Patent Grant
11744240
The present disclosure generally relates to the fields of drones, robotics, remote network connectivity, and precision agriculture.
By 2050, the global population will increase from 7.8 billion to 9.7 billion people, and food demand will increase by 70%. During this time, the amount of farmland will be relatively unchanged. As a result, farmers will be challenged to find more efficient, sustainable methods of farming.
The present disclosure generally relates to the fields of drones, robotics, remote network connectivity, and precision agriculture. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure relate to ground robots performing plant management without chemical use. In some embodiments, autonomous ground vehicles perform various weed control operations using mechanical, electrical, and/or both mechanical and electrical means to eliminate weeds. In some embodiments, autonomous ground vehicles perform ground terraforming operations and livestock herd management.
Some embodiments comprise an autonomous network of robots and drones wherein at least one drone inspects an area for a specific agriculture asset and at least one ground robot performs an action based on the drone inspection. In some embodiments, drones perform an inspection of an area of farmland, the inspection data is analyzed via AI to identify areas with high concentrations of weeds, and ground robots travel to identified areas and perform weed control.
Some embodiments relate to an autonomous network of drones that transfer data between each other and are linked to the other networks through a link drone capable of ground and aerial mobility, and in some embodiments, the drones are powered by solar charging and align themselves to the sun. In some embodiments, the drones can affix to the ground at night and during extreme weather.
According to some embodiments, a Multi-modal VTOL Robot is capable of attaching itself to the ground and/or an object, moving on the ground and/or the object, and/or conducting aerial movement, and may be referred to as a weather resistant VTOL robotic system, aircraft, drone, or an aircraft in various embodiments through the disclosure.
According to some embodiments, an autonomous ground vehicle for agricultural plant and soil management operations, the autonomous ground vehicle comprising: a ground vehicle unit having two or more wheels or mechanical propulsion mechanisms coupled to the ground vehicle unit; a camera unit coupled to the ground vehicle unit, the camera unit configured to generate one or more images of agricultural ground soil and plant organisms in a forward path of the ground vehicle unit; a first mechanical arm coupled to a first undercarriage portion of the ground vehicle unit, the first mechanical arm having a first end effector comprising a first hoe portion and a first electrode portion; a second mechanical arm coupled to a second undercarriage portion of the ground vehicle unit, the second mechanical arm having a second end effector comprising a second electrode portion; a high voltage booster unit housed in the ground vehicle unit, the high voltage booster unit is electrically connected to the first electrode portion of the first end effector of the first mechanical arm, and the high voltage booster unit is electrically connected to the second electrode portion of the second end effector of the second mechanical arm; an electronic memory storage medium housed in the ground vehicle unit, the electronic memory storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions; one or more processors housed in the ground vehicle unit, the one or more processors in electronic communication with the electronic memory storage medium, the one or more processors configured to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the electronic memory storage medium for implementing a plant species control management operation, the computer-executable instructions comprises: analyzing, by the one or more processors, the generated one or more images to identify a plant organism and surrounding soil; determining, by the one or more processors, a soil type of the surrounding soil and a plant species of the identified plant organism in the one or more images; comparing, by the one or more processors, the determined plant species type of the identified plant organism to a data store, the comparing performed to determine whether the plant organism is set for plant organism control; generating, by the one or more processors, based on determining that the identified plant organism is set for plant organism control, ground vehicle unit control instructions configured to advance the ground vehicle unit and/or the first mechanical arm to be within a threshold proximity of the identified plant organism; determining, by the one or more processors, a method of plant organism control for the identified plant organism based on the analysis of the identified plant organism and the surrounding soil in the one or more images generated by the camera, the method of plant organism control having options, the options comprising electrical control and mechanical control; generating, by the one or more processors, based on determining the method plant organism control is electrical control, mechanical arm control instructions for electrical control comprising: positioning the first electrode portion to be in contact with the identified plant organism; positioning the second electrode portion to be in contact with the soil or a second plant adjacent to the identified plant organism; activating the high voltage booster unit to generate electric current through the first electrode portion, the identified plant organism, and the second electrode portion; generating, by the one or more processors, based on determining the method plant organism control is mechanical control, mechanical arm control instructions for mechanical control comprising: positioning at least the first hoe portion to be in contact with soil distal to the identified plant organism; moving the first hoe portion through the soil to remove at least a portion of the identified plant organism; executing, by the one or more processors, the generated mechanical arm control instructions.
In some embodiments, the mechanical propulsion mechanism may comprise mechanical legs. In some embodiments, the ground vehicle unit further comprises one or more protrusions coupled to an external portion of the ground vehicle unit, the one or more protrusions configured to engage with the first hoe portion to remove debris material from the first hoe portion. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicle further comprises an energy storage unit housed in the ground vehicle unit, the energy storage unit is electrically coupled to the high voltage booster unit. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicle further comprises a solar panel unit electrically coupled to the energy storage unit, the solar panel unit is coupled to the ground vehicle unit, the solar panel unit is configured to electrically recharge the energy storage unit housed in the ground vehicle unit. In some embodiments, the activating the high voltage booster unit comprises activating with a switch relay. In some embodiments, determining, by the one or more processors, a plant species type of the identified plant organism comprises use of a computer vision algorithm. In some embodiments, determining, by the one or more processors, a plant species type of the identified plant organism comprises use of an artificial intelligence algorithm. In some embodiments, the second end effector of the second mechanical arm further comprises a second hoe portion. In some embodiments, the first hoe portion and the first electrode portion of the first end effector form a single unit.
According to some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for using an autonomous ground vehicle for agricultural plant and soil management and operations, the computer-implemented method comprising: analyze, by a computing system, one or more generated images to identify a plant organism and surrounding soil, the one or more generated images a camera unit coupled to a ground vehicle unit having two or more wheels or mechanical propulsion mechanisms; determining, by the computing system, a soil type of the surrounding soil and a plant species type of the identified plant organism in the one or more generated images; comparing, by the computing system, the determined plant species type of the identified plant organism to a data store, the comparing performed to determine whether the plant organism is set for plant organism control; generate, by the computing system, based on determining that the identified plant organism is set for plant organism control, ground vehicle unit control instructions configured to advance the ground vehicle unit and/or a first mechanical arm to be within a threshold proximity of the identified plant organism, the ground vehicle unit comprises the first mechanical arm coupled to a first undercarriage portion of the ground vehicle unit, the first mechanical arm having a first end effector comprising a first hoe portion and a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion, the ground vehicle unit houses a high voltage booster unit, the high voltage booster unit is electrically connected to the first electrode portion of the first end effector of the first mechanical arm, and the high voltage booster unit is electrically connected to the second electrode portion of the first end effector of the first mechanical arm, the first electrode portion configured to contact a first portion of the plant organism and the second electrode portion configured to contact the surrounding soil or a second portion of the plant organism; determine, by the computing system, a method of plant organism control for the identified plant organism based on the analysis of the identified plant organism and the surrounding soil in the one or more generated images by the camera, the method of plant organism control having options, the options comprising electrical control and mechanical control; generate, by the computing system, based on determining the method plant organism control is electrical control, mechanical arm control instructions for electrical control comprising: positioning the first electrode portion to be in contact with the first portion of the identified plant organism; positioning the second electrode portion to be in contact with the surrounding soil or the second portion of the identified plant organism or an adjacent plant organism to the identified plant organism; activating the high voltage booster unit to generate electric current through the first electrode portion, the identified plant organism, and the second electrode portion; generate, by the computing system, based on determining the method plant organism control is mechanical control, mechanical arm control instructions for mechanical control comprising: positioning at least the first hoe portion to be in contact with soil distal to the identified plant organism; moving the first hoe portion through the soil to remove at least a portion of the identified plant organism; executing, by the computing system, the generated mechanical arm control instructions; wherein the computing system comprises one or more hardware computer processors in communication with one or more computer readable data stores and configured to execute a plurality of computer executable instructions.
