DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROPAGATING PLANTS

Abstract

A method and a device for propagating plants, by which the propagation rate or growth rate of the plants can be increased. This is achieved in that at least one plant is recorded at least in regions by an image recognition device and plant-specific features of the at least one plant are recognized by a control unit on the basis of the items of information obtained by the image recognition device. In dependence on the recognized features, at least one component of the plant is then automatically severed from the plant by a cutting means for propagation. A type and/or physical properties of the cutting means to increase a propagation rate of the plants are selected in accordance with the recognized plant-specific features of the plant.

Claims

1. A method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), comprising recording at least one plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) at least in regions by an image recognition device and recognizing plant-specific features by a control unit (17, 35, 47) on the basis of the items of information obtained by the image recognition device about the at least one plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) and, in dependence on the recognized features, severing at least one component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) automatically by a cutting means from the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) for propagation, and selecting a type and/or physical properties of the cutting means in accordance with the recognized plant-specific features of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) to increase a propagation rate of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64).

2. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), as claimed in claim 1, wherein the severed component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or a clone of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is transported away on a sterile conveying means (25, 41, 43).

3. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in dependence on the recognized plant-specific features, a blade, a laser beam (23, 36, 48), a water jet, a plasma beam, or a hot wire is used as the cutting means, wherein the physical properties of the cutting means, namely, wavelength, intensity, focal length, pressure, temperature, material, are adapted specifically to the application.

4. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 3, wherein a laser (23, 36, 48) or another cutting means is automatically modulated in dependence on the plant-specific features recognized by the control unit (17, 35, 47).

5. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is recorded by at least two cameras (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62), namely camera pairs, of the image recognition device from various perspectives to create an at least partially three-dimensional representation of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64).

6. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), during the recording by the image recognition device, hangs on a gripping means (18) or lies or stands on a conveying means (14, 25, 41, 43) or is held by a person.

7. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is first grasped by a first gripping means (18) and isolated, the at least one plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is deliberately cut into multiple clones while hanging on the first gripper (18), and the individual clones are automatically transported away by a second gripping means (26) for further processing.

8. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or the component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is recorded before the grasping by a first image recognition device and, by a neural network, an optimum position for grasping is ascertained and/or the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or the component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is recorded before the cutting by an image recognition device and, by a neural network, an optimum cutting line is ascertained.

9. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a coordinate set is assigned to the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) and/or a component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) during the transport or transport away on the conveying means (14, 25, 41, 43), to be able to uniquely identify the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or the component (24, 40, 51) during the method.

10. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is reoriented by rotation by the gripping means (18) between two image recordings by the image recognition device, in order to record the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) by way of the image recognition device from various perspectives.

11. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is recorded in succession by groups of various cameras (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62) of the image recognition device from various perspectives to create an at least nearly complete image of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is illuminated from various perspectives during the image recording, in such a way that the cameras (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62) are not dazzled.

12. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or a component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) is grasped by a gripping means (18) and, in the position hanging on the gripping means (18), is recognized by the image recognition device and cut by the cutting means.

13. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plant-specific features of each plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) are recognized by the control unit (17, 35, 47), fully automatically and by a neural network, on the basis of the items of information obtained by the image recognition device and/or on the basis of corresponding previously stored features of a similar plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64).

14. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein all obtained items of information and the plant-specific features of each plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) ascertained therefrom are collected in a database of the control unit (17, 35, 47) and are used for the recognition of further plant-specific features of further plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) by a neural network.

15. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein cutting lines in the form of a U cut (52) or a V cut (56) are ascertained by the control unit (17, 35, 47) on the basis of the ascertained plant-specific features of each plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), which acquire at least two components (24, 40, 51), namely leaves (53) and/or a stem (54), of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) simultaneously.

16. The method for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 1, wherein cutting lines in the form of a U cut (52) or a V cut (56).sub.7 are ascertained by the control unit (17, 35, 47) on the basis of the ascertained plant-specific features of each plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) which result in a particularly large cut surface on the components (24, 40, 51).

