Aerial deployment planting methods and systems

• US 10,212,876 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DroneSeed, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DroneSeed, Inc.
• Inventors: Aghai, Matthew M., Canary, Grant, Thomson, John, Krob, Robert Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US15/985,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20180263170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 382110
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/02 combined with other agricultural processing, e.g. fertilising, planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 14/00 Methods or apparatus for planting not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/005 Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/0291 Planting receptacles specially adapted for remaining in the soil after planting
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones

Abstract

Methods and systems are presented for making good use of recently obtained biometric data and for configuring propagule capsules for deployment via an unmanned vehicle so that each has an improved chance of survival.

Claims

1. An aerial deployment planting system comprising:

a first propagule capsule configured to contain one or more propagules and to be supported by an unmanned vehicle, said first propagule capsule comprising;

one or more absorbent below-ground-moisture collectors including a first absorbent below-ground-moisture collector;

one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits; and

a first substrate configured to support said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits adjacent said one or more propagules and to allow below-ground seepage from said one or more absorbent below-ground-moisture collectors that extend more than 0.2 millimeters (mm) below a ground surface to flow by wicking via said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits to said one or more propagules, wherein a dry weight majority of at least one of said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits is dehydrated compressed peat or another growing medium configured to undergo a volumetric expansion of more than 20% when hydrated, wherein an exterior surface of said first propagule capsule includes a soil-contacting portion of said first absorbent below-ground-moisture collector larger than 1 square centimeter and configured to absorb more than 5 microliters of liquid per hour directly from surrounding soil by wicking, wherein an endmost portion longer than 0.5 mm of said first propagule capsule has a footprint of about 2 square mm, wherein said first propagule capsule is less than 5% water by weight, and wherein said one or more propagules comprise a dormant seed of a tree.

2. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 1, wherein a weight majority of said endmost portion of said first propagule capsule comprises one or more types of natural fiber.

3. An aerial deployment planting system comprising:

a first propagule capsule configured to contain one or more propagules and to be supported by an unmanned vehicle, said first propagule capsule comprising;

one or more absorbent below-ground-moisture collectors including a first absorbent below-ground-moisture collector;

one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits; and

a first substrate configured to support said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits adjacent said one or more propagules and to allow below-ground seepage from said one or more absorbent below-ground-moisture collectors that extend more than 0.2 millimeters (mm) below a ground surface to flow by wicking via said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits to said one or more propagules.

4. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein an exterior surface of said first propagule capsule includes a soil-contacting portion of said first absorbent below-ground-moisture collector larger than 1 square centimeter.

5. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, comprising:

a first unmanned vehicle having a drone propulsion subassembly, said drone propulsion subassembly having one or more robotic limbs configured to allow said first unmanned vehicle to ambulate, wherein said drone propulsion subassembly supports dozens of propagule capsules including said first propagule capsule; and

a first targeting subassembly gimbaled relative to said drone propulsion subassembly so as to stabilize said first targeting subassembly while said first propagule capsule is released aerially toward a ground surface target smaller than a square meter.

6. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits of said first propagule capsule are integrally formed with at least one of said one or more absorbent below-ground-moisture collectors.

7. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said first propagule capsule includes one or more above-ground-moisture collectors that protrude rearward from said first propagule capsule.

8. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said first propagule capsule includes one or more above-ground-moisture collectors that extend laterally by a lateral distance of more than 1 millimeter so as to create drag upon said first propagule capsule and thereby enhance an orientation of said first propagule capsule during flight.

9. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said first propagule capsule includes an above-ground-moisture collector having a hydrophobic surface on an upper surface thereof.

10. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said first propagule capsule includes an above-ground-moisture collector having a latticed layer of wire with numerous holes therethrough each within an order of magnitude of 0.5 mm in width.

11. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said first propagule capsule has a drag coefficient greater than 0.04 and less than 0.5 in flight before landing.

12. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said first propagule capsule is configured to be deployed aerially from said unmanned vehicle so that said first absorbent below-ground-moisture collector penetrates said ground surface by more than 5 mm.

13. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said unmanned vehicle includes a staging subassembly configured (1) to alter said first propagule capsule before releasing said first propagule capsule and (2) to alter a second propagule capsule less than one minute after releasing said first propagule capsule and less than one minute before releasing said second propagule capsule.

14. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, comprising a cartridge configured to allow said first propagule capsule to leave said cartridge while dozens of other propagule capsules remain therein, wherein a dry weight majority of a first artificial moisture-transfer conduit of said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits is a growing medium configured to undergo a volumetric expansion of more than 20% when hydrated.

15. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein said first propagule capsule includes one or more coniferous tree seeds as said one or more propagules and wherein one or more propagule capsules therein have been modified inside said cartridge within 24 hours before a deployment of any of said propagule capsules therein.

16. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, comprising:

a drone propulsion subassembly having one or more robotic limbs configured to allow said first unmanned vehicle to ambulate; and

a targeting subassembly having a first steerable chute and one or more actuators configured to adjust an angle of said first steerable chute relative to said drone propulsion subassembly by more than one degree in less than 100 milliseconds.

17. The aerial deployment planting system of claim 3, wherein an endmost portion longer than 0.5 mm of said first propagule capsule has a footprint of about 2 square mm and wherein a weight majority of said endmost portion comprises one or more types of natural fiber.

18. An aerial deployment planting method comprising:

configuring a first propagule capsule to contain one or more propagules and to be deployed by an unmanned vehicle by assembling a first absorbent below-ground-moisture collector, one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits, and a first substrate configured to support said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits adjacent said one or more propagules, wherein said one or more absorbent below-ground-moisture collectors are configured to allow below-ground seepage more than 0.2 millimeters below a ground surface to flow by wicking via said one or more artificial moisture-transfer conduits to said one or more propagules.