An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system includes a UAV configured for lifting, positioning, and placing irrigation lines on a heap including side slopes. The UAV can be equipped with an irrigation line support structure configured for supporting, transporting and/or releasing one or more irrigation lines. Placement of the irrigation lines via the UAV system can enable accurate distribution of raffinate solutions to enhance leaching efficiency in areas which are typically difficult to access.

A monitoring and emergency control system for vector psyllid of citrus huanglongbing (HLB) is disclosed. The system includes a video acquisition module, an image recognition module, a control console, an early warning module and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based flight prevention module. The video acquisition module acquires images by using 360-degree dead-angle-free cameras, the cameras are arranged at a plurality of points at a periphery and interior of an orchard, and each camera is numbered. The video acquisition module acquires real-time images, and transmits the real-time images to the image recognition module in real time for recognition and determination. The control console determines whether to send out warning information to an orchard manager and a flight prevention instruction according to a feedback result. The UAV-based flight prevention module receives the instruction, and then carries a pesticide box to take off to a region to kill the psyllid by applying pesticides.

A control system on a material transfer vehicle includes a path planning system that plans a path from the material transfer vehicle to a container, and a navigation system that navigates the material transfer vehicle along the navigation path. An auto unloading system automatically controls the material transfer vehicle as it approaches the container, positions itself closely proximate the container, and unloads material into the container. A handoff control system uses position-based criteria to determine when to switch from controlling the material transfer vehicle using the path planning system to controlling the material transfer vehicle using the auto unload system. The handoff control system generates a control signal triggering the auto unload system to begin controlling the material transfer vehicle when the position-based criteria are met.

A method includes navigating, by an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), to a delivery location in an environment. The method also includes capturing, by at least one sensor on the UAV, sensor data representative of the delivery location. The method further includes determining, based on the sensor data representative of the delivery location, a segmented point cloud. The segmented point cloud defines a point cloud of the delivery location segmented into a plurality of point cloud areas with corresponding semantic classifications. The method additionally includes determining, based on the segmented point cloud, at least one delivery point in the delivery location. The at least one delivery point in the delivery location satisfies at least one condition indicating that a descent path above the at least one delivery point represented in the point cloud is at least a particular lateral distance away from point cloud areas with corresponding semantic classifications indicative of an obstacle at the delivery location. The method also includes transmitting, by the UAV, the at least one delivery point to a server device.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a plurality of rotors, the unmanned aerial vehicle being capable of flying with a ground work machine connected to a body. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a controller configured or programmed to control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, at least one parachute connected to the body or the ground work machine, and at least one airbag provided on the body or the ground work machine.

A system and method for calculating a flight plan and a precision release point for an aircraft carrying a payload includes supplying, from a four-dimensional (4D) wind measurement system, 4D wind data indicative of atmospheric wind velocity and direction (i) at and within a first threshold distance around a current flight level of the aircraft, (ii) at and within a second threshold distance around a drop zone for the payload, and (iii) at and within a third threshold distance around a plurality of different altitudes. The 4D wind data is continuously sampled, in a processing system, and is iteratively processes, in the processing system, to calculate, using a release point model implemented in the processing system, a flight plan for the aircraft and a precision release point for the payload.

A delivery system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a dropper device removably coupled to the UAV. The dropper device includes a retaining device to selectively attach cargo to the dropper device, an actuation device configured to cause a release of the cargo from the retaining device, and control hardware coupled to the actuation device and configured to actuate the actuation device in response to an encoded signal. The delivery system also includes a remote control device configured to generate and transmit the encoded signal.

Systems, tools and methods for deploying a mesh sensor network. The system comprises one or more aircraft configured to carry one or more drop pods into an environment and the deploying of the drop pods at points of interest. The aircraft and drop pods may comprise arrays of sensors for monitoring the areas that they are operating in. The aircraft and drop pods may include mesh radio communication devices and operate as nodes in the mesh network. The location at which each drop pod is to be deployed may be determined based on the type of sensors carried by the drop pod.

A method includes navigating, by a UAV, to a delivery location in an environment; capturing, by at least one sensor on the UAV, sensor data representative of the delivery location; determining, based on the sensor data, a segmented point cloud of the delivery location, wherein the segmented point cloud defines a plurality of point cloud areas with corresponding semantic classifications; determining, based on the segmented point cloud, that a pre-selected delivery point at the delivery location satisfies a condition indicating that a descent path through a cylinder, the cylinder being centered above the pre-selected delivery point and having a radius of a particular lateral distance, does not intersect with any point cloud areas having semantic classifications indicative of an obstacle at the delivery location; and based on determining that the pre-selected delivery point satisfies the condition, initiating, by the UAV, a payload delivery operation towards the pre-selected delivery point.

A grain cart includes a supplying container and a grain transfer element coupled to and configured to receive grain from the supplying container. The grain transfer element is inclined upwardly, forwardly, and laterally outwardly from the supplying container. A control spout is coupled to and projects laterally outwardly from the grain transfer element. A first control spout actuator is configured to move the control spout about a first axis between a forward discharge direction and a rearward discharge direction to direct discharged grain forwardly and rearwardly into a receiving container. A second control spout actuator is configured to move the control spout about the second axis between a generally downward discharge direction and a laterally outward discharge direction to direct the discharged grain generally downwardly and laterally outwardly into the receiving container.