Image-based position assessment of agricultural machine components

An agricultural machine, comprising:

• a frame;
• an agricultural machine mechanism containing a traveling component movably coupled to the frame, the traveling component configured to travel an intended motion path that is non-linear when the agricultural machine mechanism is mechanically driven during operation of the agricultural machine;
• a display device;
• and
• a diagnostic camera mount joined to the frame and configured to attach a diagnostic camera to the frame during an image-based position assessment performed to assess whether the traveling component is properly positioned when traveling the intended motion path during operation of the agricultural machine mechanism, the diagnostic camera mount securing the diagnostic camera in a spatially-fixed orientation in which a field of view of the diagnostic camera encompasses at least a portion of the intended motion path;
• wherein the image-based position assessment includes:
• receiving, at an image processing system, one or more diagnostic camera images captured by the diagnostic camera mounted to the agricultural machine at the diagnostic camera mount and having a field of view at least partially encompassing the intended motion path;
• applying, at the image processing system, permissible path boundaries to the diagnostic camera images for comparison to the traveling component of the timed mechanism as taken along the intended motion path;
• analyzing, at the image processing system, the diagnostic camera images to determine whether a recorded time-dependent component position of the traveling component deviates beyond the permissible path boundaries from an expected time-dependent component position of the traveling component, as taken along the intended motion path;
• and
• generating or causing generation of a first notification on the display device, via the image processing system, indicating that a positional adjustment to the traveling component is recommended if determining that the recorded time-dependent component position deviates beyond the permissible path boundaries from the expected time-dependent component position.