Patent Publication Number: US-2022225603-A1

Title: System and method for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during a spraying operation

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure generally relates to agricultural sprayers and, more particularly, to systems and methods for monitoring the deposition rate of an agricultural fluid onto a crop canopy or a field surface during an agricultural spraying operation performed by an agricultural sprayer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Agricultural sprayers apply an agricultural fluid (e.g., a pesticide) onto crops as the sprayer is traveling across a field. To facilitate such travel, sprayers are configured as self-propelled vehicles or implements towed behind an agricultural tractor or other suitable agricultural vehicle. A typical sprayer includes a boom assembly on which a plurality of spaced apart spray nozzles is mounted. Each spray nozzle is configured to dispense or otherwise spray the agricultural fluid onto underlying crop canopy or field surface. 
     It is generally desirable that the agricultural fluid be deposited on the underlying crop canopy or field surface at an even target rate to achieve a specified agricultural outcome (e.g., a reduction in weed coverage or pest activity). However, as the sprayer travels across the field to perform a spraying operation, the boom assembly may move relative to the frame of the sprayer on which it is mounted. For example, such movement may be caused by wind, bumps/divots within the field, and/or the like. Movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame may, in turn, result in uneven deposition of the agricultural fluid on the underlying crop canopy or field surface, which is known as “tiger-striping.” Such uneven deposition of the agricultural fluid may result in portions of the field receiving too much agricultural fluid and other portions of the field receiving too little agricultural fluid, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the agricultural fluid. 
     Accordingly, an improved system and method for monitoring the deposition rate of an agricultural fluid onto a crop canopy or a field surface during an agricultural spraying operation performed by an agricultural sprayer would be welcomed in the technology. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects and advantages of the technology will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the technology. 
     In one aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a system for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during an agricultural spraying operation. The system includes a sprayer frame and a boom assembly coupled to the sprayer frame, with the boom assembly extending in a lateral direction between a first end of the boom assembly and a second end of the boom assembly, the lateral direction being perpendicular to a direction of travel of the sprayer frame. Furthermore, the system includes a spray nozzle supported on the boom assembly, with the spray nozzle configured to dispense an agricultural fluid onto an underlying crop canopy or field surface. Additionally, the system includes a movement sensor configured to capture data indicative of movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame. Moreover, the system includes a position sensor configured to capture data indicative of a distance between the spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface. In addition, the system includes a computing system communicatively coupled to the movement sensor and the position sensor. In this respect, the computing system is configured to determine a movement parameter associated with the movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame based on the data captured by the movement sensor. Furthermore, the computing system is configured to determine the distance between the spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the data captured by the position sensor. Additionally, the computing system is configured to determine a spray deposition parameter indicative of a rate at which the agricultural fluid is deposited on the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the determined movement parameter and the determined distance. 
     In another aspect, the present subject matter is directed to an agricultural sprayer. The agricultural sprayer includes a frame, a boom assembly coupled to the frame, with the boom assembly extending in a lateral direction between a first end of the boom assembly and a second end of the boom assembly, the lateral direction being perpendicular of a direction of travel of the agricultural sprayer. Furthermore, the agricultural sprayer includes a plurality of spray nozzles supported on the boom assembly and spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction, with each spray nozzle configured to dispense an agricultural fluid onto an underlying crop canopy or field surface. Additionally, the agricultural sprayer includes one or more movement sensors configured to capture data indicative of movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame. Moreover, the agricultural sprayer includes one or more position sensors configured to capture data indicative of a distance between each spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface. In addition, the agricultural sprayer includes a computing system communicatively coupled to the one or more movement sensor and the one or more position sensors. In this respect, the computing system is configured to determine a movement parameter associated with the movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame based on the data captured by the one or more movement sensors. Furthermore, the computing system is configured to determine the distance between each spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the data captured by the one or more position sensors. Additionally, the computing system is configured to determine one or more spray deposition parameters based on the determined movement parameter and the determined distance, with each spray deposition parameter being associated with a portion of the underlying crop canopy or field surface and indicative of rate at which the agricultural fluid is deposited on the corresponding portion of the underlying crop canopy or field surface. 
