Method and apparatus for performing pruning operations using an autonomous vehicle
First Claim
1. An autonomous vehicle apparatus for performing pruning operations on a plant being cultivated in a container, the apparatus comprising:
- a wheeled chassis operably configured to autonomously navigate to a location of the container within a workspace;
a plant support operable to receive and secure the container in an upright condition for rotation about a vertical axis extending generally vertically through the container and the plant;
a manipulator mounted to the vehicle and operable to grasp and load the container onto the plant support;
a pruning tool mounted on the vehicle and disposed to prune the plant while the container is rotated on the plant support.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous vehicle apparatus and method for performing pruning operations on a plant being cultivated in a container is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wheeled chassis operably configured to autonomously navigate to a location of the container within a workspace. The apparatus also includes a plant support operable to receive and secure the container in an upright condition for rotation about a vertical axis extending generally vertically through the container and the plant. The apparatus further includes a manipulator mounted to the vehicle and operable to grasp and load the container onto the plant support, and a pruning tool mounted on the vehicle and disposed to prune the plant while the container is rotated on the plant support.
102 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An autonomous vehicle apparatus for performing pruning operations on a plant being cultivated in a container, the apparatus comprising:
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a wheeled chassis operably configured to autonomously navigate to a location of the container within a workspace; a plant support operable to receive and secure the container in an upright condition for rotation about a vertical axis extending generally vertically through the container and the plant; a manipulator mounted to the vehicle and operable to grasp and load the container onto the plant support; a pruning tool mounted on the vehicle and disposed to prune the plant while the container is rotated on the plant support. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method implemented by a controller of an autonomous vehicle having a wheeled chassis to perform pruning operations on plants being cultivated in containers, the method comprising:
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(a) causing the autonomous vehicle to autonomously navigate to a location of a plurality of plant containers within a workspace; (b) locating a first container of the plurality of plant containers at a pickup location and causing a manipulator mounted to the vehicle to grasp and load the container onto a plant support, the plant support being operable to receive and secure the container in an upright condition for rotation about a vertical axis extending generally vertically through the container and the plant; (c) causing a pruning tool mounted to the vehicle to prune the plant while the container is rotated on the plant support; (d) causing the manipulator to grasp and unload the first container to a drop-off location within the workspace; (e) successively repeating steps (a) to (d) for remaining containers in the plurality of plant containers. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification