Patent classifications
A01M7/0042
REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT SUITABLE FOR AERIAL SURVEY AND SPRAYING ACTIVITIES,AND AERIAL SURVEY AND SPRAYING SYSTEM
A system that combines aerial surveying and spraying services in a single remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) popularly known as Drone, in a multirotor configuration, with electric propulsion and power system with hybrid power supply (battery and motor-generator) and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) system, wherein, the equipment allows, from the coupling of a set comprising aerial survey sensors such as a high definition camera and equipment aimed at spraying activities such as pumps and nozzles, aerial surveying practices, geoprocessing and spraying of chemical substances such as pesticide, herbicide, larvicide, fungicide and fertilizer, or other liquid agricultural products using a single vehicle a vehicle is also provided that is prepared to carry out the described system being a remotely piloted aircraft intended for aerial surveying and spraying activities.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN AGRICULTURAL APPLICATOR
An agricultural system includes a boom assembly. An imager assembly is associated with the boom assembly and configured to capture image data depicting at least a portion of the boom assembly. A computing system is communicatively coupled to the imager assembly and a display. The computing system is configured to receive the image data from the imager assembly and present a graphic on the display based on the image data. The graphic can include at least one overlaid illustration.
TRACKED VEHICLE AND SYSTEM FOR SPRAYING
A tracked vehicle for spraying, a mixing platform or both. The tracked vehicle comprises an engine that powers both the propulsion of the tracked vehicle and the spraying of slurry. A mixing platform may be employed with the tracked vehicle and provides a blending tank for mixing ingredients to form a slurry for used by the tracked vehicle.
Identifying and avoiding obstructions using depth information in a single image
A farming machine includes one or more image sensors for capturing an image as the farming machine moves through the field. A control system accesses an image captured by the one or more sensors and identifies a distance value associated with each pixel of the image. The distance value corresponds to a distance between a point and an object that the pixel represents. The control system classifies pixels in the image as crop, plant, ground, etc. based on depth information in in the pixels. The control system generates a labelled point cloud using the labels and depth information, and identifies features about the crops, plants, ground, etc. in the point cloud. The control system generates treatment actions based on any of the depth information, visual information, point cloud, and feature values. The control system actuates a treatment mechanism based on the classified pixels.
SWITCH MODE POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT WITH HIGH VOLTAGE OUTPUT, AND ELECTROSTATIC SPRAY APPARATUS AND AGRICULTURAL PLANT PROTECTION APPARATUS USING THE SAME
A switch mode power supply circuit with high voltage output, an electrostatic spray apparatus and agricultural plant protection apparatus using the same are provided. The switch mode power supply circuit is electrically connected in series with at least a pre-stage power converter and a post-stage power converter. In order to simplify the control, the switch of the pre-stage power converter is omitted, only one switch of the post-stage power converter is adopted to perform synchronous control. Since the multiple sets of power conversion circuits in the previous stage are connected in series, the turn ratio of the transformer in the power converter in the subsequent stage can be reduced. Therefore, the transformer can be miniaturized and the power supply circuit would be more suitable for agricultural plant protection machine and electrostatic spray apparatus.
Autonomous agricultural treatment system using map based targeting of agricultural objects
Various embodiments of an apparatus, methods, systems and computer program products described herein are directed to an agricultural observation and treatment system and method of operation. The agricultural treatment system may determine a first real-world geo-spatial location of the treatment system. The system can receive captured images depicting real-world agricultural objects of a geographic scene. The system can associate captured images with the determined geo-spatial location of the treatment system. The treatment system can identify, from a group of mapped and indexed images, images having a second real-word geo-spatial location that is proximate with the first real-world geo-spatial location. The treatment system can compare at least a portion of the identified images with at least a portion of the captured images. The treatment system can determine a target object and emit a fluid projectile at the target object using a treatment device.
VALVE PRIMING AND DEPRIMING
A system for applying an agricultural product includes at least one control valve. For instance, the control valve has a moveable valve operator. One or more sensors monitor one or more control valve characteristics. A valve controller is configured to determine the control valve is in one or more of a primed state or an unprimed state based on a comparison of the one or more control valve characteristics to a primed valve characteristic threshold.
Agricultural distribution machine
An agricultural distribution machine that includes a carrier vehicle with a distributor boom that is movable at least about a pivot axis is described. The machine also includes a controlling apparatus that generates a controlling force to move the distributor boom about the pivot axis. A first sensor apparatus detects an angular rate (ω) of the distributor boom. The control apparatus implements a first operating mode to hold the distributor boom in a currently set target rotational position in which disturbance torques acting on the distributor boom, resulting from movements of the carrier vehicle about the longitudinal axis, are compensated. In the first operating mode, the control apparatus is configured to regulate the angular rate (ω) detected by the first sensor apparatus as a controlled variable to a target value which has an absolute value of between zero and a threshold value (ω.sub.0).
IDENTIFYING AND AVOIDING OBSTRUCTIONS USING DEPTH INFORMATION IN A SINGLE IMAGE
A farming machine includes one or more image sensors for capturing an image as the farming machine moves through the field. A control system accesses an image captured by the one or more sensors and identifies a distance value associated with each pixel of the image. The distance value corresponds to a distance between a point and an object that the pixel represents. The control system classifies pixels in the image as crop, plant, ground, etc. based on depth information in in the pixels. The control system generates a labelled point cloud using the labels and depth information, and identifies features about the crops, plants, ground, etc. in the point cloud. The control system generates treatment actions based on any of the depth information, visual information, point cloud, and feature values. The control system actuates a treatment mechanism based on the classified pixels.
MULTI-TANK CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHODS
A multi-tank spray system includes a first tank, a second tank, a pump, and a plurality of valves including a first valve, a second valve, and an equalizing valve. A first end of the first valve is in fluid communication with the first tank, a second end of the first valve is in fluid communication with (i) a first end of the equalizing valve and (ii) an inlet of the pump. A first end of the second value is in fluid communication with the second tank. A second end of the second valve is in fluid communication with a second end of the equalizing valve. A tank module is configured to receive a spray mode, receive a measurement from at least one sensor of a plurality sensors, and control operation of the plurality of valves and the pump based on (i) the received spray mode and (ii) the received measurement.