17. A device for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) having at least one image recognition device for recording at least one plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) at least in regions, a control unit (17, 35, 47) for recognizing plant-specific features on the basis of the items of information obtained by the image recognition device about the at least one plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), at least one transport means for transporting a plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or a component (24, 40, 51) of a plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) and at least one cutting means for cutting the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or the component (24, 40, 51) of a plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), wherein the physical properties of the cutting means are variable in dependence on the recognized plant-specific features to increase the propagation rate or a growth rate of the plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64).

18. The device for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the cutting means is a blade, a laser beam (23, 36, 48), a water jet, a plasma beam, or a hot wire, wherein the physical properties of the cutting means, namely, wavelength, intensity, focal length, pressure, temperature, material, are adaptable specifically to the application.

19. The device for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the image recognition device is at least one camera (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62), or at least one group of cameras (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62), or at least one fiber-optic unit having a camera (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62), which are arrangeable around the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) or the component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) in such a way that at least almost all sides of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) are recordable, wherein the at least one camera (16, 21, 22, 29, 33, 34, 45, 46, 59, 62) is assigned at least one lamp (60, 63).

20. The device for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transport means are grippers (18, 26) and/or conveyor belts (14, 25, 41, 43), wherein the conveyor belts (14, 25, 41, 43) are produced from a metal, a plastic, or a ceramic or have a corresponding coating.

21. The device for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one image recognition device for ascertaining an optimal position for grasping a component (24, 40, 51) of the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), a gripping means (18) for grasping the component (24, 40, 51), and a cutting means for targeted cutting on the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) are arranged on a head of a robot arm.

22. The device for propagating plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control unit (17, 35, 47) has a processor unit for operating a neural network, for evaluating the items of information obtained by the at least one image recognition device about the plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64), and for automatically recognizing plant-specific features on the basis of saved or stored plant-specific features of other plants (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64) of the same species and for initializing further method steps in dependence on the recognized plant-specific features of the recorded plant (10, 32, 42, 55, 57, 64).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail hereinafter on the basis of the drawing. In the figures:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of a device;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of the device;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows an illustration of a further exemplary embodiment of the device;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows an illustration of a first step of image recognition;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows an illustration of a second step of the image recognition;

[0035] FIG. 6 shows an illustration of a third step of the image recognition;

[0036] FIG. 7 shows an illustration of a further exemplary embodiment of the image recognition;

[0037] FIG. 8a shows an illustration of a first cutting line;

[0038] FIG. 8b shows an illustration of a second cutting line; and

[0039] FIG. 8c shows an illustration of a third cutting line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] A first exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention is illustrated very schematically in FIG. 1. This device is essentially used for the automated propagation of plants. Not only is the propagation rate or growth rate for plants improved by the device shown here and by the method according to the invention, but also the root development of the severed plant components or clones is stimulated.

[0041] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a plant 10 or a component of a plant 10 is first supplied in a preferably sterile container 11 on a conveying means 12 to a work area 13. This work area 13 can possibly also be kept sterile. The container 11 including the plant 10 is supplied to a first conveyor 14 by the conveying means 12, which can be designed, for example, as an airlock. This first conveyor 14 can also be, in addition to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 as a rotating disk, a conveyor belt or a tablet. The plant 10 is recorded by an image recognition device having two cameras 15, 16 on this first conveyor 14. Positions, at which the plant 10 can particularly preferably be grasped by the first gripping means 18, are ascertained by the control unit on the basis of the items of information thus obtained about the plant 10. The first gripping means 18, which is designed here as a robot arm, has tweezers 19, using which the plant 10 is removed from the container 11. If the plant 10 is solidly rooted in the container 11, the plant 10 can be pulled out of the container 11 or can be severed from the roots using, for example, an arbitrary cut by a cutting means. The container 11, which is then empty, is removed from the work area 13 again via a further conveying means 20.

[0042] The plant 10 hanging on the tweezers 19 is then supplied to a further image recognition device having two further cameras 21, 22. Pictures from various perspectives are recorded of the hanging plant 10 by these cameras 21, 22. The items of information thus obtained about the plant 10 are used by the control unit 17 to recognize plant-specific features of the plant. These plant-specific features can be, for example, the species of the plant and also properties of leaves, stems, or branches. It is additionally conceivable that the control unit 17 recognizes the species of the plant. However, it is similarly also conceivable that an operator has previously input the species of the plant to be propagated into the control unit 17 via an input means. An ideal cutting position or an ideal cutting pattern is then ascertained in the control unit 17 via a neural network on the basis of the recognized plant-specific features. In this case, the neural network not only uses the items of information of the present plant 10 for this determination, but also items of information about previous plants and data which were previously made available by an operator to the neural network.

[0043] With the aid of this artificial intelligence, not only is the ideal cutting line determined, but also the type and/or the physical properties of a cutting means for an optimum cut are determined. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cutting means is a laser 23. This laser 23 can be modulated in dependence on the recognized plant-specific features in such a way that a cutting picture which is particularly preferred for the root development of the clone is generated. It has been shown that the root development and thus the growth of the clone can be stimulated by the selection of the laser properties. For an ideal cutting picture or cutting pattern, the intensity of the laser, the wavelength, and also the focus or the focal length are changed in such a way that the plant is cut without contact and thus without crushing. The tissue of the plant is almost not negatively affected by this targeted depositing of the energy; rather the further growth is even stimulated.

[0044] The severed component 24 or the clone then falls on a second conveyor 25. It can be provided that a second gripping means 26 grasps the clone 24 from this second conveyor 25 and supplies it to a container 27 having a nutrient medium 28. A camera 29, which is also connected to the control unit 17 for ascertaining an optimum gripping position, is also used for preferred picking up of the clone 24 by the second grasping means 26. The containers 27 thus filled are then transferred out of the work area 13 via a third conveyor 30 and a conveying means 31. Movement directions of the individual components are symbolized by the arrows shown in FIG. 1.

[0045] Therefore, plant-specific features of the plant 10 are recognized by the image recognition shown in FIG. 1 and cutting lines are ascertained by the neural network, along which the plant is then cut using a suitable cutting means. It is to be noted here that the invention is not restricted to the illustrated number of the gripping means 18, 26, the number of the conveyors 14, 25, 30, and the number of the cameras 15, 21, 22, 29. Rather, it can be provided that the device for image recognition is assigned a plurality of cameras. It is similarly conceivable that the device has only one conveying means for conveying away a clone.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A position which is particularly well suitable for cutting off a clone is ascertained here by the cameras 33, 34 of the image recognition device directly at the plant 32. The cameras 33, 34 are also connected here to a control unit 35. The control unit 35 ascertains with the aid of a neural network not only an optimal cutting position or an optimal cutting line, but also optimal cutting conditions. It is thus determined by the neural network how the laser 36 used here is to be modulated or controlled to create an ideal cutting picture. In addition to the modulation, the adjustment of the focal length to the position to be cut also takes place. As soon as a corresponding position for cutting the plant 32 has been ascertained by the control unit 35, the plant component is grasped by the gripping means 37 by means of tweezers 38 and the second robot arm holding the laser 36 is moved in such a way that the plant is cut according to the ascertained cutting picture. The severed component 40 or the clone of the plant 32 can then be deposited by the gripping means 37 on a conveyor 41. The conveyor 41 then transports the severed component 40 to a further station for processing. The severed component 40 can be further processed here, for example, according to the method shown in FIG. 1.

[0047] A further exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. In this exemplary embodiment, a plant 42 or a component of a plant 42 lies on a conveyor 43 and is supplied in the arrow direction 44 to an image processing device consisting of two cameras 45 and 46. Notwithstanding the exemplary embodiment shown here, the image recognition device can also have further cameras. Precisely as described above in the example shown in FIG. 2, an optimum cutting picture and preferred physical properties of the cutting means or the laser are also ascertained here by the cameras 45, 46 and by a control unit 47 and a neural network. As soon as these items of information have been generated by the control unit 47, a corresponding cut is executed by the laser 48. It is also conceivable that the plant 42 is cut repeatedly by the laser 48. The laser 48 is also assigned here to a robot arm 49 for optimum mobility. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the gripping means 50 is solely used for the purpose of either depositing the plant 42 on the conveyor 43, removing remaining components of the plant 42 from the conveyor 43, or supplying the severed component 51 to a further processing station. However, it is also conceivable that in the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, the gripping means 50 is dispensed with completely.

[0048] The conveyors or conveying means shown here can both be sterilized for a germ-free propagation and/or are also resistant to the effect of the electromagnetic laser radiation. For the case in which energy is deposited on the conveyor during the use of a laser for dividing the plant, the conveyor is not immediately destroyed. A heat-resistant plastic or a corresponding coating of the conveyor with, for example, ceramic suggests itself as a suitable material. A long-term and reliable transport of the plant or the components of the plant can thus be guaranteed.

[0049] Depending on the type of the plant and the requirements for the division, it can be advantageous to use various cutting pictures for the cutting. A U-shaped cut is shown in FIG. 8a, which severs both two leaves 53 and also a part of the stem 54 from the plant 55. Three components of the plant 55 are thus severed by a single cut by means of a laser, a water jet, or a plasma beam. Three individual cuts would be necessary for this purpose in the case of manual, conventional cutting. This U cut 52 can take place both in a position of the plant 55 hanging on a gripping means and also in a position lying on a conveyor. It is additionally conceivable that such a cut is also carried out by a stamping means made of metal or a ceramic. A puncher can in particular be kept free of germs here by application of heat or electric current. However, a particularly preferred contactless and non-crushing cut may only be implemented by the use of a laser beam or a water jet or a plasma beam.

[0050] In addition to the U cut 52 shown in FIG. 8a, it is additionally conceivable to execute a V cut 56 using the laser (FIG. 8b). Both two leaves 53 and also a part of the stem 54 are also cut off here. However, the cut in the stem 54 differs from the straight cut from FIG. 8a. This V cut 56 can be advantageous at least for some plant species, especially for the root development of the cut edge.

[0051] Furthermore, it can be provided that the V cut 56 from FIG. 8b is placed slightly adjacent to the stem 54, whereby, on the one hand, two leaves 53 are still severed from the plant 55 by one cut and in addition a cut surface on the stem 54 is maximized. The severed component of the plant 55 can absorb a particularly large amount of nutrients through this particularly large cut surface, which results in a particularly preferred growth rate or root development.

[0052] In addition to the examples for cutting pictures shown in FIGS. 8a to 8c, a plurality of further cutting images is conceivable, using which multiple components of a plant are cut simultaneously in an efficient manner and the root development of the severed plant is stimulated.

[0053] An exemplary embodiment according to the invention of the image recognition of a plant 57 is shown very schematically in FIGS. 4 to 6. For the recording of a three-dimensional depiction of the plant 57, said plant is suspended by a gripping means (not shown) in a ring-like image recognition device 58. The plant 57 is preferably positioned centrally in the image recognition device 58 here. The ring can have a diameter of a few decimeters, i.e., 20 cm to 30 cm or 30 cm to 40 cm or 40 cm to 50 cm, and a wall height of 5 cm to 10 cm or 10 cm to 20 cm or 20 cm to 30 cm. However, it is also conceivable that the image recognition device 58 shown here is dimensioned differently. In the exemplary embodiment of the image recognition device 58 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the ring has 12 straight sections. These twelve sections are each alternately assigned a camera 59 and a lamp 60. That is to say, six cameras 59 and six lamps 60 are assigned to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the image recognition device 58.

[0054] In a first step of the image recognition, two adjacent cameras 59 are activated. At the same time, lamps 60 which are close to the cameras 59 are triggered and sufficiently illuminate the plant 57 (FIG. 4). The lamps 60 are to be switched in such a way that they do not dazzle the activated cameras 59. The remaining cameras 59 or lamps 60 are not activated. In a second step shown in FIG. 5, a following pair of cameras 59 is activated and the two adjacent lamps 60 are also switched on. In the following step of the image recognition according to FIG. 6, a next pair of cameras 59 and the corresponding lamps 60 are activated. This method is continued until the plant 57 has been recorded from all directions over a spatial angle of 360° by six camera pairs, i.e., twelve pictures. The successive activation of the cameras 59 and the lamps 60 is carried out here by a control unit assigned to the image recognition device 58.

[0055] The images thus recorded are evaluated by the above-discussed control unit or by the neural network. This evaluation includes the recognition of plant-specific features, along which the plant can preferably be divided by a cutting means. This image recording or this sequence of the individual pictures lasts a few hundred milliseconds.

[0056] Furthermore, it can be provided that the plant 57 is cut directly in the ring-like image recognition device 58, also called a theater, by a cutting means. The severed component of the plant 57 can either be grasped by a further gripping means or conveyed away on a conveyor positioned below the image recognition device 58.

[0057] The cameras activated in FIGS. 4 to 6 are highlighted by a schematically illustrated recording cone. An incandescent bulb is assigned to each of the lamps 60 activated in FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0058] A further exemplary embodiment of an image recognition device 61 is shown in FIG. 7. This exemplary embodiment is also made ring-like, similarly as in the exemplary embodiment of an image recognition device 58 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. However, the ring only has six straight lateral surfaces here. Accordingly, only two opposing cameras 62 and four lamps 63 are assigned to the inner walls of the image recognition device 61. Precisely as described above, in each case one camera 62 is activated together with two adjoining lamps 63 to create an image of the plant 64. The correspondingly opposing camera 62 and the opposing lamps 63 are then activated to create a second picture of the plant 64. To compensate for the smaller number of the cameras, the plant 64 is rotated by a specific angle range after each picture, so that multiple pictures from various positions of the plant 64 are made in succession. Plant-specific features of the plant 64 may in turn be recognized from the entirety of all images thus obtained by the control unit or the neural network.

[0059] In addition to the exemplary embodiments shown here of the image recognition devices 58, 61, further geometries having more or fewer cameras are conceivable. These image recognition devices 58, 61 can be assigned to the exemplary embodiments of the invention according to FIGS. 1 to 3. A particularly efficient method for propagating plants may be created by this combination of the image recognition and the specific cutting method.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0060] 10 plant [0061] 11 container [0062] 12 conveying means [0063] 13 work area [0064] 14 first conveyor [0065] 15 camera [0066] 16 camera [0067] 17 control unit [0068] 18 first gripping means [0069] 19 tweezers [0070] 20 conveying means [0071] 21 camera [0072] 22 camera [0073] 23 laser [0074] 24 component [0075] 25 second conveyor [0076] 26 second gripping means [0077] 27 container [0078] 28 nutrient medium [0079] 29 camera [0080] 30 third conveyor [0081] 31 conveying means [0082] 32 plant [0083] 33 camera [0084] 34 camera [0085] 35 control unit [0086] 36 laser [0087] 37 gripping means [0088] 38 tweezers [0089] 39 robot arm [0090] 40 component [0091] 41 conveyor [0092] 42 plant [0093] 43 conveyor [0094] 44 arrow direction [0095] 45 camera [0096] 46 camera [0097] 47 control unit [0098] 48 laser [0099] 49 robot arm [0100] 50 gripping means [0101] 51 component [0102] 52 U cut [0103] 53 leaf [0104] 54 stem [0105] 55 plant [0106] 56 V cut [0107] 57 plant [0108] 58 image recognition device [0109] 59 camera [0110] 60 lamp [0111] 61 image recognition device [0112] 62 camera [0113] 63 lamp [0114] 64 plant