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How do you calculate harvest loss?

There's 4 areas which we look at loss:

  • Instantaneous Loss
    • Uses the latest predictions from each camera
    • Viewing area of camera is approximately 3.8 square feet
    • 43,560 square footage per acre
    • We use 90000 kernels per bushel for corn
    • We use 174000 beans per bushel of soybeans / edible beans
    • We use 1000000 kernels per bushel of wheat
    • Loss = ((Sum of Predictions / (Number of Predictions 3.8)) 43560) / Crop specific Per Bushel #
  • Average Loss
    • Uses ALL the predictions from each camera
    • Viewing area of camera is approximately 3.8 square feet
    • 43,560 square footage per acre
    • We use 90000 kernels per bushel for corn
    • We use 174000 beans per bushel of soybeans
    • We use 1000000 kernels per bushel of wheat
    • Loss = ((Sum of Predictions / (Number of Predictions 3.8)) 43560) / Crop specific Per Bushel #
  • Total Loss
    • Uses ALL the predictions from each camera
    • Viewing area of camera is approximately 3.8 square feet
    • 43,560 square footage per acre
    • We use 90000 kernels per bushel for corn
    • We use 174000 beans per bushel of soybeans
    • We use 1000000 kernels per bushel of wheat
    • Total Bushels Lost = Sum of Predictions / Crop specific Per Bushel #
    • Prediction Area in Acres = (Number of Predictions * 3.8) / 43560
    • Distance Traveled in Miles is estimated from GPS data
    • Feet per Mile is 5280 feet
    • Header width for corn is 30 ft
    • Header width for soybeans is 40 ft
    • Estimated Surface Area in Acres = Distance Traveled In Miles 5280 Header width
    • Total Loss Bushels = Total Bushels Lost * (Estimated Surface Area Covered in Acres / Prediction Area in Acres)
  • Loss Value
    • For Corn we use $4.50 per bushel
    • For Soybean we use $14.30 per bushel
    • Total Loss Value = Total Loss Bushels * Crop $ per bushel

 

  1. Calculate the total distance traveled:
  • Since each camera covers 3 sq ft at a time, and you have 3 cameras, you effectively cover 9 sq ft at once.
  • To cover 43,560 sq ft, you need to travel 43,560 / 9 = 4840 "camera-widths".
  • Since each "camera-width" covers 3 sq ft, the total distance traveled is 4840 * 3 = 14,520 feet.
  1. Calculate the time taken:
  • Convert the speed from mph to feet per second: 5 mph * (5280 feet/mile) / (3600 seconds/hour) ≈ 7.33 feet/second.
  • Calculate the time taken to cover the distance: 14,520 feet / 7.33 feet/second ≈ 1980 seconds.
  1. Calculate the total number of pictures:
  • Each camera takes a picture every 3 seconds.
  • Over 1980 seconds, each camera takes 1980 / 3 = 660 pictures.
  • With 3 cameras, the total number of pictures is 660 * 3 = 1980 pictures.

Therefore, you will have approximately 1980 pictures after covering 43,560 sq ft.

  • Distance Traveled Between Pictures: At 5 mph (7.33 ft/sec), the camera setup travels 22 feet every 3 seconds (7.33 ft/sec * 3 sec).
  • Gaps: Since the combined camera coverage is 9 sq ft, there will be a 13-foot gap between each set of photos (22 feet traveled - 9 feet coverage).

To figure out exactly how much area is missed, we'd need to consider:

  • The exact arrangement of the cameras: given they are iin a triangle formation, this impacts the overlap and the size of the gaps.
  1. Visualizing the Setup

The cameras form an equilateral triangle with approximately 20 ft sides.

      A

     / \

    /   \

   /     \

  /       \

 B---------C 

 <-- 20 ft -->

  1. Calculating the Area of Each Gap
  • Base of the triangle: 20 ft
  • Height of the triangle: 19 ft (as calculated before)
  • Area of a triangle: (1/2) * base * height = (1/2) * 20 ft * 19 ft = 190 sq ft  
  1. Calculating the Total Area of Gaps
  • Gaps per photo set: 3
  • Total gap area per set of photos: 190 sq ft/gap * 3 gaps = 570 sq ft
  1. Calculating the Total Area of Gaps over 43,560 sq ft
  • Distance traveled in camera-widths: 43,560 sq ft / 9 sq ft (combined coverage) = 4840 camera-widths
  • Number of photo sets: 4840 camera-widths / 3 ft (distance traveled per photo set) = 1613.33 photo sets
  • Total gap area: 1613.33 photo sets * 570 sq ft/photo set = 920,466.67 sq ft

Conclusion

Even with a 20 ft distance between cameras, the total area of the gaps (920,466.67 sq ft) is still much larger than the target area (43,560 sq ft).

This shows that:

  • Camera spacing is crucial: Closer camera spacing reduces the size of the gaps.
  • Speed and photo interval matter: Slower speeds or more frequent photos also reduce gaps.
  • Complete coverage is challenging: Achieving 100% coverage with a moving camera system requires careful planning and potentially overlapping images.

So how much area will I not get pictures of per acre?

  • Total gap area over 43,560 sq ft: 920,466.67 sq ft (from our previous calculation with 20 ft between cameras)
  • Missed area per square foot: 920,466.67 sq ft / 43,560 sq ft = 21.13 sq ft missed for every 1 sq ft covered

Since an acre has 43,560 square feet, the missed area per acre is:

  • Missed area per acre: 21.13 sq ft/sq ft * 43,560 sq ft/acre = 920,466.67 sq ft/acre

Therefore, for every acre covered, you would miss approximately 920,467 sq ft.

Important Note: This means you're missing significantly more area than you're capturing. This highlights the limitations of this camera setup for achieving complete coverage.

So … how can the missed area be so much bigger than the acre itself?

Here's why it's possible in this specific scenario:

  • Large gaps: The cameras are spaced relatively far apart (20 ft) and take pictures infrequently (every 3 seconds) while moving at a decent speed (5 mph). This creates large triangular gaps between the photographed areas.
  • Accumulation over distance: While the gaps seem manageable at first, they accumulate significantly over the large area (43,560 sq ft) you're covering. Think of it like small leaks in a long pipe – each leak is tiny, but over the length of the pipe, you lose a lot of water.
  • Missed area is not contained within the acre: The missed area isn't confined within the boundaries of the acre you're photographing. The gaps extend beyond the sides of the path you're traveling, creating a much larger missed area than the acre itself.

Analogy:

Imagine you're mowing a lawn with a very wide lawnmower. You make parallel passes across the lawn, but if the space between your passes is wider than the mower's cutting width, you'll end up with more unmowed grass than mowed grass. The unmowed strips accumulate, and even though you've covered the whole lawn with your passes, you've actually mowed very little of it.