Farmer Joe Needs Your Help.

[cranking_it_up]

I'm a sugarcane farmer in Australia, And I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with a DIY camera system.

Heres a pic with an explanation how I'd like it too work.

This is a Sugar Cane Harvester.
Can you see the ^base cutters^. They cut the sugar cane sticks at the base of the stalk. One of the biggest problems for a harvester operator is guessing the height of the base cutters. If your too high you leave cane in the field, to low and you end up cutting out the roots which means no crop for next year.
So I'm looking for ideas on how to enclose a camera with some kind of windscreen wiper and washer system as it gets very dirty and muddy. It will ether be mounted-
A. ontop the basecutters
B. underneath and towards the back of the harvester pointed at the ground already passed over and cut by the bascutters.

I've searched the net and I did find some very expensive cct survelnce systems with wipers but there not very practical for this. Also there were reversing camera systems, but none had windcreen wiper and washers.
And the colour systems are very expensive.

The enclosure has to be fairly compact and also very tough and waterproof including a clear durable window with wiper and washer.
I havent had any luck finding a wiper small enough, So if anyone knows of a small wiper or has any ideas on the enclosure I'd appreciate your imput.

And if you got this far thanks for reading.

On a side note heres a camera I already have to give an idea of size, Not sure if it will be usuable pointed at the gound moving at 10kph plus.
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/45e05bac0c6343f22740c0a87f9c072c/Product/View/L5914

 

[Thermo]

is the height of cut something that is uniform, ie once youve got it right its ok, or does it need to be constantly changed as it goes along? If its uniform then cant the height of thecut be gauged before cutting and some sort of limiter be fitted to stop it cutting to low?

 

[breezer]

I wish you luck.

All the ones i have seen have mains operated wipers, and mains pumps for the washer. (although the washer bit is easy)

I would suggest you try a search for security wholesalers, as in burglar alarms

 

[cranking_it_up]

is the height of cut something that is uniform, ie once youve got it right its ok, or does it need to be constantly changed as it goes along? If its uniform then cant the height of thecut be gauged before cutting and some sort of limiter be fitted to stop it cutting to low?

The cane are in drills or rows which are raised up, the hieght of these rows constantly change because of things like rain erosion, cane quality. The harvester operator has to constantly change the height of the bascutter to compensate.

Heres a youtube vid of a cane harvester in operation, You can see the part the 2 guys look at the cut padock and say "this is whats left".
The harvester operator has done a shocking job, idealy there should be no cane left in the paddock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubSOM5CZPFM

 

[JohnD]

Jocky wheels on the base cutter?

 

[crazycanuck]

have you thought about trying one of those new cameras they have for rear view backup on cars and trucks (lorries) I believe they are a round optical lens at the back and screen in the cab for viewing RVs have them too
good luck

 

[crazycanuck]

next thought-- there was a car porche I think which had small wipers on the headlights . might work.

 

[masona]

I did think of that but may need a powerful light to see in the dust(?)

 

[FredFlintstone]

Probably prohibitively exoensive but what about some sort of fibre optic camera system. You could have several fibre strands along the length of the base cutter - each one providing an image. As the tip of the fibre is so small it would obviously not be possible to fit a wiper system but then maybe it wouldn't have dirt stick to it in the first place.

 

[breezer]

I dont think that will work. go ahead prove me wrong.

I suggested security company as they do have cctv cameras with external housings that do have wipers and a screen wash

 

[Belle427]

there are some robust vehicle cameras available,ive used them in the quarrying industry,they are also quite small and shouldnt need cleaning that often

 

[empip]

Some road vehicles have headlamp wash/wipers .. probably easily cannabalised.
Camera will probably be vibrating a lot.

This may be of little use but there may be an idea amongst it all Click me

 

[TicklyT]

How about protecting your camera lens with a bit of acetate sheet on a roll, in something built like a conventional SLR camera body back to front, but without the 'back', so the lens sees through it. When the acetate sheet gets dirty, wind it on to the next 'frame' for a fresh bit of clean acetate to look through.

 

[empip]

More ideas
I guess the cane is pretty tough stuff a camera will need some protection.
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