System and method for sowing seeds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10973174-B2
Application number	US-201615566378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and method for sowing seeds. The invention relates more particularly to a device and method for sowing seeds as part of a plant breeding process. The system according to the invention comprises a separating device for separating a single seed relative to a remainder of the plurality of seeds, an optical recognition system for recognizing the separated seed, a robot arm device for picking up the separated seed and for sowing the picked-up seed, and a control unit for controlling the separating device, the optical recognition system and the robot arm device. With this system it is possible to sow seeds in a more accurate and less error-prone manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for sowing a plurality of seeds, comprising:
a separating device for separating a single seed relative to a remainder of the plurality of seeds;
an optical recognition system for recognizing the separated seed;
a robot arm device for picking up the separated seed and for sowing the picked-up seed; a control unit for controlling the separating device, the optical recognition system and the robot arm device; and
a memory configured to store a seed profile, wherein the seed profile describes characteristics regarding the dimensions and/or shape of the seed for separating,
wherein the seeds are sown on a growth substrate with a plurality of sowing positions;
the system further comprising:
a substrate moving unit for moving the growth substrate in stepwise manner, wherein the growth substrate comprises a row of sowing positions transversely of a direction of movement of the growth substrate, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot arm device to sow one seed at a time in one sowing position of a row and, when the sowing in the row has been completed, to control the substrate moving unit to bring a subsequent row of sowing positions into position; and
a plurality of falling tubes which are disposed such that each lower opening of each falling tube can be aligned during operation with a respective sowing position associated with the same row,
wherein the optical recognition system comprises: a camera for recording an image of the plurality of seeds; an image analysis unit for analysing the recorded image, wherein the image analysis unit is configured to identify the separated seed on the basis of the seed profile; an output unit for output of position information about the identified seed to the robot arm device,
wherein the image analysis unit is configured to detect a contour in the recorded image and to assign the contour to a seed if dimensions and/or shape of the detected contour correspond to the seed profile,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the separating device to once again separate the seeds if the optical recognition system has detected at least one contour, but wherein no seed has been recognized on the basis of the seed profile.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein all seeds of the stated plurality of seeds have the same taxonomy, and all seeds of the stated plurality belong to the same plant family, genus, species, subspecies, variety, progeny of a crossing or groups of crossings, or the same population.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured only to pick up the detected seed if the distance between the detected contour and an adjacent contour is more than a predetermined distance.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the separating device comprises a vibrating plate.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robot arm device comprises a robot arm which is provided at an end with a suction nozzle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to compare a recorded image of after and before the robot arm device picks up the separated seed, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot arm device once again to pick up the separated seed if there is insufficient difference between the compared images.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein a depth setting corresponding to a distance to a base on which the separated seed lies is adjusted for said repeated picking up of the separated seed.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a supply device for supplying the seeds in a container.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot arm device to engage the container and to carry the seeds out of the container and to the separating device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the robot arm device comprises a first device for picking up the separated seed and a second device for engaging the container.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the sowing program further comprises the number of seeds to be sown per taxonomy and wherein, if this number has been sown and seeds still remain, the control unit is configured to control the separating device to discharge the remaining seeds.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to track the sowing positions at which a seed with a determined taxonomy has been sown and/or wherein the sowing program comprises information about the sowing positions at which a seed with a determined taxonomy has to be sown.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is configured to add information about the sowing positions at which a seed with a determined taxonomy has been sown to the sowing program.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a device for supplying to the sown seeds one or more substances chosen from the group consisting of water, germination-promoting agents, growth-promoting agents and pesticides.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the sowing program comprises substance information per seed or per taxonomy regarding which of said substances must be supplied, and wherein the control unit is configured to control the device for supplying these substances subject to the substance information.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store a sowing program comprising a correlation between information regarding the taxonomy of the seeds and a sowing pattern for said sowing.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the sowing program comprises the correlation between information regarding the taxonomy of the seeds and a sowing pattern for said sowing.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the growth substrate is provided with an identifier.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising an identifier application unit for arranging the identifier on the growth substrate.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the growth substrate comprises a storage medium, wherein the control unit is configured to store information regarding the sowing positions at which a seed with a determined taxonomy has been sown in the storage medium.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the growth substrate is a tray.

22. A method for sowing seeds, comprising:
storing a seed profile, wherein the seed profile describes characteristics regarding the dimensions and/or shape of the seed for separating;
separating a single seed relative to a remainder of the plurality of seeds using the separating device;
optically recognizing the separated seed with an optical recognition system;
picking up the separated seed with the robot arm device and sowing the picked-up seed with the robot arm device;
moving a growth substrate in stepwise manner, wherein the growth substrate comprises a row of sowing positions transversely of a direction of movement of the growth substrate; and
controlling the robot arm device to sow one seed at a time in one sowing position of a row and, when the sowing in the row has been completed, to bring a subsequent row of sowing positions into position;
wherein during sowing of the picked-up seed the robot arm device drops this seed through one of a plurality of falling tubes, wherein the falling tubes are disposed such that each lower opening of each falling tube can be aligned during operation with a respective sowing position associated with the same row,
wherein the optical recognition system comprises: a camera for recording an image of the plurality of seeds; an image analysis unit for analysing the recorded image, wherein the image

Assignees

• Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt En Zaadhandel Bv

Inventors

• Bovée Adrianus Johannes Cornelis

Classifications

• A01C21/005 Primary

  Following a specific plan, e.g. pattern · CPC title

• G06V20/10

  Terrestrial scenes (scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59) · CPC title

• A01C14/00

  Methods or apparatus for planting not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• A01G9/085

  Devices for setting seeds in pots · CPC title

• B25J9/1697

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title