An autonomous vehicle apparatus and method for performing pruning operations on a plant being cultivated in a container is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wheeled chassis operably configured to autonomously navigate to a location of the container within a workspace. The apparatus also includes a plant support operable to receive and secure the container in an upright condition with respect to a vertical axis extending generally vertically through the container and the plant. The apparatus further includes a manipulator mounted to the vehicle and operable to grasp and load the container onto the plant support, and a pruning tool mounted on the vehicle and disposed to prune the plant while causing rotational movement of at least one of the pruning tool and the container about the vertical axis.

Devices, systems, and methods for providing and operating crop control hardware are provided herein. Some embodiments include an assembly line grow pod having a master controller with a plurality of bays and being communicatively coupled to components of the grow pod, a crop control module within one of the bays such that the crop control module is communicatively coupled to the master controller and the components of the grow pod, and a second control module in one of the bays, which is removably insertable such that it is removable from the bay without altering the assembly line grow pod functionality. The crop control module is programmed to sense a removal of the second control module, determine control signals necessary to maintain an operation of the grow pod and the components of the grow pod, and provide the control signals to the grow pod or the components of the grow pod.

This disclosure includes a method for pruning a fruit plant. An exemplary method step includes obtaining an image of the fruit plant that has branches. Next, creating exclusion zones surrounding the branches. Then pruning the fruit plant based upon the exclusion zones.

A system for performing autonomous agriculture within an agriculture production environment includes one or more agriculture pods, a stationary robot system, and one or more mobile robots. The agriculture pods include one or more plants and one or more sensor modules for monitoring the plants. The stationary robot system collects sensor data from the sensor modules, performs farming operations on the plants according to an operation schedule based on the collected sensor data, and generates a set of instruction for transporting the agriculture pods within the agriculture production environment. The stationary robot system communicates the set of instructions to the agriculture pods. The mobile robots transport the agriculture pods between the stationary robot system and one or more other locations within the agriculture production environment according to the set of instructions.

A combine harvester has multiple working mechanisms for carrying out specific treatment subprocesses of an overall treatment process for processing crop and a driver assistance system for controlling the working mechanisms, which includes a memory for storing data, a computing device for processing the data stored in the memory, and a graphical user interface. The driver assistance system, together with the particular working mechanisms provided for carrying out the treatment subprocesses, forms independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms which are utilized for optimizing the control of the working mechanisms for carrying out the treatment subprocesses. A process supervisor is assigned to the driver assistance system for controlling individual automated adjusting mechanisms and a data exchange of the automated adjusting mechanisms with one another. The process supervisor is configured for interacting with an operator to edit at least one parameter of at least one control process, which has been stored in the memory for actuation by the process supervisor.

This disclosure includes a method for pruning a fruit plant. An exemplary method step includes obtaining an image of the fruit plant that has branches. Next, creating exclusion zones surrounding the branches. Then pruning the fruit plant based upon the exclusion zones.

A selection support device that supports selection of a work machine to be used for work from among a plurality of work machines, the selection support device including: a history information acquisition unit configured to acquire history information on a use history of each work machine; a specifying unit configured to specify a degree of use of each work machine based on the history information; and a selection unit configured to preferentially select a work machine with a small degree of use as a work machine to be used for work.

In an agricultural machine, sensor signal variability is identified, over a period of time. A control system deadband is identified, based upon the sensor signal variability. A control system uses the control system deadband to control the agricultural machine.

A smart electronic device management system is a device that is utilized to manage and control electronic devices. The device includes a housing structure that may be mounted to a surface such as a wall. A video capture device provides a live video feed of the surrounding areas while at least one environmental sensor allows monitoring of conditions in the surrounding areas. A wireless communication module allows the device to be associated with an external computing device. Various electronic devices may be connected to the device through a plurality of electrical outlets on the housing structure. A control unit allows the device to monitor and manage electronic devices that are wirelessly connected to the device or connected through the plurality of electrical outlets. The control unit is configured to calculate a sprinkler schedule using data retrieved through the wireless communication module.

Devices, systems, and methods for providing and operating crop control hardware are provided herein. Some embodiments include an assembly line grow pod having a master controller with a plurality of bays and being communicatively coupled to components of the grow pod, a crop control module within one of the bays such that the crop control module is communicatively coupled to the master controller and the components of the grow pod, and a second control module in one of the bays, which is removably insertable such that it is removable from the bay without altering the assembly line grow pod functionality. The crop control module is programmed to sense a removal of the second control module, determine control signals necessary to maintain an operation of the grow pod and the components of the grow pod, and provide the control signals to the grow pod or the components of the grow pod.