Dynamic drift control

A spray apparatus comprising:

• means for moving the spray apparatus in or over a target area, with the target area comprising at least one non-target area, and/or bordering on at least one non-target area and/or being located in a vicinity of at least one non-target area, wherein each non-target area is characterized by a minimum distance that extends from the non-target area into the target area and that is to be observed by the spray apparatus to inhibit application of the spray product in the non-target area;
• at least one spray nozzles;
• means for delivering spray product via the at least one spray nozzles;
• means for determining the position of the at least one spray nozzle in the target areas;
• a sensor for ascertaining a direction of an air movements;
• a control and processing units;
• where the control and processing unit is configured continually to determine the position of the at least one spray nozzle in the target area during the application of spray product in accordance with defined application parameters, continually to receive measurement data on the direction of the air movement, and, on the basis of the position and of the measurement data received, to ascertain for each non-target area present a corresponding buffer zone specific to the non-target area, with the buffer zone extending from the at least one spray nozzle in the direction of the air movement, wherein a size of the buffer zone correlates to the minimum distance of the non-target area;
• where the control and processing unit is configured to examine whether there is an overlap between the at least one non-target area and its corresponding buffer zone, and, in the event that there is at least one overlap, to alter the application parameters in such a way that there is no longer any overlap.

A computer system comprising:

• a receiving unit;
• a control and processing unit;
• and
• an output unit;
• where the control and processing unit is configured to cause the receiving unit continually to ascertain a position of at least one spray nozzle on a spray apparatus in a target area, with the target area comprising at least one non-target area, and/or bordering on at least one non-target area and/or being located in a vicinity of at least one non-target area, wherein each non-target area is characterized by a minimum distance that extends from the non-target area into the target area and that is to be observed by the spray apparatus to inhibit application of the spray product in the non-target area, and where the spray apparatus moves in or over the target area and applies spray product in accordance with defined application parameters via the at least one spray nozzle;
• where the control and processing unit is configured to cause the receiving unit continually to receive a direction of an air movement;
• where the control and processing unit is configured to ascertain, on the basis of the position of the at least one spray nozzle and the direction of the air movement, for each non-target area present, a corresponding buffer zone specific to the non-target area, with the buffer zone extending from the at least one spray nozzle in the direction of the air movement, wherein a size of the buffer zone correlates to the minimum distance of the non-target area;
• where the control and processing unit is configured to examine whether there is an overlap between the at least one non-target area and its corresponding buffer zone, and, in the event that there is at least one overlap, to alter the application parameters in such a way that there is no longer any overlap, or to cause the output unit to output one or more signals which lead to a change in the application parameters so that there is no longer any overlap.

A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer program which can be loaded into a main memory of a computer system where it causes the computer system to execute the following steps:

• ascertaining a position of at least one spray nozzle on a spray apparatus in a target area, with the target area comprising at least one non-target area, and/or bordering on at least one non-target area and/or being located in a vicinity of at least one non-target area, with the spray apparatus moving in or over the target area and applying spray product in accordance with defined application parameters via the at least one spray nozzle, and wherein each non-target area is characterized by a minimum distance that extends from the non-target area into the target area and that is to be observed by the spray apparatus to inhibit application of the spray product in the non-target area;
• receiving a direction of an air movement;
• for each non-target area present:
• ascertaining a buffer zone specific to the non-target area on the basis of the position of the at least one spray nozzle and of the direction of the air movement, with the buffer zone extending from the at least one spray nozzle in the direction of the air movement, and wherein a size of the buffer zone correlates to the minimum distance of the non-target area;
• examining whether there is an overlap between the at least one non-target area and its corresponding buffer zones;
• in the event that there is at least one overlap:
• outputting one or more signals which lead to an alteration of the application parameters so that there is no longer any overlap.