Problems to be Solved To provide a control apparatus for an unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned aerial system capable of pruning a tree by appropriately specifying a pruning position to prune a branch of the tree and further adjusting a shape of the tree. [Solution] A control apparatus 3 for an unmanned aerial vehicle 2 according to the present invention includes a tree shape information generation section 312 capable of generating tree shape information of a target tree T1 targeted for pruning by using two or more tree images P of the target tree T1 taken from different directions and a shape generating neural network N1; a pruning position specifying section 316 capable of specifying a pruning position of the target tree T1 by using the tree shape information; an operation control section 318 capable of controlling a flight state of the unmanned aerial vehicle and an operation of the pruning structure in accordance with the pruning position P; a tree shape evaluation receiving section 313 capable of receiving a tree shape evaluation related to the tree shape information; and a shape learning section 314 capable of causing the shape generation neural network N1 to machine-learn a shape of the tree on the basis of the tree images, the tree shape information, and the tree shape evaluation.

An apparatus for use in harvesting airborne moisture includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a woven mesh, supported by the UAV, for collecting liquid droplets upon contact with a fog bank, a camera, a processor, a non-transitory, tangible computer readable memory storing software instructions executable by the processor, a fog identification engine, and a flight controller on board the UAV. The fog identification engine is executable on the processor according to the software instructions and is configurable to capture a digital image via the camera, detect an absence of features in the digital image, and identify a fog bank as a function of the absence of features in the digital image. The flight controller directs the UAV to enter a fog bank identified by the fog identification engine.

An agricultural support system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle including a sensor, and an agricultural machine to travel in an agricultural field. When an abnormality occurs in the unmanned aerial vehicle while the agricultural machine performs work in the agricultural field in cooperation with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle or the agricultural machine performs an operation different from an operation during the work.

A drone system that includes a drone and a movable body which is movable with loading the drone and where the drone can take off and land, cooperate to operate and that is able to maintain a high level of safety even during autonomous flight, is provided. The drone has a flight controller controlling a flight of the drone, and a drone transmitter transmitting an information possible to distinguish whether the drone is in flight. The movable body has a take-off and landing area where the drone is loaded, takes off and lands, a movement controller loading the drone on the take-off and landing area and moving the movable body with the drone, a movable body receiver receiving an information from the drone, and a display unit.

The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial tree harvesting system comprising a remotely and/or autonomously controlled UAV, an autonomously and/or remotely controlled tree harvesting tool configured for holding and/or delimbing and/or cutting at least a portion of a tree trunk attached underneath the UAV via at least one cord, a means configured for detecting rotational motion and/or pendulum motion of the tree harvesting tool, means attached to the UAV configured for detecting trees from above, at least one remotely and/or autonomously controlled forcing means, attached to the tree harvesting tool, configured for at least damping detected pendulum motion of the tree harvesting tool.

An information processing method is executed by an information processing device configured to decide an execution timing of agricultural chemical spraying by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The information processing method includes acquiring information about each of a plurality of farm fields and deciding an execution timing of agricultural chemical spraying over a first farm field to be sprayed by the unmanned aerial vehicle based on information about a second farm field located around the first farm field.

[Problems to be Solved] To provide an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of achieving both of equipping a pruning structure capable of pruning trees and enhancing safety. [Solution] An unmanned aerial vehicle 2 according to the present invention includes a pruning structure 23 capable of pruning a tree; a housing structure 24 capable of housing the pruning structure 23 inside; and a state control section 212 capable of controlling the state of the pruning structure 23 between a housed state in which the pruning structure 23 is housed inside the housing structure 24 and an exposed state in which the pruning structure 23 is exposed to the outside of the housing structure 24, wherein the state control section 212 can control the state of the pruning structure 23 to the housed state on landing. The state control section 212 preferable to control the state of the pruning structure 23 to the exposed state when a distance from the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to a target tree to be pruned equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance, and to control the state of the pruning structure 23 to the housed state when a distance from the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to the target tree longer than the predetermined distance.

The present invention relates to a system for remote and/or autonomous cutting at least a portion of a harvested tree trunk, at least a portion of a tree trunk to be harvested, at least a portion of a tree trunk during harvesting or at least a portion of a tree trunk during transporting, said system comprising: a remotely and/or autonomously controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (100), UAV, means (116) for cutting at least a portion of a tree trunk attachable to said UAV (100), means for detecting at least a portion of a tree (135), means for detecting at least one tree parameter of at least a portion of a tree (135) and/or at least one growing condition of at least a portion of a tree (tree), a base station (120) for communication with said UAV (100), and means configured for selecting at least one cutting position on at least a portion of a tree trunk depending on the at least one detected tree parameter and/or the at least one detected growing condition of at least a portion of a tree (135).

Problems to be Solved

To provide a control apparatus for an unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned aerial system capable of pruning a tree by appropriately specifying a pruning position to prune a branch of the tree and further adjusting a shape of the tree.

[Solution]

A control apparatus 3 for an unmanned aerial vehicle 2 according to the present invention includes a tree shape information generation section 312 capable of generating tree shape information of a target tree T1 targeted for pruning by using two or more tree images P of the target tree T1 taken from different directions and a shape generating neural network N1; a pruning position specifying section 316 capable of specifying a pruning position of the target tree T1 by using the tree shape information; an operation control section 318 capable of controlling a flight state of the unmanned aerial vehicle and an operation of the pruning structure in accordance with the pruning position P; a tree shape evaluation receiving section 313 capable of receiving a tree shape evaluation related to the tree shape information; and a shape learning section 314 capable of causing the shape generation neural network N1 to machine-learn a shape of the tree on the basis of the tree images, the tree shape information, and the tree shape evaluation.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the airborne dissemination and implantation of seeds utilizing an aerodynamic seed delivery apparatus with built-in nutrients, anti-pest, and anti-fungal properties that can be disseminated rapidly from an airborne platform. The velocity of impact and depth of penetration into specific soil types by the delivery apparatus can be controlled up to a terminal velocity kinetic energy by exploiting a specified drag coefficient, mass, and altitude of release. The seeds are delivered and imbedded into the soil at the optimal depth and orientation to maximize germination rates, since seed orientation has a pronounced effect on germination and sprout mortality rates. Flight paths for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) utilized for dissemination can be automated to adjust coordinates based on wind vectors, terrain elevation data, and soil permeability data to efficiently achieve a desired penetration depth across a specified geographic area.