     In a further aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a method for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during an agricultural spraying operation performed by an agricultural sprayer. The agricultural sprayer, in turn, includes a frame, a boom assembly coupled to the frame, and a spray nozzle supported on the boom assembly, with the spray nozzle configured to dispense an agricultural fluid onto an underlying crop canopy or field surface. The method includes receiving, with a computing system, movement sensor data indicative of movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame. Furthermore, the method includes determining, with the computing system, a movement parameter associated with the movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame based on the received movement sensor data. Additionally, the method includes receiving, with the computing system, position sensor data indicative of a distance between the spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface. Moreover, the method includes determining, with the computing system, the distance between the spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the received position sensor data. In addition, the method includes determining, with the computing system, a spray deposition parameter indicative of a rate at which the agricultural fluid is deposited on the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the determined movement parameter and the determined distance. Furthermore, the method includes controlling, with the computing system, an operation of the spray nozzle based on the determined spray deposition parameter. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present technology will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the technology. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure of the present technology, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an agricultural sprayer in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a partial front view of one embodiment of a boom assembly of an agricultural sprayer in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of a system for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during an agricultural spraying operation in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during an agricultural spraying operation using an agricultural sprayer in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. 
     
    
    
     Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present technology. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     In general, the present subject matter is directed to systems and methods for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during an agricultural spraying operation. As will be described below, the agricultural spraying operation may be performed by an agricultural sprayer having a boom assembly on which a plurality of spray nozzles is mounted. Each spray nozzle may, in turn, be configured to dispense an agricultural fluid (e.g., a pesticide, nutrient, and/or the like) onto the underlying crop canopy or field surface. Moreover, the sprayer may include one or more movement sensors (e.g., an inertial measurement unit(s)) configured to capture data indicative of the movement of the boom assembly relative to a frame of the sprayer. In addition, the sprayer may include one or more position sensors (e.g., a transceiver-based sensor(s), such as an ultrasonic sensor(s)) configured to capture data indicative of the distance between each spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface. 
     In accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, a computing system may be configured to determine one or more spray deposition parameters indicative of the rate at which the agricultural fluid is deposited on the underlying crop canopy or field surface. For example, the spray deposition parameter(s) may be the density of droplets (e.g., the number of droplets per unit of area) of the agricultural fluid deposited on a portion(s) of the underlying crop canopy or field surface. More specifically, in several embodiments, the computing system may determine one or more movement parameters associated with the movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame (e.g., pitch, roll, and/or yaw) based on the data captured by the movement sensor(s). Furthermore, in such embodiments, the computing system may determine the distance between each spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the data captured by the position sensor(s). The computing system may then determine one or more spray deposition parameters based on the determined movement parameter(s) and the distances. Each spray deposition parameter may, in turn, correspond to a portion of the crop canopy or field surface on which the agricultural fluid is being dispensed by the sprayer. Thereafter, the computing system may control the operation (e.g., the duty cycle) of the spray nozzles based on the determined spray deposition parameter(s). 
     Determining the spray deposition parameter(s) based on the movement of the boom relative to the sprayer frame and the distance(s) between the nozzles and the underlying crop canopy or field surface improves the operation of the sprayer and the effectiveness of the associated spraying operation. More specifically, conventional systems and methods generally rely on the analysis of captured image data to determine droplet density or other related spray deposition parameters. Such analysis of image data is time-consuming and requires a large amount of the computing resources. However, by using sensor data that is less computationally intensive to analyze than image data, the disclosed system and method can determine the spray deposition parameter(s) using fewer computing resources and in less time. As such, the disclosed system and method allow for the operation of the spray nozzle(s) to be adjusted more quickly in response to undesirable agricultural fluid deposition (e.g., droplet density) on the crop canopy/field surface. This, in turn, may allow for more even deposition of the agricultural fluid across the field, thereby improving the effectiveness of the agricultural fluid. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an agricultural sprayer  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the agricultural sprayer  10  is configured as a self-propelled agricultural sprayer. However, in alternative embodiments, the agricultural sprayer  10  may be configured as any other suitable agricultural vehicle that dispenses an agricultural fluid (e.g., a pesticide or a nutrient) while traveling across a field, such as an agricultural tractor and an associated implement (e.g., a towable sprayer, an inter-seeder, a side-dresser, and/or the like). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the agricultural sprayer  10  includes a frame or chassis  12  configured to support or couple to a plurality of components. For example, a pair of steerable front wheels  14  and a pair of driven rear wheels  16  may be coupled to the frame  12 . The wheels  14 ,  16  may be configured to support the agricultural sprayer  10  relative to the ground and move the sprayer  10  in the direction of travel  18  across the field. Furthermore, the frame  12  may support an operator&#39;s cab  20  and a tank  22  configured to store or hold an agricultural fluid, such as a pesticide (e.g., a herbicide, an insecticide, a rodenticide, and/or the like), a fertilizer, or a nutrient. However, in alternative embodiments, the sprayer  10  may include any other suitable configuration. For example, in one embodiment, the front wheels  14  of the sprayer  10  may be driven in addition to or in lieu of the rear wheels  16 . 
