A system for unmanned aerial vegetation trimming includes an aerial vehicle configured for selectively controlled unmanned flight over and about the vegetation to be trimmed. The system also includes a cutting assembly having an adjustable cutting head selectively actuated for trimming the vegetation. The cutting head is adjustable on the cutting assembly for optimal positioning relative to the vegetation to be trimmed. A support assembly is coupled to the aerial vehicle and cutting assembly, the support assembly being retractably extended to suspend the cutting assembly from the aerial vehicle. The support assembly is configured to maintain consistent positioning of the cutting assembly relative to the aerial vehicle during actuation thereof to trim the vegetation.

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.

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 grapple mounted rope controller and rope anchor rigging device includes a cylindrical barrel friction surface mounted to a jaw of a grapple to control a rope used in an arborist's rigging procedure. A rope attached to a load is wrapped around the rope controller to control the raising and lowering of loads. The device also includes a cylindrical barrel friction surface mounted to a fork of a grapple that has a cleat permanently affixed to hold fast a load-bearing rope for a time. The rigging tool utilizes the mobility and mass of a skid steer to provide a flexible location for rigging and a fixed mass with which to support rigging of heavy objects such as tree limbs, trunks and other weights.

A grapple mounted rope controller and rope anchor rigging device includes a cylindrical barrel friction surface mounted to a jaw of a grapple to control a rope used in an arborist's rigging procedure. A rope attached to a load is wrapped around the rope controller to control the raising and lowering of loads. The device also includes a cylindrical barrel friction surface mounted to a fork of a grapple that has a cleat permanently affixed to hold fast a load-bearing rope for a time. The rigging tool utilizes the mobility and mass of a skid steer to provide a flexible location for rigging and a fixed mass with which to support rigging of heavy objects such as tree limbs, trunks and other weights.

A device for selectively trimming a tree, the device configured to aerially travel to tree limbs or tree trunks destined for trimming, the device comprising: a transporting assembly configured to aerially transport the device; a tree interface assembly on which is operatively coupled pair(s) of opposing gripping arms disposed to grip the tree therebetween, the tree interface assembly being operatively coupled to the transporting assembly; a transverse rotator comprising a rotational driver configured to rotate the device circumferentially about a tree limb or tree trunk, the transverse rotator being operatively coupled to the tree interface assembly; a cutting assembly comprising at least one cutting mechanism configured to selectively cut a tree limb or tree trunk in multiple planes; wherein the device, once secured to the tree may travel longitudinally along a tree limb or tree trunk to the desired location for trimming.

According to examples, a modular power tool may include a motor housing including an electric motor, a drive member connected to the electric motor, the drive member being connected to a drive coupler, an extension pole including an input shaft having a first end connector and a second end connector, in which the first end connector is configured to mate with the drive coupler, and an attachment component having an attachment connector and a working implement, in which the attachment component is configured to mate with either of the drive coupler and the second end connector.

A positioning system, attachable to a vehicle for remote operation of the chain saw by a user sitting in the vehicle. A shock absorber indicator functions to tell the user when the weight on the limb is appropriate to engage the saw, and additionally cushions the drop when the saw cuts through the limb.

A cutting tool includes: an electric motor with a stator having multiple windings and a rotor; a driver circuit electrically connected to the electric motor to drive the electric motor to run; and a controller configured to estimate the angular position of the rotor based on a working parameter of the electric motor and output a drive signal to the driver circuit based on the angular position of the rotor to control the rotation of the electric motor. At a start stage, the controller is configured to: when an abnormal start of the electric motor is detected, output a first control instruction to control the electric motor to restart, where the first control instruction includes at least the instruction to input a high-frequency signal into the driver circuit so as to acquire the angular position of the rotor.

Method and apparatus for automated operations, such as pruning, harvesting, spraying and/or maintenance, on plants, and particularly plants with foliage having features on many length scales or a wide spectrum of length scales, such as female flower buds of the marijuana plant. The invention utilizes a convolutional neural network for image segmentation classification and/or the determination of features. The foliage is imaged stereoscopically to produce a three-dimensional surface image, a first neural network determines regions to be operated on, and a second neural network determines how an operation tool operates on the foliage. For pruning of resinous foliage the cutting tool is heated or cooled to avoid having the resins make the cutting tool inoperable.