Method and Apparatus for harvesting crops, the apparatus (1) comprising a carriage (2) provided with a harvesting device (41), a ground height measuring device to measure or estimate the ground height (S2) at each harvested crop, a crop height measuring device to measure the height of a crop(S4), a processor operatively connected to the ground height measuring device to generate baseline ground data (S3) and operatively connected to the crop height measuring device to determine a desired harvest height (S5), a comparator to compare the baseline ground data to the desired harvest height to determine if a particular crop is to be harvested by the harvesting device.

Embodiments relate to a crop harvesting apparatus configured to garner or harvest crops from plants via vacuum suction and sort the garnered crops via a quick-switching gate system. A vacuum source generates the vacuum suction for the apparatus so that crops are garnered (or plucked) from the plant via suction through an end-effector, which are then transferred to a crop sorter by way of tubing that has a smooth inner surface. The crop sorter utilizes a gate system that exploits vacuum suction from the vacuum source and gravity to quickly and effectively sort the garnered crops into a hopper and a rejection bin.

An example system includes a nozzle having an inlet: an outlet mechanism disposed longitudinally adjacent to the nozzle; a conduit longitudinally adjacent to the outlet mechanism where the conduit includes a distal chamber, a middle chamber, and a proximal chamber, that; are longitudinally disposed along a length of the conduit; a partition block configured to move between (i) a first position at which the partition block: is disposed laterally adjacent to the middle chamber, such that the partition block is offset from a longitudinal axis of the conduit, and (ii) a second position at which the partition block resides in the middle chamber between the distal chamber and the proximal chamber; and a deceleration structure disposed at a proximal, end of the conduit and bounding the proximal chamber, where the deceleration structure is configured to decelerate fruit feat has traversed the conduit.

The present invention relates to automatic and high throughput smart, robotic, autonomous or driver operated, self-propelled field crops harvester (SPFCH) device of row crops, characterized by the need of selecting harvesting ripen crop, during relative long period of time. Harvesting is done by one or more modular robotic harvesting arms hanged on modular booms. When harvesting orchards fruits the SPFCH comprise at least one hybrid robotic arms equipped with a grabbing hand aimed to grab one or more fruit of a an adjacent fruits and also cut its connecting stem, and arm transporting mechanism that gently collects the fruits and transport them to the SPFCH main accumulation area. When harvesting cotton, the SPFCH of the invention may further comprise vacuum sucking hoses and at least one ginning unit that gin the seed-cotton during harvesting and accumulate the seeds in a self-container, and the lint by bales processed, on board by self-press.

The present invention provides an improved, autonomous unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) for harvesting or diluting fruit, and a control unit for coordinating flight and/or harvesting missions thereof, as well as a system and method for harvesting fruits.

A system, apparatus and method are provided for robotically assisting the harvest of a crop. Instrumented picker carts include sensors for detecting amounts of harvested crop (e.g., fill ratios) of containers carried by the carts, communication modules for communicating their locations and detected crop amounts to a field computer, and components for signaling for robotic service. The field computer predicts when a cart that requests service will have a full container and where it will be located at that time, then decides whether to approve the request. If the request is approved, a robot is assigned and is given (or generates) a path to the cart's predicted location, and begins moving toward the location so as to arrive near (and preferably before) the predicted time. Robots include means for moving (e.g., wheels, motors, steering components, power sources), navigation modules, computing components for controlling their movement, and communication modules.

A process for weighing a harvested crop stored in a tank of a harvesting machine, a frame supporting the tank is mounted on a wheel set by a lifting device which is operable to move the frame upwardly and downwardly upon control of a hydraulic system. The process controlling the hydraulic system and includes the steps of: determining at least one height position of the frame on the displacement course; measuring a lowering pressure and a raising pressure in the hydraulic system at the position; calculating, from the measured pressures, a balancing pressure for the frame. The process is performed before unloading the stored crop in order to calculate a loaded balancing pressure and after the unloading in order to calculate an empty balancing pressure. The weight of the stored crop is calculated from a pressure variation between the loaded balancing pressure and the empty balancing pressure.

Disclosed herein are handheld seed harvesters comprising: an elongate handle housing a driveshaft; a motor engaged with the elongate handle and the driveshaft; a reel rotatably and demountably engaged with the elongate handle and driveshaft by way of a quick-release system at an end opposite the motor, the reel having a plurality of filaments for removing seeds from plants extending outward therefrom; a hopper partially housing the reel for collecting the seeds; a handle assembly secured to the elongate handle and the hopper; and a shoulder strap securable to the elongate handle for carrying the harvester.

A process for estimating a value of a crop of walnuts prior to harvest includes the following steps which are not necessarily in order. First, arranging an unmanned aerial vehicle with a digital single-lens reflex high speed multi spectral camera fitted with a near-infrared filter. Then, taking normalized difference vegetation index images of a field of walnuts every second at a clarity of two centimeters in detail from an altitude of four hundred feet. Next, forming a map of the field from the normalized difference vegetation index images. After that, determining a ratio of the field which possesses a high near-infrared profile. Following that, calculating a meat yield as a product of the ratio and the maximum walnut grade in the field. Finally, calculating the value of the crop from the meat yield.

A process for estimating a value of a crop of walnuts prior to harvest includes the following steps which are not necessarily in order. First, arranging an unmanned aerial vehicle with a digital single-lens reflex high speed multi spectral camera fitted with a near-infrared filter. Then, taking normalized difference vegetation index images of a field of walnuts every second at a clarity of two centimeters in detail from an altitude of four hundred feet. Next, forming a map of the field from the normalized difference vegetation index images. After that, determining a ratio of the field which possesses a high near-infrared profile. Following that, calculating a meat yield as a product of the ratio and the maximum walnut grade in the field. Finally, calculating the value of the crop from the meat yield.