     Additionally, the sprayer  10  may include a boom assembly  24  mounted on the frame  12 . In general, the boom assembly  24  may extend in a lateral direction  26  between a first lateral end  28  and a second lateral end  30 , with the lateral direction being perpendicular to the direction of travel  18 . In one embodiment, the boom assembly  24  may include a center section  32  and a pair of wing sections  34 ,  36 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , a first wing section  34  extends outwardly in the lateral direction  26  from the center section  32  to the first lateral end  28 . Similarly, a second wing section  36  extends outwardly in the lateral direction  26  from the center section  32  to the second lateral end  30 . As will be described below, a plurality of spray nozzles  38  ( FIG. 2 ) may be mounted on the boom assembly  24  and configured to dispense the agricultural fluid stored in the tank  22  onto the underlying crop canopy or field surface. However, in alternative embodiments, the boom assembly  24  may include any other suitable configuration. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a partial front view of one embodiment of a boom assembly  24  of the sprayer  10 . In general, the boom assembly  24  may include a plurality of structural frame members  40 , such as beams, bars, and/or the like. Moreover, as mentioned above, the boom assembly  24  may support a plurality of spray nozzles  38  (also referred to as spray tips). Each spray nozzle  38  may, in turn, be configured to dispense the agricultural fluid stored within the tank  22  onto an underlying crop canopy  42  or an underlying field surface  44 . Specifically, as shown, the spray nozzles  38  are mounted on and/or coupled to the frame members  40  such that the spray nozzles  38  are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction  26 . Furthermore, a fluid conduit(s)  46  may fluidly couple the spray nozzles  38  to the tank  22 . Moreover, a pump  48  may be configured to receive agricultural fluid from the tank  22  and supply a pressurized flow of the agricultural fluid to the nozzles  38 . In this respect, as the sprayer  10  travels across the field in the direction of travel  18  to perform a spraying operation thereon, each spray nozzle  38  may dispense or otherwise spray a fan  50  of the agricultural fluid. The dispensed agricultural fluid may, in turn, be deposited onto the underlying plants crop canopy or field surface in the form droplets. 
     It should be further appreciated that the configuration of the agricultural sprayer  10  described above and shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is provided only to place the present subject matter in an exemplary field of use. Thus, it should be appreciated that the present subject matter may be readily adaptable to any manner of agricultural sprayer configuration. 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the agricultural sprayer  10  may include one or more movement sensors  102 . In general, the movement sensor(s)  102  may be configured to capture data indicative of the movement of the boom assembly  24  relative to the sprayer frame  12 . As will be described below, the data captured by the movement sensor(s)  102  may be used to determine one or more movement parameters associated with the movement of the boom assembly  24  relative to the sprayer frame  12 , such as the pitch, roll, and/or yaw of the boom assembly  24 . The movement parameter(s) may, in turn, be used (in combination with other determined parameter(s)) to determine one or more spray deposition parameters indicative of the rate at which the agricultural fluid is deposited on the underlying crop canopy  42  or field surface  44 . 
     The movement sensor(s)  102  may correspond to any suitable sensor(s) or sensing device(s) capable of capturing data indicative of or otherwise detecting movement of the boom assembly  24 . For example, in several embodiments, the movement sensor(s)  102  may be an inertial measurement unit(s) (IMU(s)). However, in alternative embodiments, the movement sensor(s)  102  may be any other suitable sensor(s) or sensing device(s), such as a strain gauge(s). 
     Moreover, the sprayer  10  may include any suitable number of movement sensors  102  and/or the movement sensor(s)  102  may be installed at any suitable location(s) on the sprayer  10 . For example, in one embodiment, a movement sensor  102  may be installed on each wing boom  34 ,  36  adjacent to the corresponding end  28 ,  30 . However, in alternative embodiments, the sprayer  10  may include more or less movement sensors  102  and the movement sensor(s)  102  may be positioned at any other suitable location(s) on the sprayer  10 . 
