Robotic agricultural system and method
First Claim
1. A robotic agriculture system, comprising:
- an autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV), configured to autonomously deliver a predetermined amount of premixed solution over a predefined path, wherein the predefined path is identified by an ADV forward-looking sensor, the autonomous deliver vehicle comprising;
a vehicle chassis with a front and a rear, wherein the front vehicle chassis has an up-sloped front profile;
hydraulic motors attached to the vehicle chassis, wherein the hydraulic motors motivate the autonomous delivery vehicle in a selected direction;
a hydraulic pump attached to the vehicle chassis and fluidly coupled to drive the hydraulic motors;
a motive engine mechanically coupled to, and configured to drive, the hydraulic pump, and attached to the vehicle chassis;
a dispersal fan, attached to the vehicle chassis rear, and coupled to the motive engine; and
a solution pump attached to the vehicle chassis and coupled to the motive engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robotic orchard spraying system having an autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV), autonomously delivering an amount of a premixed solution over path, the path identified by a forward-looking sensor. The ADV uses GPS to sense an area containing the path, and LiDAR as the forward-looking sensor. Also, a mobile control center, configured to wirelessly inform the autonomous delivery vehicle of the path within the areas and to confirm that the autonomous delivery vehicle is following the path within the area. Additionally, a mapper vehicle generates the path within the area, the mapper vehicle being configured to communicate information about the path and the area to the command center. The mapper vehicle senses the path with a forward-looking LiDAR sensor, and senses the area with a GPS sensor. Moreover, a nurse truck has a reservoir of premixed solution for replenishing a tank of the ADV.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A robotic agriculture system, comprising:
an autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV), configured to autonomously deliver a predetermined amount of premixed solution over a predefined path, wherein the predefined path is identified by an ADV forward-looking sensor, the autonomous deliver vehicle comprising; a vehicle chassis with a front and a rear, wherein the front vehicle chassis has an up-sloped front profile; hydraulic motors attached to the vehicle chassis, wherein the hydraulic motors motivate the autonomous delivery vehicle in a selected direction; a hydraulic pump attached to the vehicle chassis and fluidly coupled to drive the hydraulic motors; a motive engine mechanically coupled to, and configured to drive, the hydraulic pump, and attached to the vehicle chassis; a dispersal fan, attached to the vehicle chassis rear, and coupled to the motive engine; and a solution pump attached to the vehicle chassis and coupled to the motive engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A robotic orchard spraying system, comprising:
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autonomous delivery vehicles, configured to autonomously deliver respective predetermined amounts of a premixed solution over respective predefined paths within respective predefined areas, the respective predefined paths being identified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle forward-looking LiDAR sensor and the respective predefined area being identified by a respective autonomous delivery vehicle GPS sensor, the respective autonomous delivery vehicles having respective premixed solution tanks coupled to the respective vehicle chassis; a mobile control center, configured to wirelessly inform the autonomous delivery vehicles of the respective predefined paths within the respective predefined areas and to confirm that the autonomous delivery vehicles are following the respective predefined path within the respective predefined area; a mapper vehicle, the mapper vehicle generating the respective predefined paths within the respective predefined areas; and
the mapper vehicle configured to communicate information about the respective predefined paths and the predefined areas to the control center, wherein the mapper vehicle senses the respective predefined paths with a mapper vehicle forward-looking LiDAR sensor, and senses the respective predefined area with a mapper vehicle GPS sensor; anda nurse truck having a reservoir of premixed solution for replenishing the respective premixed solution tanks of the respective autonomous delivery vehicles; wherein each of the autonomous delivery vehicles comprises; a vehicle chassis with a front and a rear, wherein the front vehicle chassis has an up-sloped front profile; a hydraulic system, having; hydraulic motors attached to the vehicle chassis, wherein the hydraulic motors motivate the autonomous delivery vehicle, a main hydraulic pump attached to the vehicle chassis and fluidly coupled to provide a driving force to the hydraulic motors, causing the autonomous delivery vehicle to go forwards or backwards, a hydraulic actuator mechanically coupled to front wheels of the autonomous delivery vehicle, an auxiliary hydraulic pump attached to the vehicle chassis and fluidly coupled to the hydraulic actuator to provide a steering force, causing the autonomous delivery vehicle to turn right or left, a dispersal fan, attached to the vehicle chassis rear; a sprayer system, including; a reservoir for holding a premixed solution, a solution pump coupled to the reservoir, and spray nozzles coupled to the solution pump, wherein the solution pump is caused to deliver the premixed solution from the reservoir to the spray nozzles, wherein the dispersal fan is caused to create a forced air stream ejected from the autonomous delivery vehicle, and wherein the nozzles cause the premixed solution to be ejected into the forced air stream; a motive engine coupled to the main and auxiliary hydraulic pumps, and to the solution pump and the dispersal fan, wherein the hydraulic pumps are caused to operate, wherein the solution pump and the dispersal fan are selectively caused to operate; and a forward collision avoidance system responsive to at least one of the autonomous delivery vehicle forward-looking LiDAR sensors sensing an obstruction in the predefined path, wherein sensing the obstruction causes the autonomous delivery vehicle to stop. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling a robotic agriculture system, the method comprising:
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providing an autonomous delivery vehicle having a vehicle control unit, the vehicle configured to autonomously deliver a predetermined amount of premixed solution over a predefined path, the autonomous delivery vehicle including; a forward looking LiDAR sensor, a GPS sensor, a vehicle chassis with a front and a rear, wherein the front vehicle chassis has an up-sloped front profile, hydraulic motors attached to the vehicle chassis, wherein the hydraulic motors motivate the autonomous delivery vehicle in a selected direction, a hydraulic pump attached to the vehicle chassis and fluidly coupled to drive the hydraulic motors, a motive engine mechanically coupled to, and configured to drive, the hydraulic pump, and attached to the vehicle chassis, a dispersal fan, attached to the vehicle chassis rear, and coupled to the motive engine, and a solution pump attached to the vehicle chassis and coupled to the motive engine; receiving by the vehicle control unit, sensor data indicative of the predefined path from the forward-looking sensor; controlling, using the vehicle control unit, the hydraulic motors attached to the vehicle chassis to motivate the autonomous delivery vehicle in a selected direction based on the sensor data; and controlling, using the vehicle control unit, the solution pump to selectively eject the predetermined amount of premixed solution over the predefined path with the dispersal fan. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification