Penetration depth control and gauge wheel contact force monitoring system for an agricultural row unit

An agricultural implement, comprising:

• an agricultural row unit, comprising:
• a frame;
• and
• a gauge wheel arm assembly configured to movably couple a gauge wheel of the agricultural row unit to the frame;
• and
• a penetration depth control and gauge wheel contact force monitoring system, comprising:
• a penetration depth actuator comprising a body directly coupled to one of the frame or the gauge wheel arm assembly, wherein the penetration depth actuator comprises an actuating device directly coupled to the other of the frame or the gauge wheel arm assembly, and the actuating device is configured to move relative to the body to drive the gauge wheel arm assembly to move the gauge wheel relative to the frame to control a penetration depth of an opener of the agricultural row unit;
• wherein the penetration depth actuator comprises a contact force sensor configured to output a sensor signal indicative of a contact force between the gauge wheel and a soil surface, the penetration depth actuator comprises a first connector coupled to the body and configured to couple to an actuating line, and the penetration depth actuator comprises a second connector coupled to the body and configured to communicatively couple a sensor line to the contact force sensor.

An agricultural implement comprising:

• a seeder row unit, comprising:
• a frame configured to be coupled to a toolbar of the agricultural implement, wherein an agricultural product storage compartment is not non-movably coupled to the frame;
• a single opener disc rotatably coupled to the frame and configured to engage soil;
• a scraper disposed adjacent to the opener disc and configured to remove accumulated soil from the opener disc;
• and
• a gauge wheel arm assembly configured to movably couple a gauge wheel of the seeder row unit to the frame;
• and
• a penetration depth control system, comprising:
• a soil sensor coupled to the scraper, wherein the soil sensor is configured to receive a soil signal from soil indicative of at least one property of the soil and to output a sensor signal indicative of the at least one property;
• a penetration depth actuator configured to drive the gauge wheel arm assembly to move the gauge wheel relative to the frame to control a penetration depth of the single opener disc within the soil, wherein the penetration depth actuator comprises a contact force sensor configured to output a contact force signal indicative of a contact force between the gauge wheel and a soil surface, the penetration depth actuator comprises a body coupled to one of the frame or the gauge wheel arm assembly, the penetration depth actuator comprises an actuating device coupled to the other of the frame or the gauge wheel arm assembly, the actuating device is configured to move relative to the body to drive the gauge wheel arm assembly to move the gauge wheel, the penetration depth actuator comprises a first connector coupled to the body and configured to couple to an actuating line, and the penetration depth actuator comprises a second connector coupled to the body and configured to communicatively couple a sensor line to the contact force sensor;
• and
• a controller comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the controller is configured to receive the sensor signal from the soil sensor, to determine a target penetration depth based on the at least one property of the soil, and to control the penetration depth actuator based on the target penetration depth.