     In addition, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the agricultural sprayer  10  may include one or more position sensors  104 . In general, the position sensor(s)  104  may be configured to configured to capture data indicative of the distances between the spray nozzles  38  and the underlying crop canopy  42  or field surface  44 . As will be described below, the data captured by the position sensor(s)  104  may be used to determine the distance between each spray nozzle  38  and the underlying crop canopy  42  or field surface  44 . These distances may, in turn, be used to in combination with the movement parameter(s) to determine the spray deposition parameter(s). 
     The position sensor(s)  104  may correspond to any suitable sensor(s) or sensing device(s) capable of capturing data indicative of or otherwise detecting the distances between the spray nozzles  38  and the underlying crop canopy  42  or field surface  44 . For example, in several embodiments, the position sensor(s)  104  may correspond to a transceiver-based sensor(s), such as an ultrasonic sensor(s). In such embodiments, each position sensor  104  may be configured emit one or more output signal(s) (e.g., as indicated by arrows  106  in  FIG. 2 ) for reflection off of the underlying crop canopy  42  or field surface  44 . The output signals  106  are, in turn, reflected by the crop canopy/field surface  42 / 44  as return signals (e.g., as indicated by arrows  108  in  FIG. 2 ). Moreover, each position sensor  104  may be configured to receive the associated reflected return signal(s)  108 . For example, in one embodiment, the sensor(s)  104  may be configured to determine the time-of-flight (TOF) of the associated signals  106 ,  108 , with the TOF being indicative of the distances between the spray nozzles  38  and the crop canopy/field surface  42 / 44 . However, in alternative embodiments, the position sensor(s)  104  may correspond to a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor(s), a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor(s), or any other suitable type of sensors, such as any suitable sensors for detecting the TOF for light or sound beams. 
     Moreover, the sprayer  10  may include any suitable number of position sensors  104  and/or the position sensor(s)  104  may be installed at any suitable location(s) on the sprayer  10 . For example, in one embodiment, a position sensor  104  may be installed on each wing boom  34 ,  36  adjacent to the corresponding end  28 ,  30 . However, in alternative embodiments, the sprayer  10  may include more or less position sensors  104  and the position sensor(s)  104  may be positioned at any other suitable location(s) on the sprayer  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a schematic view of one embodiment of a system  100  for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during an agricultural spraying operation is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the system  100  will be described herein with reference to the agricultural sprayer  10  described above with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . However, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed system  100  may generally be utilized with agricultural sprayers having any other suitable sprayer configuration. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the system  100  may include a location sensor  110  may be provided in operative association with the agricultural sprayer  10 . In general, the location sensor  110  may be configured to determine the location of the sprayer  10  using a satellite navigation positioning system (e.g., a GPS system, a Galileo positioning system, the Global Navigation satellite system (GLONASS), the BeiDou Satellite Navigation and Positioning system, and/or the like). As such, the location determined by the location sensor  110  may be transmitted to a computing system  112  of the system  100  (e.g., in the form coordinates) and stored within the computing system&#39;s memory for subsequent processing and/or analysis. 
     In accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, the system  100  may include a computing system  112  communicatively coupled to one or more components of the sprayer  10  and/or the system  100  to allow the operation of such components to be electronically or automatically controlled by the computing system  112 . For instance, the computing system  112  may be communicatively coupled to the movement sensor(s)  102  via a communicative link  114 . As such, the computing system  112  may be configured to receive data from the movement sensor(s)  102  that is indicative of the movement of the boom assembly  24  relative to the sprayer frame  12 . Moreover, the computing system  112  may be communicatively coupled to the position sensor(s)  104  via the communicative link  114 . As such, the computing system  112  may be configured to receive data from the position sensor(s)  104  that is indicative of the movement of the distances between the spray nozzles  38  and the underlying crop canopy or field surface. Furthermore, the computing system  112  may be communicatively coupled to the location sensor  110  via the communicative link  114 . As such, the computing system  112  may be configured to receive data from the location sensor  110  that is indicative of the location of the sprayer  10  within the field. Moreover, the computing system  112  may be communicatively coupled to a spray nozzle actuator  116  (e.g., a solenoid or other linear actuator) associated with each spray nozzle  38  via the communicative link  114 . In this respect, the computing system  112  may be configured to control the spray nozzle actuators  114  in a manner that controls the operation of the spray nozzles  38 . As will be described below, the computing system  112  may be configured to control the nozzle actuators  116  in a manner that independently adjusts the duty cycle of each spray nozzle  38  to dispense the agricultural fluid evenly across the field as field conditions vary. Additionally, the computing system  112  may be communicatively coupled to any other suitable components of the sprayer  10  and/or the system  100 . 
