot would do seeding overlap is OFF and weeding overlap is turned ON.

1. The orange area will NOT be seeded, but will be regularly weeded
2. The black area will be regularly seeded (when driving along the headland) and weeded twice (when driving along the passes, when driving along the headland)

This setting implies that a portion of the plants in the black area may be weeded away by the robot, when weeding in the direction of the passes.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The choice of approach in these circumstances is up to the individual farmer. If the corner area covered by the passes is bigger than the one covered the headland, we recommend having both seeding and weeding overlapping functions activated.