The automated trimming of an untrimmed plant stem comprises a device for transporting an untrimmed plant stem to an imaging stage, using a camera to capture at least one image of the plant stem, sending the at least one image to a central processor which creates a trim map which constructs a pattern for moving a cutting armature along the plant stem, and trimming the plant stem by cutting structure of the cutting armature to change the untrimmed plant stem to a trimmed plant stem.

A robotic fruit picking system includes an autonomous robot that includes a positioning subsystem that enables autonomous positioning of the robot using a computer vision guidance system. The robot also includes at least one picking arm and at least one picking head, or other type of end effector, mounted on each picking arm to either cut a stem or branch for a specific fruit or bunch of fruits or pluck that fruit or bunch. A computer vision subsystem analyses images of the fruit to be picked or stored and a control subsystem is programmed with or learns picking strategies using machine learning techniques. A quality control (QC) subsystem monitors the quality of fruit and grades that fruit according to size and/or quality. The robot has a storage subsystem for storing fruit in containers for storage or transportation, or in punnets for retail.

A robotic fruit picking system includes an autonomous robot that includes a positioning subsystem that enables autonomous positioning of the robot using a computer vision guidance system. The robot also includes at least one picking arm and at least one picking head, or other type of end effector, mounted on each picking arm to either cut a stem or branch for a specific fruit or bunch of fruits or pluck that fruit or bunch. A computer vision subsystem analyses images of the fruit to be picked or stored and a control subsystem is programmed with or learns picking strategies using machine learning techniques. A quality control (QC) subsystem monitors the quality of fruit and grades that fruit according to size and/or quality. The robot has a storage subsystem for storing fruit in containers for storage or transportation, or in punnets for retail.

A communication system facilitates a closed loop, two-way communication network between machines at a worksite and a remote processing facility. A management and control system receives operations data and generates recommended adjustments to the worksite operations. A manager system provides manager outputs over the communication network to adjust operations of the machines at the worksite based on the recommended adjustments.

The automated trimming of an untrimmed plant stem comprises a device for transporting an untrimmed plant stem to an imaging stage, using a camera to capture at least one image of the plant stem, sending the at least one image to a central processor which creates a trim map which constructs a pattern for moving a cutting armature along the plant stem, and trimming the plant stem by cutting structure of the cutting armature to change the untrimmed plant stem to a trimmed plant stem.

A robotic fruit picking system includes an autonomous robot that includes a positioning subsystem that enables autonomous positioning of the robot using a computer vision guidance system. The robot also includes at least one picking arm and at least one picking head, or other type of end effector, mounted on each picking arm to either cut a stem or branch for a specific fruit or bunch of fruits or pluck that fruit or bunch. A computer vision subsystem analyses images of the fruit to be picked or stored and a control subsystem is programmed with or learns picking strategies using machine learning techniques. A quality control (QC) subsystem monitors the quality of fruit and grades that fruit according to size and/or quality. The robot has a storage subsystem for storing fruit in containers for storage or transportation, or in punnets for retail.

An end effector includes an imaging device, first and second contact-move members for grabbing a target object, an actuator, and a control device. When, in an image captured by the imaging device, the target object is located within a target-object-grabbing area between a first-contact-move-member-passage area through which a distal end portion of the first contact-move member passes and a second-contact-move-member-passage area through which a distal end portion of the second contact-move member passes in a predetermined-shaped obstacle exclusion area including the target object, the control device adjusts positions of the first contact-move member and the second contact-move member such that the first and second contact-move members pass through the obstacle exclusion area when the end effector moves to a grabbing position.

An agricultural system comprises a stalk-diameter sensing system associated with a row unit and configured to sense diameter-related data of respective stalks and generate signals based on the diameter-related data. Deck plates associated with the row unit are spaced apart to define a deck plate spacing. A deck plate positioning system is coupled to at least one of the deck plates to adjust the deck plate spacing. A control system is configured to communicate with the stalk-diameter sensing system and the deck plate positioning system. The control system is configured to receive the signals, determine a statistical representative stalk diameter for a sample of stalks based on the diameter-related data, determine a target deck plate spacing based on the statistical representative stalk diameter, and output a control signal to command the deck plate positioning system to set the deck plate spacing based on the target deck plate spacing.

An agricultural working machine with a driver assistance system is disclosed. The driver assistance system controls driving functions of the agricultural working machine and at least one working assembly of the agricultural working machine in the context of performing a work process. The driver assistance system accesses a set of rules in the form of control strategies to control the at least one work assembly according to a specific control strategy. The driver assistance system includes an interface to communicate with an external computer unit, which is remote from the agricultural working machine, and through which data can be exchanged between the driver assistance system and the external computer unit. For example, the driver assistance system receives data from the external computer unit via the interface during the work process of the agricultural working machine, and selects the control strategy for performing the work process based on the data.

A robotic fruit picking system includes an autonomous robot that includes a positioning subsystem that enables autonomous positioning of the robot using a computer vision guidance system. The robot also includes at least one picking arm and at least one picking head, or other type of end effector, mounted on each picking arm to either cut a stem or branch for a specific fruit or bunch of fruits or pluck that fruit or bunch. A computer vision subsystem analyses images of the fruit to be picked or stored and a control subsystem is programmed with or learns picking strategies using machine learning techniques. A quality control (QC) subsystem monitors the quality of fruit and grades that fruit according to size and/or quality. The robot has a storage subsystem for storing fruit in containers for storage or transportation, or in punnets for retail.