Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method of autonomous Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) comprising a fully autonomous Growing environment. More specifically, disclosed herein is an apparatus and method in which a plurality of Tray assembly may be stored and manipulated within a Track assembly that is configured within a Rack Assembly through the motivational input of at least one antagonistic pair of Carriage-mounted manipulators. With the Template Frame consisting of a low friction bearing surface to orient within a Track assembly, it may be configured to satisfy various utilities necessary within the farm, such as but not limited to: housing grow media for the cultivation

Hydroponic system for cultivating a crop, comprising a guide for guiding a plurality of carriers in a predetermined area, and wherein the guide is configured to guide the carriers in a first direction which extends from a first edge to a second edge of the area, wherein each carrier is configured to carry at least two parallel gutters, and wherein at least one of the at least two gutters is removable from the carrier, and wherein each gutter is configured to contain a plurality of crop units of the crop.

Systems and techniques for a sensor carrier, and intelligent track infrastructure for the navigation and operation of the sensor carrier are described. The sensor carrier is an autonomous robot navigating a track. The carrier holds cameras and other sensors to receive horticultural images and telemetry for plants in a grow operation. The carrier reads embedded signals in the track including Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) tags, embedded positioning magnets, and drilled hole patterns for a beam breaking system to determine navigation and operation. For tracks placed at sharp angles, a transfer station with wall guards to prevent the carrier from falling enable safe transfers from different track segments. Additional features include an emergency stop (e-stop) switch and power management for autonomous sensor carriers.

A system for growing plants includes an elevated track circuit comprising two straight track sections and two arcuate track sections, with the straight track sections each including a cavity. A plurality of wheeled trolleys that each include a wheel configured to roll within the cavities and each include a shaft extending downwardly form the wheel. A drive system is configured to move the wheeled trolleys along the track circuit with the wheeled trolleys connected together by a cable, and with the shafts of the trolleys configured to support plants coupled thereto to selectively move the plants along the track circuit. Uses of the system include for growing produce of vine plants in a lean-and-lower manner, or transporting hanging plants through an irrigation device of the system.

A cultivation system moves containers between a growing area and a monitoring area. The containers hold cultivation beds for cultivating plants, and the cultivation system includes: a grow light emitting unit emitting grow light for growing the cultivated plants in the containers located in the growing area; an imaging unit capturing the cultivated plants in the containers located in the monitoring area; and a control unit causing the grow light emitting unit to stop emitting the grow light when the imaging unit captures the plants.

A tray system for use in horticultural or agricultural operations comprising a ducting assembly for de-stratification and a drainage system for consolidating excess water and nutrients.

The invention relates to a cultivation arrangement. A first and a second rack are arranged adjacent and aligned with each other, providing a working space therebetween. Each rack comprises support structures arranged at support heights for supporting cultivation packages at a plurality of heights. The support heights are aligned with each other. The support structures comprises one or more guiding members and the arrangement comprises moving means arranged for moving packages from the first to the second rack or back, via the working space. Cultivation packages can be supported such that at most a single package is supported at each of the aligned support heights. This enables the packages to be alternatingly supported in either the first or the second rack across the support heights. The arrangement further includes an operator platform contiguous to the working space which is moveable in a vertical direction to enable working at different heights.

An artificially intelligent harvest and reuse system for planting vegetables has a first mechanic arm moving a plurality of planting plates around a first conveyor, a second conveyor, a first shelf and a second shelf. The planting plates are sent to a connecting conveyor for the grown vegetables thereon to be picked up by a second mechanic arm and further sent to a root cutting apparatus then to a packaging apparatus, while the empty planting plates are further sent to an exit end of the first conveyor and a third mechanic arm places nursery foams with sprouts from a storage area onto the empty planting plates. Then the refilled planting plates are sent back to the corresponding shelf via the second conveyor and placed back into the corresponding layers neatly by the first mechanic arm on a first distributing apparatus.

A method for operating a greenhouse system with block storage, at least one block storage element and at least one vehicle. Growth conditions for plants are to be improved. To this end, each block storage element has a carrier frame and a plant receptacle, the plant receptacle being detachably engaged with the carrier frame, the block storage having at least one first zone and one second zone, and at least one first carrier frame and at least one second carrier frame, the plant receptacle in the first zone being detachably engaged with the first carrier frame; and the plant receptacle being subsequently transferred into the second zone, the plant receptacle being transferred from the first carrier frame to the second carrier frame within the framework of transferal from the first zone into the second zone, the plant receptacle in the second zone being detachably engaged with the second carrier frame.

A vessel having an opening for receiving the product and walls surrounding the vessel at all sides except the opening. The interior of the vessel is filled with a fluid having a specific gravity lower than a specific gravity of a medium surrounding the walls outside the vessel. While the vessel is oriented with the opening facing downwards, the vessel and/or product is/are conveyed to ensure that the product enters the interior through the opening.