Measuring lateral separation distances and longitudinal separation distances from a center of a plant to be cut to a reference point on a harvester; determining a lateral and longitudinal blade displacement and moving a cutting tool; activating a cut and lift mechanism to cut a plant with the cutting tool; while the cutting tool remains in contact with the plant, removing an outer leaf from the cut plant.

Systems, methods and devices for harvesting plants include an ultrasonic blade for severing top portion(s) of one or more plants. The system includes a first conveyor surface which moves the one or more plants in a linear direction. The ultrasonic blade is disposed above the first conveyor surface at an end of a second conveyor surface of a retrieval system. A first top portion of the one or more plants is severed by contacting a first plant at a first height with the ultrasonic blade. Also, the height of the ultrasonic blade can be adjusted such that a second top portion of the one or more plants is severed by contacting a second plant at a second height with the ultrasonic blade. Furthermore, the ultrasonic blade can have an edge which vibrates at a frequency of 20 kHz or greater to severe the top portion(s).

The invention relates to a device comprising a filling unit for filling containers with a product. The invention furthermore relates to a system comprising such a device and to a harvesting machine provided with such a system. Lastly, the invention relates to a method for filling containers with a product by means of a filling unit.

An apparatus (1) for harvesting crops, the apparatus (1) comprises a carriage (2), sensing means (3), a ground motion sensor (6) and a harvesting device (4), where the sensing means (3) is configured or configurable to determine the location of a first crop, the ground motion sensor (6) is operated or operable to determine the motion of the carriage (2) relative to the ground, the location data and the motion data being utilized to cause the harvesting device (4) to move to and harvest the first crop.

An apparatus (1) for harvesting crops, the apparatus (1) comprises a carriage (2), sensing means (3), a ground motion sensor (6) and a harvesting device (4), where the sensing means (3) is configured or configurable to determine the location of a first crop, the ground motion sensor (6) is operated or operable to determine the motion of the carriage (2) relative to the ground, the location data and the motion data being utilized to cause the harvesting device (4) to move to and harvest the first crop.

Measuring lateral separation distances and longitudinal separation distances from a center of a plant to be cut to a reference point on a harvester; determining a lateral and longitudinal blade displacement and moving a cutting tool; activating a cut and lift mechanism to cut a plant with the cutting tool; while the cutting tool remains in contact with the plant, removing an outer leaf from the cut plant.

The harvesting machine includes a mobile chassis (1) having front and rear ends. At least two mutually spaced rows of grippers move along a picking path (22) which extends in a front-to-rear direction. The speed with which the rows of grippers move along the picking path (22) is closely matched to the speed at which the mobile chassis (1) travels in the forward direction (F). Two foliage deflectors (4) at the beginning of the picking path (22) are positioned on opposite sides of the selected plant (P). A foliage shield (40, 41) is mounted rearward of each foliage deflector to be interposed between the selected plant and the adjacent row of grippers and separate the grippers from the selected plant until they reach a gripping location where actuating means move the grippers towards each other to grip a selected plant. At the end of the picking path (22), the rows of grippers move along an upwardly inclined path (23) to carry the selected plant clear of the ground. The grippers then release their grip on the selected plant.

A support frame; a cut and lift mechanism coupled to the support frame; a tool carrying platform coupled to the cut and lift mechanism; an outer leaf removal device coupled to the tool carrying platform; a cutting tool coupled to the tool carrying platform; a controller in data communication with the cut and lift robot; and a plant center locator in data communication with the controller.

A support frame; a cut and lift mechanism coupled to the support frame; a tool carrying platform coupled to the cut and lift mechanism; an outer leaf removal device coupled to the tool carrying platform; a cutting tool coupled to the tool carrying platform; a controller in data communication with the cut and lift robot; and a plant center locator in data communication with the controller.

A medical device as described herein includes a communication module to process radio frequency signals associated with operation of the medical device, an antenna associated with the communication module, and a microstrip transmission component coupled between the communication module and the antenna. The transmission component includes a dielectric substrate, an electrically conductive signal trace formed overlying the upper major surface of the substrate, an electrically conductive ground plane formed overlying the lower major surface of the substrate, and a complementary split ring resonator arrangement integrally formed in the ground plane, and having a layout and dimensions tuned to cause the resonator arrangement to resonate at one or more harmonic frequencies of the nominal transmission frequency of the radio frequency signals.