In some embodiments, the mechanical propulsion mechanism comprises mechanical legs. In some embodiments, the ground vehicle unit further comprises one or more protrusions coupled to an external portion of the ground vehicle unit, the one or more protrusions configured to engage with the first hoe portion to remove debris material from the first hoe portion. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicle further comprises an energy storage unit housed in the ground vehicle unit, the energy storage unit is electrically coupled to the high voltage booster unit. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicle further comprises a solar panel unit electrically coupled to the energy storage unit, the solar panel unit is coupled to the ground vehicle unit, the solar panel unit is configured to electrically recharge the energy storage unit housed in the ground vehicle unit. In some embodiments, the activating the high voltage booster unit comprises activating with a switch relay. In some embodiments, determining, by the one or more processors, a plant species type of the identified plant organism comprises use of a computer vision algorithm. In some embodiments, determining, by the one or more processors, a plant species type of the identified plant organism comprises use of an artificial intelligence algorithm. In some embodiments, the ground vehicle unit further comprises a second mechanical arm coupled to a second undercarriage portion of the ground vehicle unit, the second mechanical arm having a second end effector comprising a second electrode portion. In some embodiments, the first hoe portion and the first electrode portion of the first end effector form a single unit.
Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are illustrated and described by example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the drawings, similar elements have similar reference numerals.
Although embodiments, examples, and illustrations are disclosed below, the disclosure described herein extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments, examples, and illustrations and includes other uses of the disclosure and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Embodiments of the disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals refer to like elements throughout. The terminology used in the description presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner simply because it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the disclosure. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure can comprise several novel features, and no single feature is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or is essential to practicing the disclosures herein described.
By 2050, the global population will increase from 7.8 billion to 9.7 billion people, and food demand will increase by 70%. During this time, the amount of farmland will be relatively unchanged. As a result, farmers will be challenged to find more efficient, sustainable methods of farming. It is clear that farmers do not have access to the data, analysis, and guidance needed to manage their crops to meet the elevated demands.
Furthermore, a high percentage of farmers cannot use current technology because it is not scalable or affordable. Farmers and agriculture professionals need technology that not only gathers data but also takes immediate action, since agriculture is largely based on weather and timing. Specifically, farmers only take action when it is too late. By the time farmers find the problems on their farmland, they have spread. Also, satellites don't provide the resolution needed even for the most basic analysis.
To combat these issues, various concepts are disclosed herein to provide solutions for more efficient and sustainable farming. In some embodiments of the disclosure, autonomous ground vehicles perform various weed control operations using mechanical, electrical, and/or both mechanical and electrical means to eliminate weeds. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicles disclosed herein can comprise one or more mechanical arms coupled to the autonomous ground vehicles. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicles disclosed herein can comprise one or more electrode portions coupled to the one or more mechanical arms, wherein the one or more electrode portions are configured to make contact with one or more plants or plant portions and/or ground areas in order to damage the plant by sending an electric current through the plant and/or the roots of the plant. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicles disclosed herein can comprise one or more hoe portions coupled to the one or more mechanical arms. In some embodiments, the one or more hoe portions are configured to mechanically remove a plant from the soil or remove a portion of a plant. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicles disclosed herein can comprise one or more cameras configured to capture one or more image(s) and/or video of areas around the autonomous ground vehicle, including but not limited to a forward path of the autonomous ground vehicle. In some embodiments, the one or more image(s) and/or video are analyzed by a computing system either housed in the autonomous ground vehicle or in a cloud server connected to the autonomous ground vehicle through a communications network, wherein the computing system is configured to identify plant types in the one or more image(s) and/or video and determine whether the identified plant should be terminated or allowed to continue to grow. In some embodiments, the computing system can be configured to determine whether the identified plant should be terminated by using the one or more hoe portions and/or the one or more electrode portions. In some embodiments, the computing system can be configured to determine the method of plant termination, for example, by mechanical damage through using the one or more hoe portions or by electrical current damage through using the one or more electrode portions, based on analyzing the one or more image(s) and/or video. In some embodiments, the computing system is configured to analyze plant types and compare the identified plant type to determine whether the plant is a desirable plant type, and/or is conducive or detrimental to the desired crop and/or soil by comparing the plant type to a database, data store, lookup table, configuration file, or the like. In some embodiments, the computing system is configured to analyze soil conditions and/or soil type and/or soil moisture and/or soil composition and/or the like to determine the method of plant termination. In some embodiments, if the computing system determines that the soil is hard, then the system can be configured to not use the one or more hoe portions to remove the plant because the one or more hoes may not be able to dig into the soil, and the system can be configured to use the one or more electrode portions to terminate the plant. In some embodiments, autonomous ground vehicles perform ground terraforming operations (for example, ground soil management operations and/or the like) to restore arid environment ground soil conditions and degraded farmland. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicle disclosed herein is configured to use the one or more hoe potions in conjunction with the one or more cameras to create openings and/or hills and/or crescent shaped mounds and/or sloped areas and/or other land features configured to capture water and/or wind and/or soil and/or seeds and/or other items in order to restore the ground soil conditions. In some embodiments, autonomous ground vehicles perform livestock herd and ground soil management by monitoring which plant life is consumed and the quantity consumed by livestock and the ground and vegetation condition to prevent detrimental overgrazing of the land. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicles disclosed herein can be configured to use the one or more mechanical arms to produce waving motions or sliding motions or gyrating motions or oscillating motions or other types of motions in order to scare the livestock or herd the livestock towards a particular grazing area and away from a grazing area that has been determined by the autonomous ground vehicle and/or computing system to be overgrazed and/or to prevent damage to the area. In some embodiments, the one or more mechanical arms may comprise one or more mirrors or flags or other items that are configured to capture the attention of the livestock in order to scare or herd the livestock in a particular direction. In some embodiment, the autonomous ground vehicle can be configured to be a ground vehicle that can be used for multiple purpose, for example, weed management, ground soil management, and/or livestock herding management such that a user of the autonomous ground vehicle need only one machine to perform one or more forgoing tasks. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicle can comprise the necessary software to perform one or more of the weed management, ground soil management, and/or livestock herding management operations. In some embodiments, the autonomous ground vehicle can comprise one or more instruments necessary for performing weed management, ground soil management, and/or livestock herding management operations.
In some embodiments, the mechanical arm includes a yaw motor, a pitch motor and a hoe arm with an end effector comprising a hoe portion, a shovel portion, and an electrode, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the hoe arm is coupled to the autonomous ground vehicle structure, for example, to the undercarriage portion of the ground vehicle unit's frame. In some embodiments, the pitch motor is connected to the vehicle structure, with the output shaft of the pitch motor being oriented in a vertical direction such that the output shaft rotates about a vertical rotation axis. In some embodiments, a bracket is coupled to the output shaft of the pitch motor. In some embodiments, the yaw motor is coupled to the bracket and positioned on the bracket such that an output shaft of the yaw motor is oriented in a horizontal direction, such that the output shaft rotates about a horizontally oriented rotation axis. In some embodiments, the output shaft of the yaw motor is coupled to a proximal end of the hoe arm. With such an arrangement, the hoe arm can be caused to rotate about two separate axes of rotation, namely a vertical axis defined by the output shaft of the pitch motor and a horizontal axis defined by the output shaft of the yaw motor. Other embodiments may include more or less drive motors and/or axes of rotation, other embodiments may position the multiple axes of rotation in different orientations, and/or the like. Further, in some embodiments, the two motors are actually motor assemblies that each include a motor and gearbox. In such a configuration, the output shafts are actually an output shaft of a gearbox that is coupled to the motor. Such a configuration can be desirable, for example, to provide a mechanical advantage, to change an orientation of the rotation axis, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the motors desirably comprise brushless DC motors, which can operate relatively efficiently. Some embodiments may, however, use different types of electric motors, hydraulic and/or pneumatic motors, linear actuators, rack and pinon systems, hydraulic and/or pneumatic cylinders or actuators, and/or the like.
Some embodiments comprise an autonomous network of robots and/or drones wherein at least one drone inspects an area for a specific agriculture asset and at least one ground robot performs an action based on the drone inspection. In some embodiments, drones perform an inspection of an area of farmland, the inspection data is analyzed via AI to identify areas with high concentrations of weeds, and ground robots travel to identified areas and perform weed control.
Some embodiments relate to an autonomous network of drones that transfer data between each other and are linked to the other networks through a link drone capable of ground and aerial mobility, and in some embodiments, the drones are powered by solar charging and align themselves to the sun. In some embodiments, the drones can affix to the ground at night and during extreme weather.
