Agricultural robot system and method

• US 8,381,501 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vision Robotics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vision Robotics Corporation
• Inventors: Koselka, Harvey, Wallach, Bret
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, ALICIA M
• Application Number:
  US12/945,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 835 Days
• Field of Search: 56/102.A, 56/102.R, 563/281, 56D/IG.7, 701/50
• US Class Current: 56/10.2A
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 51/026 of the automotive vehicle type, e.g. including driver accommodation A01B51/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 46/30 Robotic devices for individually picking crops
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/00 Accessories for harvesters or mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 91/00 Methods for harvesting agricultural products
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An agricultural robot system and method of harvesting, pruning, culling, weeding, measuring and managing of agricultural crops. Uses autonomous and semi-autonomous robot(s) comprising machine-vision using cameras that identify and locate the fruit on each tree, points on a vine to prune, etc., or may be utilized in measuring agricultural parameters or aid in managing agricultural resources. The cameras may be coupled with an arm or other implement to allow views from inside the plant when performing the desired agricultural function. A robot moves through a field first to “map” the plant locations, number and size of fruit and approximate positions of fruit or map the cordons and canes of grape vines. Once the map is complete, a robot or server can create an action plan that a robot may implement. An action plan may comprise operations and data specifying the agricultural function to perform.

Claims

1. A method for using an agricultural robot system comprising:

entering a field having plants with a scout robot;

approaching a plant with said scout robot wherein said plant comprises agricultural elements including agricultural elements to be harvested with a worker robot;

logging coordinates of said scout robot by said scout robot;

mapping a location of at least one agricultural element comprising branches or leaves or fruits or vegetables within said plant by said scout robot to produce a map;

continuing said approaching, said logging and said mapping until at least a plurality of said plants in said field have been mapped;

wherein said mapping said location by said scout robot occurs without performing an agricultural operation that transforms or physically alters said agricultural elements and without harvesting said agricultural elements to be harvested of said plant within said field;

transmitting said map from said scout robot to said worker robot;

creating an action plan from said map to optimize agricultural operations by said worker robot at a later time wherein the action plan is created by said worker robot or by a server, wherein said action plan includes optimized robot arm motion paths of robot arms coupled with said worker robot;

moving said worker robot near said plant after said scout robot leaves said plant;

performing an agricultural operation that transforms or physically alters, or harvesting, said agricultural element or said agricultural element to be harvested associated with said plant by said worker robot using said action plan.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

gathering environmental information from said agricultural elements with said scout robot.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting said map from said scout robot to said worker robot further comprises transmitting said map from said scout robot to said server, wherein said server comprises said creating said action plan and transmitting said action plan to said worker robot.