Robotic agricultural system and method
First Claim
1. A robotic agricultural system comprising:
- autonomous delivery vehicles, each configured to autonomously perform a respective predetermined agricultural task over respective predefined, nonoverlapping paths within respective predefined non-overlapping areas, the respective predefined non-overlapping paths being verified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle forward-looking sensor or a respective autonomous delivery vehicle video feed or both, and the respective predefined non-overlapping area being verified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle geolocation sensor;
a control center, configured to wirelessly inform the autonomous delivery vehicles of the respective predefined non-overlapping paths and respective predefined non-overlapping areas; and
a mapper vehicle configured to identify predefined non-overlapping paths in respective predefined non-overlapping areas, wherein the mapper vehicle is configured to communicate information about the respective predefined non-overlapping paths and the respective predefined non-overlapping areas to the control center.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic orchard spraying system having autonomous delivery vehicles (ADV), each autonomously delivering an amount of a premixed solution over a non-overlapping path verified by a forward-looking sensor, video, or both. Also, a mobile control center, configured to wirelessly inform the autonomous delivery vehicle of the path within the areas and to confirm that the autonomous delivery vehicle is following the path within the area. Additionally, a mapper vehicle generates the path within the area, the mapper vehicle being configured to communicate information about the path and the area to the command center. The mapper vehicle senses the path with a forward-looking LiDAR sensor, and senses the area with a GPS sensor. Moreover, a nurse truck has a reservoir of premixed solution for replenishing a tank of the ADV. ADVs and the control center communicate over a radio network, which may be a mesh network, a cellular network, or both.
83 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A robotic agricultural system comprising:
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autonomous delivery vehicles, each configured to autonomously perform a respective predetermined agricultural task over respective predefined, nonoverlapping paths within respective predefined non-overlapping areas, the respective predefined non-overlapping paths being verified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle forward-looking sensor or a respective autonomous delivery vehicle video feed or both, and the respective predefined non-overlapping area being verified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle geolocation sensor; a control center, configured to wirelessly inform the autonomous delivery vehicles of the respective predefined non-overlapping paths and respective predefined non-overlapping areas; and a mapper vehicle configured to identify predefined non-overlapping paths in respective predefined non-overlapping areas, wherein the mapper vehicle is configured to communicate information about the respective predefined non-overlapping paths and the respective predefined non-overlapping areas to the control center. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A robotic agricultural system, comprising:
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autonomous delivery vehicles, each configured to autonomously perform a respective predetermined agricultural task over respective predefined, nonoverlapping paths within respective predefined non-overlapping areas, the respective predefined non-overlapping paths being verified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle forward-looking sensor or a respective autonomous delivery vehicle video feed or both, and the respective predefined non-overlapping area being verified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle geolocation sensor; a mobile control center, configured to wirelessly inform the respective autonomous delivery vehicles of the respective predefined non-overlapping paths within the respective predefined non-overlapping areas and to confirm that the autonomous delivery vehicles are following the respective predefined nonoverlapping path within the respective predefined non-overlapping area; and a mapper vehicle, the mapper vehicle generating the respective predefined non-overlapping paths within the respective predefined non-overlapping areas; and
the mapper vehicle configured to communicate information about the respective predefined non-overlapping paths and the predefined non-overlapping areas to the mobile control center, wherein the mapper vehicle senses the respective predefined non-overlapping paths with a mapper vehicle forward-looking sensor, and senses the respective predefined non-overlapping areas with a mapper vehicle geolocation sensor.
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12. A method for a robotic agricultural system, comprising:
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autonomously determining a non-overlapping forward path; autonomously following the non-overlapping forward path; employing an autonomous delivery vehicle for selectively performing a predetermined agricultural task; while following the non-overlapping forward path, autonomously and selectively performing the predetermined agricultural task on the non-overlapping forward path; downloading to the autonomous delivery vehicle a predetermined nonoverlapping forward path; comparing a current forward path to the downloaded pre-identified nonoverlapping forward path; and autonomously correcting a heading corresponding to a downloaded nonoverlapping forward path, using a forward-looking sensor on the autonomous delivery vehicle.
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Specification