Agricultural robot system and method

• US 20060213167A1
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vision Robotics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vision Robotics Corporation
• Inventors: Wallach, Bret, Koselka, Harvey
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/10.20A
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 51/026 of the automotive vehicle type, e.g. including driver accommodation A01B51/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 46/30 Robotic devices for individually picking crops
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/00 Accessories for harvesters or mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 91/00 Methods for harvesting agricultural products
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An agricultural robot system and method of harvesting, pruning, culling, weeding, measuring and managing of agricultural crops. Uses autonomous and semi-autonomous robot(s) comprising machine-vision using cameras that identify and locate the fruit on each tree, points on a vine to prune, etc., or may be utilized in measuring agricultural parameters or aid in managing agricultural resources. The cameras may be coupled with an arm or other implement to allow views from inside the plant when performing the desired agricultural function. A robot moves through a field first to “map” the plant locations, number and size of fruit and approximate positions of fruit or map the cordons and canes of grape vines. Once the map is complete, a robot or server can create an action plan that a robot may implement. An action plan may comprise operations and data specifying the agricultural function to perform.

Claims

1. An agricultural robot system comprising:

at least one camera;

at least one mobile platform coupled with said at least one camera;

said at least one mobile platform configured to operate in an agricultural field using said at least one camera to obtain data associated with agricultural elements in said agricultural field wherein said data is geo-referenced according to location in said agricultural field and wherein said at least one mobile platform is configured to be driven by an operator through said agricultural field or wherein said at least one mobile platform is configured to autonomously navigate through said agricultural field.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an actuator wherein said actuator is configured to interact with said agricultural elements in said agricultural field to harvest, prune, thin, spray, cull, weed or measure said agricultural elements.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one camera is coupled with an actuator.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one camera produces a plurality of images that are processed by an optical flow algorithm.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras configured to provide stereo vision.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising an object selected from the group consisting of GPS, communications device, sensor, refractometer, hydration sensor, at least one harvester bin, server wherein said object is coupled with said at least one mobile platform or with an actuator that is coupled with said at least one mobile platform.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one actuator comprises a light source and wherein said light source is utilized to illuminate said agricultural elements in said agricultural field.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an actuator wherein said at least one mobile platform, said at least one camera and said actuator are configured to interact with said agricultural elements in said agricultural field according to an action plan.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said actuator is a pruner, sprayer or picker.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a harvest bin.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising a server wherein said server is configured to create said action plan associated with said agricultural field.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a communications device configured to communicate between a processor associated with said at least one mobile platform and said server.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said mobile platform is configured to scout said agricultural field and create a map comprising said data that is geo-referenced according to location of said agricultural elements in said agricultural field.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said actuator is configured to pick a first agricultural element in said agricultural field in a first location where a field worker is unable to reach and allows for said field worker to pick a second agricultural element in a second location where said field worker is able to reach.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile platform is configured to scout said agricultural field before a harvest or during a harvest of said agricultural field.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one mobile platform is configured to process a first agricultural element selected from said agricultural elements after said first agricultural element is picked.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said process comprises an action selected from the group consisting of cleaning, packaging, removing stems.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising an agricultural database which comprises a map and agricultural element health or environment status of said agricultural field.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising an agricultural database that is used to estimate crop yield or improve farming techniques.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second at least one mobile platform wherein said second at least one mobile platform comprises at least one actuator and a second at least one camera and wherein said at least one mobile platform is utilized to scout a field and said second at least one mobile platform is configured to interact with said agricultural elements in said agricultural field utilizing said at least one actuator.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said at least one mobile platform transmits an action plan to said second at least one mobile platform wherein said second at least one mobile platform implements said action plan associated with said agricultural elements in said agricultural field.

22. A method for using an agricultural robot system comprising:

entering a field with a scout robot;

approaching a plant with said scout robot;

logging coordinates of said scout robot by said scout robot;

mapping at least one location of an agricultural element by said scout robot to produce a map; and

,

continuing said approaching, said logging and said mapping until a desired number of plants in said field have been mapped.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

creating an action plan with comprising an action that utilizes said at least one location of said agricultural element.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

gathering environmental information from said agricultural elements.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

transmitting information from said scout robot to a worker robot in creating an action plan from said map;

moving said worker robot near said plant;

operating on an intended item associated with said plant by said worker robot; and

,

continuing said moving and said operating until said all plants in said field have been operated on.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said transmitting information from said scout robot to a picker robot further comprises transmitting said information from said scout robot to a server to said worker robot.

27. An agricultural robot system comprising:

at least one sensor; and

,

a robot configured to move through a field and systematically collect data using said at least one sensor wherein said data is associated with a field, plant or crop and wherein said robot is configured to be driven by an operator through said agricultural field or wherein said robot is configured to autonomously navigate through said agricultural field.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said at least one sensor comprises a camera.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein said robot collects data on a plurality of plants in said field.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein said robot collects data based on a statistical sampling of fewer than all plants in said field.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein said robot is further configured to harvest, prune, thin, spray, cull, weed, measure a fruit, vegetable or plant.

32. The system of claim 27 wherein said robot creates an action plan based on data gathered from said field.

33. The system of claim 27 further comprising a second processor system configured to create an action plan based on data gathered from said field.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein said robot performs harvesting, pruning, thinning, spraying culling, weeding, the measuring of fruit, vegetable or plant based on an action plan wherein said action plan is created by said robot based on data gathered from said field.

35. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

one or more task specific robots further comprising at least one actuator and at least one camera;

an action plan gathered via said robot; and

,

said robot configured to operate according to said action plan in an agricultural field using said at least one camera to interact with objects in said agricultural field using said at least one actuator.

36. An agricultural robot system comprising:

a robot further comprising

a platform;

at least one drive wheel coupled with said platform;

at least one camera coupled with said robot;

an agricultural database populated from data gathered via said robot; and

,

said robot configured to operate in an agricultural field using said at least one camera to interact with objects in said agricultural field and wherein said robot is configured to be driven by an operator through said agricultural field or wherein said robot is configured to autonomously navigate through said agricultural field.

37. The system of claim 36 further comprising:

said robot configured to scout as a scout robot;

a picker robot comprising

a second platform;

at least one second drive wheel coupled with said second platform;

at least one second camera coupled with said picker robot;

at least one harvest bin; and

,

said scout robot and said picker robot configured to operate in an agricultural field using said at least one camera to interact with objects in said agricultural field and wherein said scout robot is configured to be driven by an operator through said agricultural field or wherein said scout robot is configured to autonomously navigate through said agricultural field and wherein said picker robot is configured to be driven by an operator through said agricultural field or wherein said picker robot is configured to autonomously navigate through said agricultural field.

38. A method for using an agricultural robot system comprising:

entering a field with a scout robot;

approaching a plant with said scout robot said scout robot is configured to be driven by an operator through said field or wherein said scout robot is configured to autonomously navigate through said field;

logging coordinates of said scout robot by said scout robot;

mapping at least one location of an agricultural element by said scout robot to produce a map; and

,

continuing said approaching, said logging and said mapping until a desired number of plants in said field have been mapped.