A particulate material agitation and leveling system includes a controller having a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to receive a sensor signal indicative of a measured weight distribution of a particulate material within a storage tank of an agricultural system, determine whether a determined variation between the measured weight distribution and a target weight distribution is greater than a threshold variation, and control an agitator to decrease the determined variation in response to determining that the determined variation is greater than the threshold variation.

A distribution and leveling system for a particulate material storage compartment includes an auger configured to be disposed within the particulate material storage compartment. The auger is configured to move particulate material across the particulate material storage compartment via rotation of the auger about a first rotational axis. The distribution and leveling system also includes an agitator positioned below the auger. The agitator is configured to agitate the particulate material via rotation of the agitator about a second rotational axis. In addition, the first rotational axis is substantially parallel to the second rotational axis, rotation of the auger and rotation of the agitator are independently controllable, and the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are substantially aligned with one another along a longitudinal axis of the particulate material storage compartment.

A particulate material sensing and agitation control system of an agricultural system includes an agitator configured to induce movement of particulate material through the agricultural system, a drive system coupled to the agitator, and a sensing system configured to determine a current flowing through the drive system. The drive system is configured to move the agitator, and the drive system is powered via an electrical circuit. The sensing system includes a first input coupled to a first point on the electrical circuit, the sensing system includes a second input coupled to a second point on the electrical circuit, the sensing system is configured to determine a voltage differential between the first point and the second point, and the sensing system is configured to determine current flowing through the electrical circuit based on the voltage differential.

Provided are a material broadcasting device, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and a material broadcasting method. The material broadcasting device includes a material picker, a material receiver, a material feeder, and a controller. The material picker includes a housing having an upper opening and a lower opening; and a material picking wheel located at the lower opening and driven by a driving member to rotate. The upper opening is in communication with a material box. Material picking cavities for accommodating materials are provided on the material picking wheel. The controller is electrically connected to the driving member. The material receiver is located below the material picking wheel and is in communication with the material feeder.

A system and method for regulating dispensation of seeds, fertilizer or other items. The system comprises a hopper, at least first and second movable metering plates, and an agitator assembly. Movement of the first and second movable metering plates in first and second directions, respectively, that are opposite one another increases a size of a plurality of output holes defined by interleaved portions of the metering plates, whereas movement of the first and second movable metering plates in the second and first directions, respectively, decreases the size of the output holes. An adjustable control handle can be moved to simultaneously move the first and second movable metering plates to adjust the size of the output holes. Each agitator remains in alignment with a center of a respective output hole regardless of a decrease or increase in the size of the output holes, resulting in more efficient dispensation.

A gravity-feed spreader for particulate matter may include a rotor. The spreader may be operable for gravity-feed operation with the longitudinal axis of the rotor in a horizontal position. A generally cylindrical rotor housing with a pair of closed, axial ends may be coaxial with the rotor. Entrance and exit apertures for the particulate matter may be formed in the surface of the rotor housing between the closed, axial ends. A rotor driver may be coupled to the rotor shaft for rotating the rotor. An intake housing may include a passageway therethrough for the particulate matter. A gate may be provided for selectively opening and closing the particulate matter passageway in the intake housing. An agitator may be coupled to the rotor shaft for facilitating movement of particulate matter through the passageway in the intake housing.

A sectional control funnel box (36) includes a box body having an upper receiving portion (42) for receiving particulate matter and a plurality of chutes (66) extending from the upper receiving potion. At least one blocker door (46) is disposed between the upper receiving portion and at least one of the chutes, and the blocker door is movable between an open state and a closed state. An actuator (58) is connected to the blocker door and configured to drive the blocker door between the open state and the closed state. An auger (48) is disposed in the upper receiving portion to evenly distribute particulate material within the upper receiving portion.

An agitator for an agricultural system includes a shaft configured to rotate about a rotational axis during operation of the agricultural system, and an extension coupled to the shaft. The extension includes a hoop and a tine extending from the hoop, and the tine extends acutely relative to the rotational axis of the shaft.

An agitator, a planting system including the agitator, and methods of using the agitator to agitate seeds in a hopper, are described. The agitator can be mounted within the hopper of the planting system. The hopper can be transported by an unmanned aerial vehicle to spread the seeds over a geography. The agitator can include one or more arms that oscillate through a sweep angle to move one or more paddles through the seeds. An outlet of the hopper can be within the sweep angle such that the arms and paddles sweep seeds into the outlet as the arms oscillate within the hopper. The sweep angle can vary over time by incrementally increasing the sweep angle during several stages. The varying sweep angle maintains consistent seed mixing and spreading over time. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A particulate material leveling system includes an agitating system disposed within a storage tank for a particulate material. The agitating system includes a drive system and a shaft coupled to the drive system. Further, the drive system drives the shaft to rotate about a central axis. The agitating system also includes a wrapped wire coupled to the shaft. The wrapped wire extends around the shaft along a helical path in an axial direction and a circumferential direction, and the wrapped wire moves the particulate material in the axial direction in response to rotation of the shaft in a first direction about the central axis.