Expert System for Controlling Plant Growth in a Contained Environment
First Claim
1. A system for achieving optimized crop growth, comprising:
- a growth chamber which is sealed off from an ambient environment;
imaging means for acquiring and monitoring spatially distributed crop growth information within said growth chamber, said imaging means comprising at least one device selected from the group consisting of a multispectral imager, a hyperspectral imager, a RAMAN, a thermal luminescence imager and a photo acoustic imager;
environmental monitoring means for acquiring and monitoring data regarding environmental conditions within said growth chamber;
illumination and environmental control means for controlling illumination and environmental conditions in said growth chamber; and
an expert system that is coupled to said imaging means and said environmental means, said expert system being trained to analyze and evaluate crop growth conditions within the growth chamber using a heuristic method, and to control said illumination and environmental control means to achieve optimized crop growth and minimum consumption of energy and nutrients.
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Abstract
In a system for optimizing crop growth, vegetation is cultivated in a contained environment, such as a greenhouse, an underground cavern or other enclosed space. Imaging equipment is positioned within or about the contained environment, to acquire spatially distributed crop growth information, and environmental sensors are provided to acquire data regarding multiple environmental conditions that can affect crop development. Illumination within the contained environment, and the addition of essential nutrients and chemicals are in turn controlled in response to data acquired by the imaging apparatus and environmental sensors, by an “expert system” which is trained to analyze and evaluate crop conditions. The expert system controls the spatial and temporal lighting pattern within the contained area, and the timing and allocation of nutrients and chemicals to achieve optimized crop development. A user can access the “expert system” remotely, to assess activity within the growth chamber, and can override the “expert system”.
48 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for achieving optimized crop growth, comprising:
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a growth chamber which is sealed off from an ambient environment; imaging means for acquiring and monitoring spatially distributed crop growth information within said growth chamber, said imaging means comprising at least one device selected from the group consisting of a multispectral imager, a hyperspectral imager, a RAMAN, a thermal luminescence imager and a photo acoustic imager; environmental monitoring means for acquiring and monitoring data regarding environmental conditions within said growth chamber; illumination and environmental control means for controlling illumination and environmental conditions in said growth chamber; and an expert system that is coupled to said imaging means and said environmental means, said expert system being trained to analyze and evaluate crop growth conditions within the growth chamber using a heuristic method, and to control said illumination and environmental control means to achieve optimized crop growth and minimum consumption of energy and nutrients. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for controlling crop growth within a growth area, said system comprising:
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imaging means for monitoring spatially distributed crop growth information according to a predetermined grid cell pattern within said growth area; and illumination means for controlling spatial, temporal and spectral distribution of illumination within individual cells of said grid cell pattern in response to said crop growth information. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification