A robotic gantry (10) for conducting farming operations. The robotic gantry has a bridge (12) which is moved by propulsion mechanisms (14), one or more farming implements (16), a controller (38), and one or more devices (28, 30) to provide position information for the robotic gantry as it moves back
A robotic gantry (10) for conducting farming operations. The robotic gantry has a bridge (12) which is moved by propulsion mechanisms (14), one or more farming implements (16), a controller (38), and one or more devices (28, 30) to provide position information for the robotic gantry as it moves back and forth along a plurality of crop rows (40). The robotic gantry is connected to a power supply system (20) and, optionally, to a liquid supply system (22), which may be implemented as festoon systems. The controller is automated, self-navigating, and activates, deactivates, and/or changes the operation of the propulsion mechanisms, and deploys, retracts, activates, deactivates, and/or changes the operation of one or more of the farming implements. The height of the frame may be adjusted by height adjustment frames (18) to accommodate crops of different heights and at different times during a growing season.
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1. A robotic gantry comprising: a plurality of propulsion mechanisms to drive the robotic gantry in a travel path along a plurality of crop rows;a bridge connected to the propulsion mechanisms, the bridge having sufficient width to straddle a predetermined number of the crop rows;a plurality of farm
1. A robotic gantry comprising: a plurality of propulsion mechanisms to drive the robotic gantry in a travel path along a plurality of crop rows;a bridge connected to the propulsion mechanisms, the bridge having sufficient width to straddle a predetermined number of the crop rows;a plurality of farming implements connected to the bridge;a power supply system to provide operating power to the propulsion mechanisms, wherein the power supply system comprises a power rail or a power cable festoon; anda controller to control operation of the propulsion mechanisms and operation of the farming implements wherein the controller, in response to detecting a predetermined environmental condition, activates at least one farming implement. 2. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein the power supply system comprises a power rail. 3. The robotic gantry of claim 1 and further comprising a water supply system. 4. The robotic gantry of claim 3 wherein the water supply system comprises a water line festoon. 5. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein each propulsion mechanism of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms comprises at least two wheels disposed in a linear arrangement and a motor, the motor being connected to and driving at least one of the wheels. 6. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein each propulsion mechanism of the plurality of propulsion mechanisms comprises at least two flanged wheels disposed in a linear arrangement and a motor, the motor being connected to and driving at least one of the flanged wheels. 7. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein each propulsion mechanism comprises at least a track and a motor, the motor being connected to and driving the track. 8. The robotic gantry of claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of height adjustment frames, each height adjustment frame being connected to the bridge to a corresponding propulsion mechanism. 9. The robotic gantry of claim 8 wherein the plurality of height adjustment frames are selected to provide a desired height of the gantry with respect to a predetermined crop. 10. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein the farming implements comprise at least one of tillers, plows, sprayers, misters, seed insertion devices, air nozzles, vacuum hoses, a sound generator, a light, shears, a band saw, harvesting devices, packing devices, storage devices. 11. The robotic gantry of claim 1 and further comprising at least one of a laser range finder or an encoder to provide position data to the controller. 12. The robotic gantry of claim 11 wherein the controller is responsive to the position data to at least one: deploy a farming implement, retract a farming implement, activate a farming implement, activate the propulsion systems, deactivate the propulsion systems, begin an action, or end an action. 13. The robotic gantry of claim 1 and further comprising at least one of a camera, laser scanner, color sensor, moisture sensor, wind speed sensor, wind direction sensor, motion sensor, humidity sensor, or microphone to provide environmental data. 14. The robotic gantry of claim 13 wherein the controller is responsive to the environmental data to at least one of: deploy a farming implement, retract a farming implement, activate an air nozzle, activate a vacuum hose, begin watering, increase a rate of watering, decrease a rate of watering, stop watering, generate a sound, activate a light, or activate a vapor generation device. 15. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a processor connected to a memory and an input/output controller, the memory containing operating instructions for the processor. 16. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein the controller activates a farming implement while causing the propulsion mechanisms to drive the robotic gantry in a first travel path along the crop rows, and deactivates the farming implement while causing the propulsion mechanisms to drive the robotic gantry in a second, reverse travel path along the crop rows. 17. The robotic gantry of claim 1 wherein the controller causes the propulsion mechanisms to drive the robotic gantry in a first travel path along the crop rows and then to active a predetermined farming implement once a predetermined position along the crop rows has been reached. 18. A method for operating a robotic gantry for farming, the method comprising: in response to detecting a predetermined environmental condition, causing the robotic gantry to begin moving along a plurality of crop rows, and activating at least one farming implement;causing the robotic gantry to begin moving along a plurality of crop rows, activating at least one farming implement, and, in response to detecting that the robotic gantry is at a predetermined position along the crop rows, causing the robotic gantry to change a rate of movement along a plurality of crop rows; orcausing the robotic gantry to begin moving along a plurality of crop rows, activating at least one farming implement, and, in response to detecting of a predetermined environmental condition, causing a change in an activation level of the farming implement. 19. A computing device to control the operation of a robotic gantry for farming, the computing device comprising: a memory device containing instructions for an operating system and at least a one program module;an input/output device;a processor coupled to the memory device and to the input/output device, the processor executing the instructions to at least one of: in response to detection of a predetermined environmental condition, cause the robotic gantry to begin moving along a plurality of crop rows, and activate at least one farming implement;cause the robotic gantry to begin moving along a plurality of crop rows, activate at least one farming implement, and, in response to detection that the robotic gantry is at a predetermined position along the crop rows, cause the robotic gantry to change a rate of movement along a plurality of crop rows; orcause the robotic gantry to begin moving along a plurality of crop rows, activate at least one farming implement, and, in response to detection of a predetermined environmental condition, cause a change in an activation level of the farming implement.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (7)
McNabb Gerald J., Closed loop control system, sensing apparatus and fluid application system for a precision irrigation device.
McCann Ian R. (Department of Agricultural Engineering University of Idaho Moscow ID 83843) Stark Jeffrey C. (Research and Extension Center University of Idaho Aberdeen ID 83210), Method and apparatus for variable application of irrigation water and chemicals.
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