Autonomous mobile platform and variable rate irrigation method for preventing frost damage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10172299-B2
Application number	US-201615350437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 21, 2015
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A rover includes a base having wheels and a propulsion system coupled to the wheels to propel the rover around a field. A tower is coupled to the base and extends over the base. Sensors are set on the tower and the base and are configured to sense environmental conditions around the rover at different elevations. A computing system includes a processor and memory. The memory is configured to receive measured data from the sensors and determine an amount and manner of water to be dispensed on plant life in the field.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rover system, comprising:
a self-propelled rover including:
a tower coupled to a base and extending over the base; and
a plurality of sensors set on the tower and the base and configured to sense weather conditions around the rover at different elevations;

a computing system including a processor and memory, the memory being configured to receive measured data from the plurality of sensors and determine an amount and manner of water to be dispensed on plant life in a field to protect plant life from frost damage;
a separate sprinkler system including a plurality of individually controllable heads, the plurality of individually controllable heads being responsive to measured data from the plurality of sensors to apply water to the plant life in accordance with local conditions.

2. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors measure one or more of temperature, humidity and wind velocity at the different elevations.

3. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the rover includes an onboard sprinkler system onboard to deliver the water to be dispensed.

4. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the rover includes the computing system that controls the separate sprinkler system to deliver the water to be dispensed in accordance with the measured data.

5. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an imaging device mounted on the rover to evaluate water delivery amounts for the plant life in the field using visual feedback.

6. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the self-propelled rover is self guided.

7. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of individually controllable heads each includes a fundamental frequency, and the separate sprinkler system includes speakers to generate acoustic energy to oscillate the heads individually to deliver water.

8. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a propulsion system coupled to wheels of the rover system to propel the rover system.

9. The rover system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the propulsion system is selected from the group consisting of a battery driven engine, an internal combustion engine, a solar powered engine and a wind powered engine.

10. The rover system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a localization system or navigation system to provide positioning information for guiding the rover system.

11. A rover system, comprising:
a self-propelled rover including a propulsion system coupled to wheels of the rover to propel the rover, the rover further including:
a tower coupled to a base and extending over the base, the tower having an adjustable height to permit measurements at different heights for a given set of conditions; and
a plurality of sensors set on the tower and the base and configured to sense weather conditions around the rover at different elevations;

a computing system including a processor and memory, the memory being configured to receive measured data from the plurality of sensors and determine an amount and manner of water to be dispensed on plant life in a field to protect plant life from frost damage;
a separate sprinkler system including a plurality of individually controllable heads, the plurality of individually controllable heads being responsive to measured data from the plurality of sensors to apply water to the plant life in accordance with local conditions.

12. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors measure one or more of temperature, humidity and wind velocity at the different elevations.

13. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the rover includes an onboard sprinkler system onboard to deliver the water to be dispensed.

14. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the rover includes the computing system at controls the separate sprinkler system to deliver the water to be dispensed in accordance with the measured data.

15. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , further comprising an imaging device mounted on the rover to evaluate water delivery amounts for the plant life in the field using visual feedback.

16. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the self-propelled rover is self-guided.

17. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of individually controllable heads each includes a fundamental frequency, and the separate sprinkler system includes speakers to generate acoustic energy to oscillate the heads individually to deliver water.

18. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the propulsion system is selected from the group consisting of a battery driven engine, an internal combustion engine, a solar powered engine and a wind powered engine.

19. The rover system as recited in claim 11 , further comprising a localization system or navigation system to provide positioning information for guiding the rover system.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bermudez Rodriguez Sergio A
• Klein Levente
• Schrott Alejandro G
• Van Kessel Theodore G

Classifications

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title

• A01G25/167

  Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors · CPC title

• G05D1/0278

  using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G01N33/246

  for water content · CPC title

• A01G25/09

  Watering arrangements making use of movable installations on wheels or the like · CPC title