A01B69/00

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING PLANTS IN PLANT GROWING AREAS
20230165181 · 2023-06-01 ·

Systems and methods for monitoring plants'conditions in one or more plant growing areas are presented. The system comprises a data collection system for providing characterization data about various parameters of plants in the one or more plant growing areas, the data collection system comprising data collection modules of at least first and second different types comprising respectively one or more first type imaging devices of predetermined first field of view and first resolution and one or more second type imaging devices of predetermined second field of view narrower than the first field of view and second resolution higher than the first resolution, the characterization data provided by the first type imaging device(s) comprising first type image data indicative of one or more plants in the plant growing area and of location of at least one device of the second type imaging devices with respect to said one or more plants in the plant growing area, the characterization data provided by the second type imaging device(s) comprising second type image data indicative of one or more portions of plants in the plant growing area; and a control system for activating at least one first type imaging device and at least one second type imaging device at least partially simultaneously, and to be responsive to operational data being based on analysis of the first type image data and comprising navigation data to navigate the at least one second type imaging device or at least one device of the first type imaging devices in the plant growing area.

PRECISION TREATMENT OF AGRICULTURAL OBJECTS ON A MOVING PLATFORM

Various embodiments relate generally to computer vision and automation to autonomously identify and deliver for application a treatment to an object among other objects, data science and data analysis, including machine learning, deep learning, and other disciplines of computer-based artificial intelligence to facilitate identification and treatment of objects, and robotics and mobility technologies to navigate a delivery system, more specifically, to an agricultural delivery system configured to identify and apply, for example, an agricultural treatment to an identified agricultural object. In some examples, a method may include, receiving data representing a policy specifying a type of action for an agricultural object, selecting an emitter with which to perform a type of action for the agricultural object as one of one or more classified subsets, and configuring the agricultural projectile delivery system to activate an emitter to propel an agricultural projectile to intercept the agricultural object.

Flotation for agricultural implements
09795073 · 2017-10-24 · ·

An agricultural implement has front flotation wheels with a significantly increased diameter, increasing flotation and improving rolling characteristics, especially in soft soil conditions. The implement has a frame supported on front and rear wheels. Front flotation wheels are pivotally mounted to the frame about vertical axes. A hitch tongue is pivotally attached to the frame about a vertical hitch pivot axis. A wheel control mechanism connects the front flotation wheels to the hitch tongue, and is configured such that when the hitch tongue is in a neutral position the front flotation wheels roll in the operating direction, and pivoting the hitch tongue causes the front flotation wheels to pivot in the same direction.

Speed and steering control of a hydraulically driven tractor

A tractor has hydraulically driven wheels at a cab end and castor wheels at an engine end. Each driven wheels is driven by a hydraulic motor with a continuous adjustment of the motor displacement, with the motor being driven by a pump also having continuous displacement. The motor displacement is controlled by an electronic controller in response to stroking of the speed control lever to manage the displacement to provide required drive torques at different points in the stroke. There is provided an automatic steering system having a guidance controller arranged to receive GPS position information which controls the steering by differentially adjusting the displacement of the motors so that the automatic steering is independent of the manual steering which controls the pumps.

Electric steering device

An electric steering device includes an electric actuator which generates a steering assist force for a steering mechanism of a vehicle, a control unit which controls the steering assist force generated from the electric actuator based on an operation of a steering wheel by a driver, an ignition signal detection unit which detects presence or absence of an ignition signal of the vehicle, and a speed acquisition unit which acquires a running speed of the vehicle. In a case that the ignition signal is not detected and the running speed is a predetermined speed or more, the control unit reduces an upper limit of the steering assist force generated from the electric actuator so as to be smaller than an upper limit in a case that the ignition signal is detected.

Steering angle detecting apparatus for vehicles and electric power steering apparatus equipped therewith
09796407 · 2017-10-24 · ·

A steering angle detecting apparatus for vehicles includes a vernier calculating section that performs vernier calculation based on a steering shaft angle and a motor angle, a neutral period specifying section that specifies a neutral period including a neutral point based on a reference angle calculated by the vernier calculation in the vernier calculating section, and a neutral point specifying section that specifies the neutral point from the neutral period and a stored neutral point value, and outputs a steering angle the neutral point of which is specified.

Autonomous systems, methods, and apparatus for AG based operations

The use of self-powered, autonomous vehicles in agricultural and other domestic applications is provided. The vehicles include a self-propelled drive system, tracks or wheels operatively connected to the drive system, a power supply operatively connected to the drive system, an attachment mechanism for attaching equipment to the vehicle, and an intelligent control operatively connected to the drive system, power supply, and attachment mechanism. The vehicle is configured to connect to the equipment to perform agricultural operations based upon the equipment. Multiple vehicles can be used in a field at the same time. Furthermore, the invention includes the ability to move one or more of the autonomous vehicles from field to field, home to field, or from generally any first location to a second location.

Machine Guidance for Optimal Working Direction of Travel
20170300064 · 2017-10-19 ·

A system and method for determining the optimal machine working direction(s) of travel for a field boundary to be used in a guidance/navigation system for machine control includes, using specific field boundary information and machine specific information to spatially simulate travel path estimates over a plurality of splayed working directions of travel to determine the optimal working direction(s) of travel for the field boundary. Optimizing the spatial field efficiency by simulating travel path estimates to select an optimal working direction(s) of travel may then be used in accordance with a machine's guidance and/or navigation system, via an information transfer system, as the reference working direction(s) of travel for the machine to guide and control itself while performing fieldwork.

OPERATION CONTROL SYSTEM AND OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE
20170293295 · 2017-10-12 ·

An operation control system includes: a remote manipulator having a transmitter that transmits a signal containing time information; and an operation control device that conducts wireless communication with the remote manipulator to perform vehicle operation control. The operation control device includes a clock, a receiver, a calculator, and a controller. The receiver receives the signal containing the time information from the remote manipulator. The calculator calculates a delay time of the wireless communication, based on the time information and a time indicated by the clock. When the delay time is equal to or more than a threshold, the controller changes the vehicle operation control from a normal control to a safety control.

Electrically driven agricultural baler
11666002 · 2023-06-06 · ·

An agricultural baler includes: a chassis; a plurality of wheels carried by the chassis; at least one electric wheel motor coupled to at least one of the plurality of wheels and configured to drive the at least one coupled wheel; an apron assembly including a plurality of chains driven by a plurality of rolls and configured to form a bale, the plurality of rolls including a starter roll; an electric drive motor coupled to the starter roll and configured to drive the starter roll; and an electrical power system carried by the chassis and having at least one battery electrically coupled to the at least one electric wheel motor and the electric drive motor.