METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MAINTENANCE AND OTHER PROCESSING OF CONTAINER-GROWN PLANTS USING AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOTS

• US 20130110341A1
• Filed: 11/02/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harvest Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harvest Automation, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Joseph L., Vu, Clara, Sandin, Paul E., Grinnell, Charles M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/00 Methods of fertilising , sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/00 Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/30 End effector

Abstract

A system is provided for processing container-grown plants positioned in a given area. The system includes a processing station positioned in the area for processing the container-grown plants. It also includes one or more autonomous mobile container handling robots configured to: (i) travel to a source location in the area and pick up a container-grown plant, (ii) transport the container-grown plant to the processing station where a process is performed on the container-grown plant, (iii) transport the container-grown plant from the processing station to a destination location in the area, (iv) deposit the container-grown plant at the destination location, and (v) repeat (i) through (iv) for a set of container-grown plants in the source location.

Claims

1. A system for processing container-grown plants positioned in a given area, comprising:

(a) a processing station positioned in the area for processing the container-grown plants; and

(b) one or more autonomous mobile container handling robots configured to;

(i) travel to a source location in the area and pick up a container-grown plant,

(ii) transport the container-grown plant to the processing station where a process is performed on the container-grown plant,

(iii) transport the container-grown plant from the processing station to a destination location in the area,

(iv) deposit the container-grown plant at the destination location, and

(v) repeat (i) through (iv) for a set of container-grown plants in the source location.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a boundary marker that is detectable by the one or more robots to guide the one or more robots to the processing station, the destination location, or the source location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the boundary marker comprises a retro reflective material and the one or more robots each include a boundary detecting sensor for detecting the retro reflective material.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the boundary detecting sensor comprises a photodiode-based sensor and one or more radiation sources to servo on the boundary marker.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more robots is configured to pick up a container-grown plant, carry the container-grown plant through the processing station as the container-grown plant is processed, and transport and deposit the container-grown plant in the destination area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more robots is configured to deposit the container-grown plant at the processing station and the same or another of the one or more robots is configured to pick up the container-grown plant from the processing station once it has been processed to be deposited in the destination area.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing station is automatically movable within the area.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing station is configured to automatically move in a direction towards the source location as container-grown plants are moved from the source location to the destination location.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more robots or the processing station includes a sensor to detect a physical condition relating to the container-grown plant, and said processing station is configured to process the container-grown plant in accordance with the detected physical condition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor for detecting a physical condition comprises a soil moisture sensor or a soil pH sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more robots can communicate with the processing station through a wireless communication system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing station commands a robot to perform a specified action when said robot is within the processing station.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing station is configured to apply a substance to a container-grown plant, weed a container-grown plant, re-pot a container-grown plant, grade a container-grown plant, or sort a container-grown plant.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein each container-grown plant includes a machine-readable unique identifier, and wherein the processing station includes a device for reading the unique identifier of each container-grown plant processed by the processing station.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the machine-readable unique identifier comprises a bar code, quick response code, or RFID tag.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing station is configured to record or transmit to a remote data processing site the unique identifier of each container-grown plant processed by the processing station and information on the process performed.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the robot communicates information on the source location or the destination location of a container-grown plant to the processing station when it processes the container-grown plant, and wherein the processing station is configured to record or transmit to a remote data processing site the information with the unique identifier of the container-grown plant.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more robots comprises:

a chassis;

a plant container transport mechanism on the chassis;

a drive subsystem for maneuvering the chassis;

a boundary sensing subsystem on the chassis;

a container or obstacle detection subsystem on the chassis;

a controller on the chassis responsive to the boundary sensing subsystem and the container or obstacle detection subsystem and being configured to control the drive subsystem to travel to the source location, transport the container-grown plant to the processing station and to transport the container-grown plant from the processing station to a destination location, and to control the plant container transport mechanism pick up a container-grown plant in the source location and to deposit the container-grown plant at the destination location.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive subsystem to locate and follow a boundary marker and maneuver the robot into the plant processing station to perform an operation on a plant carried by the plant container transport mechanism, and to control the drive subsystem to exit the plant processing station after the operation has been performed.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the area comprises an outdoor field or bed.

21. A method of processing container-grown plants positioned in a given area, comprising:

(a) picking up a container-grown plant at a source location in the area and transporting the container-grown plant to a processing station using an autonomous mobile robot;

(b) processing the container-grown plant at the processing station;

(c) transporting the container-grown plant from the processing station to a destination location in the area and depositing the container-grown plant at the destination location using an autonomous mobile robot; and

(d) repeating steps (a) through (c) for a set of container-grown plants in the source location.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising carrying the container-grown plant through the processing station using the same autonomous mobile robot while the container-grown plant is being processed.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein steps (a) and (c) are performed by different autonomous mobile robots.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting a physical condition relating to the container-grown plant, and processing the container-grown plant in accordance with the detected physical condition.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the physical condition comprises a soil moisture level or a soil pH level.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising enabling wireless communication between the processing station and the mobile autonomous robot.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising commanding the robot to perform a specified action when said robot is within the processing station.

28. The method of claim 21, step (b) comprises applying a substance to a container-grown plant, weeding a container-grown plant, re-potting a container-grown plant, grading a container-grown plant, or sorting a container-grown plant.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising automatically moving the processing station in a direction towards the source location as container-grown plants are moved from the source location to the destination location.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein each container-grown plant includes a machine-readable unique identifier, and wherein the method further comprises reading the unique identifier of each container-grown plant processed by the processing station.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the machine-readable unique identifier comprises a bar code, quick response code, or RFID tag.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising recording or transmitting to a remote data processing site the unique identifier of each container-grown plant processed by the processing station and information on the process performed.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising communicating information on the source location or the destination location of a container-grown plant by the autonomous mobile robot to the processing station when the processing station processes the container-grown plant, and records or transmits to a remote data processing site the information with the unique identifier of the container-grown plant.