     In general, the computing system  112  may comprise one or more processor-based devices, such as a given controller or computing device or any suitable combination of controllers or computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the computing system  112  may include one or more processor(s)  118  and associated memory device(s)  120  configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic circuit (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits. Additionally, the memory device(s)  120  of the computing system  112  may generally comprise memory element(s) including, but not limited to, a computer readable medium (e.g., random access memory RAM)), a computer readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flash memory), a floppy disk, a compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disk (DVD) and/or other suitable memory elements. Such memory device(s)  120  may generally be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by the processor(s)  118 , configure the computing system  112  to perform various computer-implemented functions, such as one or more aspects of the methods and algorithms that will be described herein. In addition, the computing system  112  may also include various other suitable components, such as a communications circuit or module, one or more input/output channels, a data/control bus and/or the like. 
     The various functions of the computing system  112  may be performed by a single processor-based device or may be distributed across any number of processor-based devices, in which instance such devices may be considered to form part of the computing system  112 . For instance, the functions of the computing system  112  may be distributed across multiple application-specific controllers or computing devices, such as a navigation controller, an engine controller, and/or the like. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method  200  for monitoring agricultural fluid deposition rate during an agricultural spraying operation is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the method  200  will be described herein with reference to the agricultural sprayer  10  and the system  100  described above with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 . However, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed method  200  may generally be implemented with any agricultural sprayer having any suitable sprayer configuration and/or within any system having any suitable system configuration. In addition, although  FIG. 4  depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion, the methods discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. One skilled in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will appreciate that various steps of the methods disclosed herein can be omitted, rearranged, combined, and/or adapted in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , at ( 202 ), the method  200  includes receiving, with a computing system, movement sensor data indicative of movement of a boom assembly of an agricultural sprayer relative to a sprayer frame. For example, in several embodiments, as the sprayer  10  travels across a field to perform a spraying operation thereon, the computing system  112  may receive data indicative of the movement of the boom assembly  24  of the agricultural sprayer  10  relative to the sprayer frame  12  from the movement sensor(s)  102  (e.g., via the communicative link  114 ). 
     Additionally, at ( 204 ), the method  200  includes determining, with the computing system, a movement parameter associated with the movement of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame based on the received movement sensor data. For example, in several embodiments, the computing system  110  may analyze the data received from the movement sensor(s)  102  at ( 202 ) to determine one or more movement parameters associated with the movement of the boom assembly  24  relative to the sprayer frame  12 . For example, the computing system  112  may include a look-up table(s), suitable mathematical formula, and/or an algorithm(s) stored within its memory device(s)  120  that correlates the received movement sensor data to the movement parameter(s). In some embodiments, the determined movement parameter(s) may correspond to the pitch, roll, and/or yaw of the boom assembly  24 . However, in alternative embodiments, the determined movement parameter(s) may correspond to any other suitable parameter(s) associated with the movement of the boom assembly  24 . 
     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 4 , at ( 206 ), the method  200  includes receiving, with the computing system, position sensor data indicative of a distance between a spray nozzle of the agricultural sprayer and an underlying crop canopy or field surface. For example, in several embodiments, as the sprayer  10  travels across a field to perform the spraying operation, the computing system  112  may receive data indicative of the positions of the spray nozzles  38  and the underlying crop canopy or field surface from the position sensor(s)  104  (e.g., via the communicative link  114 ). 
     Moreover, at ( 208 ), the method  200  includes determining, with the computing system, the distance between the spray nozzle and the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the received position sensor data. For example, in several embodiments, the computing system  112  may analyze the data received from the position sensor(s)  104  at ( 206 ) to determine the distance between each spray nozzle  38  and the underlying crop canopy or field surface. For example, the computing system  112  may include a look-up table(s), suitable mathematical formula, and/or an algorithm(s) stored within its memory device(s)  120  that correlates the received position sensor data to the distance between each spray nozzle  38  and the underlying crop canopy or field surface. 
