Autonomous cutting element for sculpting grass
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle movable in a path, the vehicle having a first number of cutting elements;
a sensing unit for detecting an obstacle in the path;
a control unit connected to the first number of cutting elements, the control unit being configured to autonomously adjust a height of a second number of cutting elements of the first number of cutting elements; and
a processor unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured to determine, in response to the sensing unit detecting the obstacle in the path, the second number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, a height for each of the second number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, and a timing for each of the second number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, wherein the second number of cutting elements comprise more than one cutting element.
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Abstract
An apparatus comprises a vehicle, a sensing unit, and a control unit. The vehicle is movable in a path and has a first number of cutting elements. The sensing unit detects an obstacle in the path. The control unit is connected to the first number of cutting elements and is configured to autonomously adjust a height of a second number of cutting elements of the first number of cutting elements in response to the sensing unit detecting the obstacle in the path.
54 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a vehicle movable in a path, the vehicle having a first number of cutting elements; a sensing unit for detecting an obstacle in the path; a control unit connected to the first number of cutting elements, the control unit being configured to autonomously adjust a height of a second number of cutting elements of the first number of cutting elements; and a processor unit operatively coupled to the control unit and configured to determine, in response to the sensing unit detecting the obstacle in the path, the second number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, a height for each of the second number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, and a timing for each of the second number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, wherein the second number of cutting elements comprise more than one cutting element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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a vehicle movable in a path, the vehicle having a first number of cutting elements; a sensing unit for detecting an obstacle in the path; a control unit connected to the first number of cutting elements, the control unit being configured to autonomously adjust a height of a second number of cutting elements of the first number of cutting elements in response to the sensing unit detecting the obstacle in the path; a computer readable storage medium storing program code for a design to be formed into a pattern, and a processor unit, wherein the processor unit executes the program code and wherein the program code, when executed by the processor unit, causes the control unit to autonomously control the first number of cutting elements to form the pattern. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of controlling cutting elements in a vehicle, the method comprising:
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autonomously moving a vehicle having a first number of cutting elements in a path; detecting an obstacle in the path; and responsive to detecting the obstacle in the path, autonomously adjusting a height of a second number of cutting elements of the first number of cutting elements. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of controlling cutting elements in a vehicle, the method comprising:
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moving a vehicle having a first number of cutting elements in a path; detecting an obstacle in the path; responsive to detecting the obstacle in the path, autonomously adjusting a height of a second number of cutting elements of the first number of cutting elements; storing program code for a design to be formed into a pattern; executing, by a processor unit, the program code; and responsive to executing the program code, autonomously controlling the first number of cutting elements to form in the pattern. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A computer program product comprising:
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a computer readable storage medium; program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for moving a vehicle having a first number of cutting elements in a path, detecting an obstacle in the path; and
autonomously adjusting a height of a second number of cutting elements of the first number of cutting elements in response to detecting the obstacle in the path. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A vehicle comprising:
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a plurality of cutting elements, wherein the vehicle is movable on a path; a sensing unit configured to detect an obstacle in the path, a position of the obstacle in the path, a size of the obstacle in the path, and a distance between the plurality of cutting elements and the obstacle; a processor unit configured to determine a number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, a height for each of the number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted, and a timing for each of the number of cutting elements to be autonomously adjusted; and a control unit connected to the plurality of cutting elements, the control unit being configured to autonomously adjust each of the number of cutting elements of the plurality of cutting elements according to the height and the timing determined for each of the number of cutting elements, wherein the control unit is configured to individually control a height of each individual cutting element of the second number of cutting elements, wherein the second number of cutting elements is (i) a subset of the first number of cutting elements and (ii) comprise more than one cutting element. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification