Device and method for propagating plants

Abstract

A method and a device for propagating plants, by way of which the risk of contamination can be minimized and the costs of the production of plants can be reduced. This is achieved in that the plants to be propagated are automatically grasped by a first gripper and separated, the individual plants, hanging on the first gripper, are systematically cut into multiple clones and the individual clones are automatically transported away by a second gripper for further processing.

Claims

1. A method for propagating plants (13), comprising: the plants (13) to be propagated are firstly automatically grasped by a first gripper (20) and separated; cutting lines on the plant (13), hanging on the first gripper (20), are determined by a cutting line image recognition unit (26); the individual plants (13), hanging on the first gripper (20), are systematically cut into a plurality of clones (14) along the cutting lines, wherein the plant (13) is automatically cut along the cutting lines by a blade, a laser beam (25), a waterjet, or a plasma jet into the clones (14) of the plant (13); and the individual clones (14) are automatically transported away by a second gripper (28) for further processing.

2. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 1, wherein in that the plants (13) to be propagated are introduced in an initially closed container (12) into a closed, sterile room (11) and the containers (12) are automatically opened in the room (11).

3. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the open container (12) is supplied to a first gripper image recognition unit (22) and suitable positions are determined by the first gripper image recognition unit (22), at which suitable positions the individual plants (13) are successively grasped by the first gripper (20) and removed from the container (12).

4. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clones (14) are transported, preferably on a conveyor belt (23), to a second gripper image recognition unit (30), positions are determined by the second gripper image recognition unit (30), at which the individual clones (14) are grasped by the second gripper (28) and placed in a container (12).

5. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the container (12) containing a nutrient solution is opened in the sterile room (11) before the accommodation of the clones (14) and is closed again in the room (11) after the accommodation of the clones (14), before the container (12) is transported away out of the room (11).

6. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the room (11) and/or the grippers (20, 28) are sterilized regularly.

7. A device (10) for propagating plants (13) comprising: at least one first gripper (20) for the systematic grasping and separation of a plant (13) to be propagated; at least one apparatus for automatically cutting the plant (13) into multiple clones (14), wherein the at least one apparatus for automatically cutting the plant (13) is a laser (25), a plasma generator, a blade, or a water cutter; an image recognition unit (26), associated with the at least one apparatus for automatically cutting the plant (13), for determining suitable cutting lines; a conveyor belt (23), associated with the at least one apparatus for automatically cutting the plant (13), for conveying away the clones (14); at least one second gripper (28) for automatically transporting away individual clones (14) from the conveyor belt (23); and a room (11), in which the grippers (20, 28) and the at least one apparatus for automatically cutting the plant (13) are arranged.

8. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the room (11) is a sterile clean room having multiple accesses (15, 16) for the inward transfer and outward transfer of containers (12) having the plants (13) to be propagated and the clones (14), wherein at least two conveyor elements (18, 29) for the containers (12) are associated with the room (11), using which conveyor elements the containers (12) are automatically movable into predetermined positions.

9. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 8, further comprising at least one apparatus for automatically opening and/or closing the containers (12) associated with the conveyor elements (18, 29).

10. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an image recognition unit (22, 30) associated in each case with at least one of the conveyor elements (18, 29) and/or a conveyor belt (23), for determining a suitable position, at which the plant (13) and/or the clone (14) can be automatically grasped by the first and/or the second gripper (20, 28).

11. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the closed container (12) is marked.

12. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the containers (12) are automatically opened by at least one suction cup.

13. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the individual clones (14) are placed in the container (12) according to grid in the container (12).

14. The method for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the room (11) and/or the grippers (20, 28) are sterilized after the passage of the plant batch to be propagated.

15. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the accesses (15, 16) are airlocks.

16. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least two conveyor elements (18, 29) are turntables.

17. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least two conveyor elements (18, 29) are associated with the accesses (15, 16) of the room (11).

18. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one apparatus for automatically opening and/or closing the containers (12) is at least one suction cup.

19. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the image recognition unit (22, 30) is associated with both of the conveyor elements (18, 29) and/or the conveyor belt (23).

20. The device (10) for propagating plants (13) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plant (13) and/or the clone (14) is gripped by tweezers (21) arranged on a multiaxis robot arm of the second gripper (20, 28).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) One preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in greater detail hereafter on the basis of the drawing. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a device in a first method step,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the device in a second method step, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the device according to a third method step.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) The device 10 for propagating plants, which is shown very schematically in FIG. 1, is essentially housed in a closed room 11. A sterile atmosphere is located in this room 11, at least during the method according to the invention for propagating plants 13. A ventilation system (not shown) is located above this room 11 for the climate control and/or venting of the room 11. The electronic controller (not shown) of the device 10 is located below the room 11.

(6) Airlock-type accesses 15 are associated with the room 11 for supplying containers 11, in which both the plants 13 to be propagated and also the clones 14 thereof can be transported. These accesses 15 are also used for the outward transfer of the containers 12, which are empty or filled with clones, from the room 11. Moreover, a further airlock-type access 16 is associated with the room 11, for the outward transfer of covers 17 of the containers 12 out of the room 11.

(7) The airlock-type accesses 15, 16 are particularly suitable for introducing the containers 12 into the room 11 or removing them therefrom fully automatically, without an excessive amount of air exchange occurring with the surroundings of the device 10. This is necessary in particular for maintaining the sterile atmosphere in the room 11.

(8) Two turntable-like conveyor elements 18, 29 are arranged in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 for the transportation of the containers 12 into the device 10 or into the room 11. These turntable-like conveyor elements 18, 29 may be rotated clockwise about a vertical axis and each have three receptacles 19 for accommodating the containers 12 here. These receptacles 19 have a suction cup (not shown), using which a container 12, which is located in the receptacle 19, can be fixed on the conveyor elements 18, 29.

(9) Furthermore, movable suction cups (not shown) are associated with the conveyor elements 18, 29, using which the covers 17 of the initially closed containers 12 can be removed. The containers 12 can also be closed again with the covers 17 using these suction cups or using further suction cups.

(10) A gripper 20 is associated with the conveyor element 18 for removing the plants 13 to be propagated from a container 12. This gripper 20 essentially consists of a multiaxis robot arm, with which automatically opening and closing tweezers 21 are associated at one end. Individual plants 13 or seedlings may be removed from the container 12, which is positioned in a receptacle 19 of the conveyor element 18, using this gripper 20. A first image recognition unit 22 is associated with the conveyor element 18 for the selective removal of a plant 13 by the gripper 20 or the tweezers 21. This image recognition unit 22 is preferably a CCD camera, which is connected to the electronic control system and recognizes specific shapes and accordingly transmits control signals to the gripper 20, so that it can grasp individual plants 13 with pinpoint accuracy.

(11) A conveyor belt 23 is arranged between the conveyor elements 18, 29. An enclosure 24, in which a laser 25 is positioned, is located at one end of the conveyor belt 23. Plants can be cut using this laser 25, which can be a CO2 gas laser, for example. In order that the cutting of the plants runs with pinpoint accuracy and in a controlled manner, a second image recognition unit 26 is associated with the enclosure 24 and/or the laser 25. Precisely like the first image recognition unit 22, the second image recognition unit 26 is also connected to the electronic control unit. The image recognition unit 26 thus recognizes specific patterns, with which corresponding cutting lines can be associated. These items of information about the specific cutting lines are then transmitted to the laser 25, so that it can cut the individual plants 13 into clones 14.

(12) The individual clones 14 can then be transported away in the direction 27 via the conveyor belt 23. A further gripper 28 is associated with an end of the conveyor belt 23 opposite to the laser 25. This gripper 28 is constructed similarly to the gripper 20. The individual clones 14 of the plant 13 may be picked up from the conveyor belt 23 using this gripper 28 and placed in sterile containers 12, which are located in the receptacles 19 of the conveyor element 29. In order that the gripper 28 can grasp the individual clones 14 from the conveyor belt 23, a third image recognition unit 30 is associated with the conveyor belt 23. This image recognition unit 30 is also connected to the electronic control system, precisely like the image recognition units 22 and 26, and determines preferred engagement points for the gripper 28 on the clones 14.

(13) An apparatus 31, 32 for sterilizing is associated with each gripper 20, 28 for sterilizing the tweezers 21 of the grippers 20 and 28. For example, heat is applied to the tweezers 21, in order to possibly kill bacteria, in these apparatuses 31, 32. Furthermore, UV lamps can be located in the room 11, in order to irradiate the entire room 11 and thus sterilize it after the propagation of a plant batch.

(14) The method according to the invention for propagating plants will be described hereafter on the basis of FIGS. 1 to 3:

(15) At the beginning of the method, a container 12, which has a plurality of the plants 13 to be propagated, is introduced through the access 15 into the room 11. The container 12 is automatically transferred there to a receptacle 19 of the conveyor element 18 and fixed by the suction cup in the receptacle 19. The cover 17 of the container 12 is then removed by a further movable suction cup and transferred out of the room 11 through the access 16.

(16) The turntable-like conveyor element 18 having the container 12 is subsequently rotated clockwise. In the following position, the plants 13 in the containers 12 are recorded by the first image recognition unit 22 and a point and/or a leaf of a plant 13 are/is determined via the control unit, which point and/or leaf may be grasped particularly suitably by the gripper 20. When such a leaf has been determined, the gripper 20 approaches precisely this leaf in a fully automatic manner and separates the plant 13 (FIG. 1). The gripper 20 then guides the separated plant 13 into the enclosure 24.

(17) In the enclosure 24, the plant 13 to be propagated is moved by the gripper 20 into a position which is registered by a second image recognition unit 26. This second image recognition unit 26 determines, together with the control system, multiple cutting lines, along which the plant 13 can be cut to produce clones 14 of the plant 13. When the cutting lines have been determined, the plant 13 is cut by the laser 25 into multiple clones 14 (FIG. 2). When the plant 13 cannot be cut further, it is permitted to fall onto the belt and the gripper 20 moves back to the container 12 in order to grasp a new plant 13. This procedure is continued until the container 12 no longer has plants 13. The empty container 12 is then transported away by the conveyor element 18 and transferred out of the room 11 through the access 15. At the same moment, a new container 12 is transferred inward through the access 15 into the room 11 and a container moves into the position in which the individual plants 13 can again be grasped by the gripper 20.

(18) The plants 13 cut by the laser 25 or the clones are transported away by the conveyor belt 23 in the direction 27 (FIG. 3). At the end of the conveyor belt 23, the clones are again recognized by the third image recognition unit 30 and a position is determined at which the individual clones 14 may be grasped particularly suitably by the second gripper 28. During this, the second conveyor element 29 was equipped with sterile containers 12. These sterile containers 12 are also transferred inward through accesses 15 into the room 11. These containers 12 are also initially fixed in the receptacles 19 by a suction cup. The cover 17 of a newly introduced container 12 is firstly removed by a movable suction cup and then transferred to a further suction cup, which recloses a container 12 filled with clones 14 using the same cover 17.

(19) The conveyor element 29 rotates the containers 12 into a position in which the gripper 28 can press the individual clones 14 into the culture medium of the containers 12. The positioning of the individual clones 14 in the containers 12 is performed according to a pattern or a matrix. As soon as a container is filled and/or all spaces of a matrix are occupied, as just described, the container 12 is again provided with its cover 17 and transferred out of the room 11 through the access 15.

(20) As soon as a batch of the plants 13 to be propagated has been processed, the tweezers 21 of the grippers 20 and 28 are guided to the apparatuses 31, 32 for sterilization. In this phase, the entire room 11 can also be sterilized by electromagnetic radiation and/or gassing. As soon as the sterilization is completed, a new batch of plants 13 can be propagated.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(21) 10 Device 11 Room 12 Container 13 Plant 14 Clone 15 Access 16 Access 17 Cover 18 Conveyor element 19 Receptacle 20 Gripper 21 Tweezers 22 First image recognition unit 23 Conveyor belt 24 Enclosure 25 Laser 26 Second image recognition unit 27 Direction 28 Gripper 29 Conveyor element 30 Third image recognition unit 31 Apparatus 32 Apparatus