     In addition, as shown in  FIG. 4 , at ( 210 ), the method  200  includes determining, with the computing system, a spray deposition parameter indicative of a rate at which agricultural fluid is deposited on the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the determined movement parameter and the determined distance. More specifically, in several embodiments, the computing system  112  may be configured to determine one or more spray deposition parameters based on the movement parameter(s) determined at ( 204 ) and the distances between the spray nozzles  38  and the crop canopy/field surface determined at ( 208 ). For example, the computing system  112  may include a look-up table(s), suitable mathematical formula, and/or an algorithm(s) stored within its memory device(s)  120  that correlates the determined movement parameter(s) and distances to the spray deposition parameter(s). 
     The spray deposition parameter(s) may correspond to any suitable parameters associated with the rate at which agricultural fluid is deposited on the underlying crop canopy or field surface. For example, in some embodiments, the spray deposition parameter(s) may be the density(ies) of the droplets of the agricultural fluid deposited on the underlying crop canopy or field surface, such as the number of droplets per unit area of deposited on for one or more portions of the crop canopy/field surface. 
     Additionally, each spray deposition parameter may be associated with a portion of the underlying crop canopy or field surface. For example, in one embodiment, the computing system  112  may be configured to determine a spray deposition parameter (e.g., a droplet density) for several portions of the field, with each portion corresponding to one of the spray nozzles  38 . In such an embodiment, each spray deposition parameter may generally be indicative of the rate at which the agricultural fluid is being deposited onto the crop canopy/field surface by one of the spray nozzles  38 . Thus, as will be described below, each spray nozzle  38  can be individually controlled to adjust the rate at which the agricultural fluid is being deposited onto the crop canopy/field surface each spray nozzle  38  as the conditions within the field (e.g., the wind) change and cause the boom assembly  24  to move relative to sprayer frame  12 . 
     Determining the spray deposition parameter(s) based on the movement parameter(s) (i.e., the movement sensor data) and the distances between the spray nozzles  38  and the crop canopy/field surface (i.e., the position sensor data) may allow the spray deposition parameter(s) to be accurately determined. More specifically, the movement sensor data cannot be used to accurately determine spray droplet density of the agricultural fluid deposited on the crop canopy/field surface alone. That is, such data does not account for the distance between each spray nozzle  38  and the crop canopy/field surface, which can affect the droplet density. For example, the droplet density is concentrated over a smaller area when the spray nozzles  38  are closer to the crop canopy/field surface than when the spray nozzles  38  are farther away. Additionally, the position sensor data cannot be used to accurately determine spray droplet density of the agricultural fluid deposited on the crop canopy/field surface alone. That is, such data does not account for the forward and backward movement of the boom assembly  24  relative to the sprayer frame that causes tiger-striping. However, using both the movement sensor and position sensor data may generally provide an indication of where each spray nozzle  38  is located within three-dimensional space relative to the sprayer frame  12  and the crop canopy/field surface, thereby allowing the spray deposition parameter(s) (e.g., the droplet density(ies)) to be accurately determined. 
     Furthermore, determining the spray deposition parameter(s) based on the movement parameter(s) (i.e., the movement sensor data) and the distances between the spray nozzles  38  and the crop canopy/field surface (i.e., the position sensor data) may generally reduce the computing resources needed to make such determinations. More specifically, conventional systems and methods generally rely on the analysis of captured image data to determine droplet density or other related spray deposition parameters. Such analysis of image data is time-consuming and requires a large amount of the computing resources. Computing resources may generally be limited on sprayers and other agricultural vehicles. However, by using sensor data (e.g., electric signals from a transceiver-based sensor(s) and IMU(s)) that is less computationally intensive to analyze than image data, the disclosed system and method can determine the spray deposition parameter(s) using fewer computing resources and in less time than conventional systems and methods. 
