An agricultural multi-row sprayer system is provided having a chassis, a tank coupled to the chassis to accommodate a sprayable mixture to be applied to rows of a crop, a first sprayer arrangement coupled to the chassis and arranged to spray the mixture from a first interrow area located between a set of adjacent rows of the crop, and a second sprayer arrangement coupled to the chassis and selectively deployable to spray the mixture from a second interrow area located between an overlapping set of adjacent rows of the crop. The sprayer system may include a linkage arrangement having a distal end that supports the second sprayer arrangement and an input link movably coupled to the chassis, which is controllably manipulable to selectively deploy the second sprayer arrangement to the second interrow area.

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.

An agricultural sprayer includes a spraying system that sprays a substance on an agricultural surface and a crop characteristic sensor that senses a crop characteristic of a crop on the agricultural surface and generates a crop characteristic signal indicative of the crop characteristic. The agricultural sprayer further includes a sprayer control system that identifies a position of a component of a crop plant based on the crop characteristic sensor signal and an action signal generator that generates an action signal based on the identified position of the component of the crop plant.

A system for monitoring an operation of an agricultural sprayer includes a boom and a nozzle mounted on the boom. The nozzle is, in turn, configured to dispense an agricultural fluid onto an underlying plant as the agricultural sprayer travels across a field. Furthermore, the system includes an imaging device configured to capture image data depicting a droplet of the agricultural fluid that has been deposited onto the underlying plant. Additionally, the system includes a computing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device. As such, the computing system is configured to receive the captured image data from the imaging device. Moreover, the computing system is further configured to analyze the received image data to determine at least one of a size or a shape of the droplet.

A product application system for an agricultural applicator includes a boom assembly including a plurality of boom sections, with each boom section being pivotably coupled to at least one adjacent boom section. The system also includes a common rail product circuit spanning across a length of the boom assembly, a product pump configured to supply an agricultural product through the common rail product circuit, and a plurality of nozzle assemblies provided in association with each of the boom sections. Each nozzle assembly across the plurality of boom sections is individually coupled to the common rail product circuit. In addition, the system includes at least one pressure accumulator provided in fluid communication with the common rail product circuit, with the pressure accumulator(s) being configured to adjust a circuit pressure of the agricultural product within the common rail product circuit in response to pressure deviations from a predetermined pressure range.

Robots are used to dispense a substance, such as heated oil, on target vegetation, such as weeds or specialty crops. The robot can be semi-autonomous or a towed implement and includes an imaging module that captures images of a crop row with the target vegetation and a sprayer that dispenses a micro-dose or micro-doses of the substance. The robot also includes a control system that can determine the position of the robot and identify the target vegetation and its location. Based on this information, the control system activates a sprayer that dispenses the micro-dose of the substance onto the target vegetation in the identified location.

A control system for agricultural spraying is especially intended to be connected to an agricultural machine comprising a spraying ramp and having at least one spraying nozzle selectively activatable to spray an agricultural product. The system includes a set of cameras (42) suitable for being secured to the spraying ramp to acquire images (51) of the ground (12) on which the agricultural machine moves (10), a measuring system (59) for determining, in real time, distance information between a camera (42) and the ground (12), and a processing unit (44) communicating with the cameras (42) and said measurement system (59), the processing unit (44) being suitable for selectively controlling the spraying nozzles (34). The processing unit (44) is suitable for: identifying a target plant (15) in a ground image (51) received from a camera (42); determining information on the position of the target plant (15) in the image (51); on the basis of distance information between the camera (42) in question and the ground, of the orientation of its viewing axis, of a speed of advance of the agricultural machine and of said information on the position of said target plant (15) in the image (51), selecting at least one nozzle (34) to be activated to spray the target plant (15) with the agricultural product (26); determining an activation time of the or each selected nozzle; and transmitting an activation command to the or each nozzle (34) to trigger the spraying of said target plant (15).

An agricultural machine includes a source of a substance to be applied to an agricultural field and a substance outlet through which the substance is configured to pass to be applied to the field. The agricultural machine further includes a controllable piezo-actuated valve and a control signal generator configured to generate a valve control signal. The piezo-actuated valve includes a valve inlet configured to be in fluidic communication with the source of substance to be applied to the field and a valve outlet through which the substance to be applied to the field passes to move through the piezo-actuated valve. The piezo-actuated valve further includes a piezo element configured to move in response to the valve control signal and a flexure, coupled to the piezo element, and configured to amplify the movement of the piezo element to provide a valve driving movement.

A continuously variable nozzle system includes a nozzle body (5) with an inlet and an outlet. A conduit is defined between the inlet and the outlet by a series connection of components which includes a flow meter (10). The flow meter (10) has a chamber (83) with internal helical splines (82) that are configured to interact with a spray liquid passing through the chamber (83) and create a cyclone-like effect. A sphere (52) is located inside the chamber (83) for free movement along a circular path (106). A sensor is located outside of the chamber (83) and configured to detect motion of the sphere (52) and generate an output (9) signal in response to detected motion.

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for a center frame positioning method for an agricultural sprayer. The method comprises activating a center frame positioning system and collecting and processing position data related to a position of a suspended center frame in the center frame positioning system. The method further comprises evaluating the position data to determine whether any adjustment to the position of the suspended center frame is needed and controlling actuator force in at least one actuator to adjust the position of the suspended center frame based on the evaluating the position data.