Robotic platform and method for performing multiple functions in agricultural systems

• US 9,265,187 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RowBot Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: RowBot Systems LLC
• Inventors: Cavender-Bares, Kent, Lofgren, Joseph B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/548,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20150142250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 51/02 propelled by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/008 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/00 Fertiliser distributors combined with seeders A01C7/06
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/002 Apparatus for sowing fertiliser; Fertiliser drill
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/008 Tanks, chassis or related parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/024 for ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/00 Sowing
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/004 using liquid seeding techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/085 Broadcast seeders
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0231 : using optical position detecting means position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

An autonomous vehicle platform and system for selectively performing an in-season management task in an agricultural field while self-navigating between rows of planted crops, the autonomous vehicle platform having a vehicle base with a width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between two rows of planted crops, the vehicle base having an in-season task management structure configured to perform various tasks, including selectively applying fertilizer, mapping growth zones and seeding cover crop within an agricultural field.

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle platform for selectively sampling planted crops in an agricultural field while self-navigating between rows of planted crops, comprising:

a vehicle base having a length, width and height, the width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between two rows of planted crops coupled to at least a plurality of ground engaging wheels;

at least one powertrain fixedly coupled to the vehicle base and operably coupled to at least one of the ground engaging wheels;

a plant sampling structure configured to remove a physical sample of a planted crop for analysis;

a navigation module; and

a microprocessor in communication the navigation module and programmed with a self-direction program to autonomously steer the autonomous vehicle platform while removing the physical sample from the planted crop.

3. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 1, wherein the plant sampling structure comprises a device for collection of the physical sample.

4. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 3, wherein the device is at least one of a leaf clip, a leaf punch, or a combination thereof.

5. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 3, wherein the device is operably coupled to a robotic arm.

6. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 1, wherein the removed physical sample is analyzed by the autonomous vehicle platform.

7. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 6, wherein the removed physical sample is measured for light absorption.

8. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 6, wherein the distance between physical sampling can be increased when the differences between adjacent analyzed physical samples vary less than a predefined threshold, thereby improving the efficiency of the sampling of planted crops.

9. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 1, wherein physical samples are removed from more than a single location on the planted crop.

10. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 1, wherein the removed physical sample from the planted crop is tagged for later analysis.

11. The autonomous vehicle platform of claim 1, wherein the navigation module relies on existing data about an agricultural field to autonomously steer the autonomous vehicle platform to areas of the agricultural field for physical sampling of planted crops.

2. An autonomous vehicle platform system for managing the actions of one or more autonomous vehicle platform while self-navigating between rows of planted crops, comprising:

one or more autonomous vehicle platform comprising;

a base having a length, width and height, the width so dimensioned as to be insertable through the space between two rows of planted crops;

a navigation module in communication with one or more obstacle detection sensors, the navigation module configured to scan for navigation obstacles;

an in-season management task module configured to control the performance of one or more tasks; and

a microprocessor in communication with the in-season management task module and the navigation module, programmed with a self-direction program to autonomously steer the autonomous vehicle platform while performing an in-season management task, the microprocessor configured to alert an operator when a navigational obstacle is encountered.

12. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the navigation module is further configured to receive field orientation information from one or more sensor.

13. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors is at least one of one or more onboard cameras, one or more antennas for radio communication with a base station, one or more global positioning systems, and a combination thereof.

14. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the navigation module further relies on existing data about an agricultural field.

15. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the obstacle detection sensor is one or more onboard cameras.

16. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the obstacle detection sensor is one or more aerial vehicles.

17. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein each autonomous vehicle platform further comprises a communications module configured to communicate with other autonomous vehicle platforms to coordinate activities and avoid collisions.

18. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the one or more autonomous vehicle platform further comprises a user interface.

19. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 18, wherein the user interface is configured to transmit data from the one or more obstacle detection sensors to the operator of the one or more autonomous vehicle platform.

20. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 19, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive command data from the operator for selectively overriding the self-direction program.

21. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 18, wherein the user interface is configured to periodically report one or more conditions of an autonomous vehicle platform.

22. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 21, wherein the one or more reported conditions include that the autonomous vehicle platform is operating normally, the autonomous vehicle platform has completed a percentage of a schedule in-season management task, the autonomous vehicle platform has encountered of an obstacle, the autonomous vehicle platform is experiencing an unplanned idle time, the autonomous vehicle platform has experienced a malfunction, that the autonomous vehicle platform'"'"'s payload is running low, that the autonomous vehicle platform'"'"'s fuel is running low, and a combination thereof.

23. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 21, wherein the one or more reported conditions include one or more images captured from an onboard camera.

24. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 21, wherein when multiple conditions are reported, the reported conditions can be prioritized to enable the conditions to be addressed in an appropriate order.

25. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the in-season management task is the application of fertilizer.

26. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 25, wherein the fertilizer is applied proximate to a base of the planted crops.

27. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 25, wherein the fertilizer is applied to at least one of a space between adjacent rows of planted annual crops, a space beyond adjacent rows of planted annual crops including a space between neighboring rows of planted annual crops, and a combination thereof.

28. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 25, wherein the fertilizer is in a liquid form.

29. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 28, wherein the fertilizer is applied by spraying fertilizer into a cut made in the soil by a coulter.

30. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 25, wherein the fertilizer is applied using a spiked wheel.

31. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 25, wherein the fertilizer is in pellet form.

32. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 31, wherein the pellet is injected into the soil.

33. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the in-season management task is seeding cover crops.

34. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 33, wherein the cover crops are seeded as a second crop prior to the harvest of the first crop.

35. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 34, wherein the cover crops are at least one of plants suitable to inhibit the loss of nitrogen, plants suitable to reduce soil compaction, plants suitable to inhibit soil erosion, a cash crop, a forage crop, or a combination thereof.

36. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 33, wherein the seeds are broadcast by at least one of a broadcast seeder, an air seeder, a seed cannon, a spinner seeder, and a combination thereof.

37. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 33, wherein the seeds are worked into the soil by at least one of a harrow, a rake, a dragged chain, a grain drill, and a combination thereof.

38. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 33, wherein the seeds are mixed in a water solution.

39. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 33, wherein droplets of the water solution are shot at the ground, thereby causing the seed solution to penetrate the soil.

40. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the in-season management task is at least one of applying fertilizer, seeding cover crops, sampling planted crops or a combination thereof.

41. The autonomous vehicle platform system of claim 2, wherein the in-season management task is seeding cover crops.