     In some embodiments, at ( 210 ), the method  200  may further include geo-locating the determined spray deposition parameter(s) within the field. More specifically, as the sprayer  10  travels across the field, the computing system  112  may be configured to receive location data (e.g., coordinates) from the location sensor  110  (e.g., via the communicative link  114 ). Based on the known dimensional configuration and/or relative positioning between the boom assembly  24 , the spray nozzles  38 , and the location sensor  110 , the computing system  112  may geo-locate each determined spray deposition parameter within the field. For example, in one embodiment, the coordinates derived from the location sensor  110  and the spray deposition parameter determinations may both be time-stamped. In such an embodiment, the time-stamped data may allow the deposition parameter determinations to be matched or correlated to a corresponding set of location coordinates received or derived from the location sensor  110 . Additionally, in some embodiments, the computing system  112  may be configured to generate a field map identifying the spray deposition parameter at one or more locations within the field. 
     As used herein, a “field map” may generally correspond to any suitable dataset that correlates data to various locations within a field. Thus, for example, a field map may simply correspond to a data table that correlates the spray deposition parameters to various locations along the swath being mapped. Alternatively, a field map may correspond to a more complex data structure, such as a geospatial numerical model that can be used to identify spray deposition parameters and classify such parameters into geographic zones or groups. In one embodiment, the computing system  112  may be configured to generate a graphically displayed map or visual indicator for display to the operator of the sprayer  10  (e.g., via a suitable display screen or other the user interface (not shown)). 
     Moreover, in some embodiments, at ( 210 ), the method  200  may include generating a field map illustrating the movement of the boom assembly  24  relative to the underlying crop canopy or field surface based on the determined movement parameter(s). More specifically, as described above, the computing system  112  may determine one or more movement parameters associated with the movement of the boom assembly  24 , such as its pitch, roll, and/or yaw, based on the data received from the movement sensor(s)  102 . The movement parameter(s) may, in turn, provide an indication of the location of the boom assembly  24  within the horizontal plane as the boom assembly  24  moves forward and backward (i.e., relative to the direction of travel  18 ). In this respect, the computing system  112  may generate a field map illustrating the movement of the boom assembly  24  relative to the underlying crop canopy or field surface. For example, in one embodiment, such a field map may provide a boom assembly “trace” indicating frequency at which the boom assembly  24  was located at specific positions of the crop canopy/field surface. 
     In addition, at ( 212 ), the method  200  includes controlling, with the computing system, the operation of a spray nozzle of the agricultural sprayer based on the determined spray deposition parameter. In several embodiments, the computing system  112  may be configured to independently control the operation of the spray nozzles  38  based on the determined spray deposition parameter(s) such that the agricultural fluid is dispensed uniformly and in the desired amount across the field as the boom assembly  24  moves relative to the sprayer frame  12 . Specifically, in several embodiments, based on the determined spray deposition parameter(s), the computing system  112  may transmit control signals to the spray nozzle actuators  116  (e.g., via the communicative link  114 ). The control signals may, in turn, instruct the actuators  116  to independently control the duty cycle or pulse width modulation of the spray nozzles  38 . For example, when wind causes boom assembly  24  to move forward and backward, the duty cycle of the spray nozzles  38  may adjusted to prevent tiger-striping. 
     As described above, the determination of the spray deposition parameter(s) based on the captured movement and position sensor data requires fewer computing resources and less time than the analysis of image data. As such, the disclosed system and method allow for the operation of the spray nozzles  38  to be adjusted more quickly in response to undesirable agricultural fluid deposition (e.g., droplet density) on the crop canopy/field surface, thereby allowing for more even deposition of the agricultural fluid across the field to improve the effectiveness of the agricultural fluid. 
     It is to be understood that the steps of the method  200  are performed by the computing system  100  upon loading and executing software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium, such as on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., an optical disc, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known in the art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the computing system  100  described herein, such as the method  200 , is implemented in software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium. The computing system  100  loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with the computer readable medium or via a wired and/or wireless network. Upon loading and executing such software code or instructions by the computing system  100 , the computing system  100  may perform any of the functionality of the computing system  100  described herein, including any steps of the method  200  described herein. 
     The term “software code” or “code” used herein refers to any instructions or set of instructions that influence the operation of a computer or controller. They may exist in a computer-executable form, such as machine code, which is the set of instructions and data directly executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a controller, a human-understandable form, such as source code, which may be compiled in order to be executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a controller, or an intermediate form, such as object code, which is produced by a compiler. As used herein, the term “software code” or “code” also includes any human-understandable computer instructions or set of instructions, e.g., a script, that may be executed on the fly with the aid of an interpreter executed by a computer&#39;s central processing unit or by a controller. 
     This written description uses examples to disclose the technology, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the technology, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the technology is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.