Multiple emitters to treat agricultural objects from multiple payload sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11963473-B2
Application number	US-202218091791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2022
Priority date	Dec 21, 2019
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

Various embodiments relate generally to computer vision and automation to autonomously identify and deliver for application a treatment to an object among other objects, data science and data analysis, including machine learning, deep learning, and other disciplines of computer-based artificial intelligence to facilitate identification and treatment of objects, and robotics and mobility technologies to navigate a delivery system, more specifically, to an agricultural delivery system configured to identify and apply, for example, an agricultural treatment to an identified agricultural object. In some examples, a method may include, receiving data representing a policy specifying a type of action for an agricultural object, selecting an emitter with which to perform a type of action for the agricultural object as one of one or more classified subsets, and configuring the agricultural projectile delivery system to activate an emitter to propel an agricultural projectile to intercept the agricultural object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
maneuvering a treatment system, the treatment system comprising:
a first group of in line emitters;
a second group of in line emitters, wherein each emitter of the first group of in line emitters are separated by a first distance, and each emitter of the second group of in line emitters are separated by the first distance, and wherein the first group of emitters and the second group of emitters are separated at a second distance different than the first distance; and
one or more payload sources;
identifying a first group of one or more agricultural objects for treatment;
selecting a first emitter from the first group of in line emitters to apply a first liquid-based treatment to the identified first group of one or more agricultural objects;
using the first emitter, applying the first liquid-based treatment, obtained from the one or more payload sources, to the first group of one or more agricultural objects;
identifying a second group of one or more agricultural objects for treatment;
selecting a second emitter from the second group of in line emitters to apply a second liquid-based treatment to the identified second group of one or more agricultural objects, wherein the second emitter is different than the first emitter; and
using the second emitter to apply the second liquid-based treatment, obtained from the one or more payload sources, to the second group of one or more agricultural objects.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting a payload source from a first payload source or a second payload source to obtain the first liquid-based treatment, wherein the first payload source includes a fertilizer and the second payload source includes a herbicide.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a third group of one or more agricultural objects for treatment;
selecting a third emitter to apply a third liquid-based treatment to the identified third group of one or more agricultural objects, wherein the third emitter is different than the first emitter and second emitter; and
using the selected third emitter to apply the third liquid-based treatment, obtained from the one or more payload sources, to the third group of one or more agricultural objects.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first liquid-based treatment, the second liquid-based treatment and the third liquid-based treatment are concurrently applied as a vehicle traverses along a path.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
wherein the first emitter, second emitter and third emitter are each positioned in a common plane with one another and each emit a fluid projectile at determined trajectory based on a velocity of the vehicle as it traverses along the path.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an amount of the first liquid-based treatment to be emitted based on a type of the first group of one or more agricultural objects; and
determining an amount of the second liquid-based treatment to be emitted based on a type of the second group of one or more agricultural objects.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the first group of in line emitters is attached to a first articulating member and the second group of in line emitters is attached to a second articulating member;
adjusting the first and second articulating members to and position such that first group of in line emitters and the second group of in line emitters are positioned for treatment operations.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first group of in line emitters are configured to propel agricultural projectiles via one or more trajectories to intercept a target relative to a height above ground, and wherein the agricultural projectiles have a force with a vertical component and a horizontal component.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the emitters of the first group of in line emitters are disposed adjacent an image capture device, such that an emitter is disposed in a field of view of the image capture device.

10. An agricultural object treatment system, comprising:
a first group of in line emitters;
a second group of in line emitters, wherein the first group of in line emitters are configured to propel agricultural projectiles via one or more trajectories to intercept a target relative to a height above ground, and wherein the agricultural projectiles have a force with a vertical component and a horizontal component; and
one or more payload sources;
one or more sensors for obtaining image data;
a processor, responsive to executing instructions, which is configured to:
identify a first group of one or more agricultural objects for treatment;
select a first emitter to apply a first liquid-based treatment to the identified first group of one or more agricultural objects;
use the first emitter to apply the first liquid-based treatment, obtained from the one or more payload sources, to the first group of one or more agricultural objects;
identify a second group of one or more agricultural objects for treatment;
select a second emitter to apply a second liquid-based treatment to the identified second group of one or more agricultural objects, wherein the second emitter is different than the first emitter; and
use the second emitter to apply the second liquid-based treatment, obtained from the one or more payload sources, to the second group of one or more agricultural objects.

11. The agricultural object treatment system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
select a payload source from a first payload source or a second payload source to obtain the first liquid-based treatment, wherein the first payload source includes a fertilizer and the second payload source includes a herbicide.

12. The agricultural object treatment system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify a third group of one or more agricultural objects for treatment;
select a third emitter to apply a third liquid-based treatment to the identified third group of one or more agricultural objects, wherein the third emitter is different than the first emitter and second emitter; and
use the selected third emitter to apply the third liquid-based treatment, obtained from the one or more payload sources, to the third group of one or more agricultural objects.

13. The agricultural object treatment system of claim 12 , wherein the first liquid-based treatment, the second liquid-based treatment and the third liquid-based treatment are concurrently applied as a vehicle traverses along a path.

14. The agricultural object treatment system of claim 10 , wherein the first emitter, second emitter and third emitter are each positioned in a common plane with one another and each emit a fluid projectile at determined trajectory based on a velocity of the vehicle as it traverses along the path.

15. The agricultural object treatment system of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine an amount of the first liquid-based treatment to be emitted based on a type of the first group of one or more agricultural objects; and
determine an amount of the second liquid-based treatment to be emitted based on a type of the second group of one or more agricultural objects.

16. The agricultural object treatment system of claim 10 , wherein each emitter of the first group of in line emitters separated by a first distance, and each emitter of the second group of at least four in line emitters are separated by the first distance, and wherein the first group of emitters and the second g

Assignees

• Verdant Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Sibley Gabriel Thurston
• Garner Curtis Dale
• Michelin Andre Robert Daniel
• Ibarria Lorenzo
• Leger Patrick Christopher
• Rewis Benjamin
• Yan Shi

Classifications

• A01B69/001 Primary

  Steering by means of optical assistance, e.g. television cameras (steering devices for road marking vehicles E01C23/163) · CPC title

• A01B69/004

  automatic · CPC title

• A01C21/007

  Determining fertilization requirements · CPC title

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• G05D1/0246

  using a video camera in combination with image processing means · CPC title