Jobs are the heart of Bonsai Pilot and tells the vehicle what work to perform, where, and with which machine(s) and implement(s). Create jobs are the equivalent of planning your work day.
You can start creating new jobs from multiple places in Bonsai Pilot:
Home page → Jobs Tab → "+ Add Job"
Home page → Vehicles Tab → Vehicle details ( ⋮ ) → Jobs Queue → "+ Add Job"
Vehicle page → Jobs Queue tab → "+ Add Job"
Jobs page → "+ Add Job"
Jobs page → Duplicate Job (⧉)
Whichever way you decide to use, you can set multiple parameters tailored for you application. Here's how to get started:
Job Basics
1- Select what kind of field work you want to do, so if coming from a page where the vehicle was already pre-selected, not all options will be available. In our example we will use "Orchard Spray":
2- Select which field you want. You can search by field name, change farms, or even pick on the map using the upper bar. Click Continue when ready.
3- Pick the machine you want to use. You can use up to 4 machines for one job. Here some details are useful:
Some jobs need implements, once you select machines you will be able to pick which ones to use. This will influence which parameters you will be able to set later.
If you have multiple farms set, machines that are set for another farm won't be available initially. Click "Show all unavailable machines" and you will be able to move those machines to the farm you are working now.
Each implement have its own set of machine it can be attached and some are smart, meaning it won't allow the job to work when is not connected.
If machines and/or implement combinations are not available for you to choose, contact our support.
When ready click continue and you will move to Job Planner.
Job Planner - Basic Settings
The planner will assign you a job number (in this example, JOB-200) and automatically split rows between the machines selected for the job.
You can pick users to be supervisors and/or watchers to be notified of the progress and possible warnings/errors on the jobs.
If the machines have a queue of jobs lined, you can choose to send this job to the end of the queue or run as the immediate next job.
If you are an admin user, you can change which planner version to use, but most of the times the default choice is the best.
If you are happy with the basic choices, click/slide "Build Plan" and after a few seconds you will see the navigation pattern that is optimal for the default parameters.
Click "Save Job" to add the jobs to the queue of the respective machines. If they are online and ready to work, you will be able to click/slide to "Sync Plans" and start the jobs.
Job Planner - Advanced Settings
Basic settings remember your previous settings for the jobs, but farming usually require a lot more flexibility. To be able to change all parameters on one job, switch the tab to "Advanced Settings" and you will see a lot more options:
Previously completed jobs: it will show and warn you if you are trying to perform the same job on rows that were done before. Default time is 30 days, but you can change using the +/- signals on this job.
Distribution preset: quick sets to build patterns you want your machine(s) to run.
Skip Rows: select it when your implement affects more than one row.
Alternate swaths: check it to have both machines running next to each other instead of on different blocks of the field.
Crop: if you maps have more than one crop variety, you can use this menu to filter swaths.
Map: when you click swaths on the map, you will toggle single ones for this job.
Start/Finish: using the colored tags to select the machine and the icons
to where the S and F flags should be. The planner will do its best to match it. You can also drag and drop the flags directly on the map.
Refill Zone: select which side of the field we should check for tank volume (if a flow meter and/or sensor level are available on this implement). When we detect we will run out of level between refill zones we will trigger a refill alert and pause the job on that zone.
Parameters
Vehicle: adjust ground and RPM speeds. If applicable we will adjust engine throttle to achieve optimal results (e.g.: when a PTO mower hits a denser patch, its RPM will drop and we will slow down and/or increase throttle to compensate).
Implement: adjust implement specific parameters like spray coverage, when to engage/disengage, lower/raise (case on 3-Point), etc. Hover your mouse over the labels for details.
Job Plan: adjust parameters to improve navigation when turning. Particularly useful when you implements were customized and you need extra room on turns. Hover over the ⓘ icon to see details and examples.
If you need a customized plan for an specific applications, reach out for our support team and we can build and upload using the button.
Finally, check the estimated metrics for your job, add to the end of the queue on each tractor or as the immediate next job.
Click/Slide to "Build Plan" and wait for its completion.
Once ready, double check the paths of each machine, its starting and ending point and, if you are satisfied with the result Save and Sync the job.
If the machines are not online, syncing will not happen, but the job will be saved and you can Sync it later.
If something is not right, you can also go back and edit the plan, change parameters and rebuild it.
IMPORTANT
If the parameters set are not plausible (e.g. there is not available space for turning), the planner algorithm will reject it and an error will show explaining why.
Typically, you will be able to fix it changing swaths, and adjusting parameters like offset. If the error persist contact Bonsai Support for help.
Once the plan is synced, you will be directed to the Job Detail page and will be ready to start the work.