Current robotic systems have struggled to meet farmers' and agriculture professionals' needs because these systems have not successfully integrated drones, robots, and software analytics. Instead, each individual technology has been used in and of itself and generally relies on human interaction and infrastructure. Companies have specialized in designing, building, and in some cases operating drones. Other companies have specialized in software analytics for crops. Other companies have specialized in creating ground robots to perform actions on a farm such as weed control or seeding. However, in order for farmers to truly benefit, it can be desirable to combine all three of these technologies, or at least two of these technologies. Each technology has significant shortcomings when used by itself, although it is also possible to use them by themselves.
In some embodiments, it can be disadvantageous to have ground robots without drones because ground robots have limited scouting capability due to their speed. The addition of drones to the system reduces the number of ground robots required to perform weed control. It can be beneficial to use ground robots without drones, however, because the use of drones increases the level of sophistication for the system. For some applications, such as livestock management and terraforming, drones may not be necessary to achieve the full benefit of the ground robots.
Weeds compete with crops for nutrients and water, and the presence of weeds will reduce a farmer's crop yield. Currently, farmers are spraying large amounts of herbicides over entire fields, even for isolated problems, with spraying equipment attached to tractors or airplanes. These methods are expensive and are becoming ineffective as weeds are becoming resistant to herbicides. Over 250 herbicide resistant species of weeds exist in the United States of America. Additionally, herbicides are known carcinogens and harmful to farmers and farmland.
While mechanical and electrical weed control robots have been used previously, these robots are very expensive, and struggle to catch issues after weeds spread seeds. Current robots also struggle to effectively remove weeds. Removing weeds before they spread seeds decreases the probability of recurring weeds in the next growing season. Because farmers are heavily invested in pesticide application equipment and infrastructure, farmers need an efficient, low-cost method of removing weeds. Traditional mechanical weed control robots undergo high levels of wear that force the robots to be large and complex and require the farmer to perform frequent in-field service. In addition, the current robots are heavy and cause damage to the farmland due to soil compaction. Many electrical weed control robots have a high voltage system which runs continuously, resulting in an unsafe environment for people or animals near the robot. Additionally, running continuously results in large amounts of energy consumption.
In addition, the industry has struggled to develop ground robots that can perform weed control in close proximity to the crops and without damaging the crops without pesticide use.
One of the major issues with current drones is that they are not optimized for solar charging both in flight and on the ground. As a result, nearly all drones on the market have to charge at a centrally located charging infrastructure. Due to current drones' dependency on charging infrastructure, the technology is not scalable for agricultural applications because their battery life last about 30 minutes before new batteries or a charging is required. This limitation directly impacts the current technology's ability to provide meaningful use to farmers in remote areas.
Furthermore, current drones have to transfer data over the internet or cellular connection to a cloud-based analytics platform or directly onto a secure digital (SD) card for a farmer or agriculture professional to transfer a computer. This process is time consuming and does not offer the farmer immediate analysis and guidance as to how to take action in his field. Furthermore, this data is not mapped directly onto a robot or machine to address any areas of concern identified in the analysis in a timely manner.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a network of autonomous, self-charging robots wherein drones collect data and transfer the data directly to a farmer or machine to take immediate action. In some cases, the drones can use onboard artificial intelligence (AI) processers to analyze the data in real time and either send a report directly to a farmer's device or send points of concern to ground robots where ground robots take immediate action. In other cases, a drone sends inspection data to the ground robot for analysis, and after the ground robot performs AI analysis, then ground robot takes action on areas of concern.
In some cases, the autonomous, self-charging drones can affix themselves directly to ground robots for protection in extreme weather.
Additionally, there is a need for a network of drones and ground robots that perform actions such as weed control. With the overuse of herbicides in modern farming practices and rise of organic farming, farmers need improved methods of weed control without harmful chemicals. Current agriculture robots are expensive, complex, large, and cannot perform weed control in close proximity to the crops after germination. Furthermore, the current technology requires a major capital investment and infrastructure investment for the farmer. As a result, the proposed robots in this disclosure create a dynamic and decentralized network with limited or no infrastructure, wherein the drones are continuously inspecting the fields to determine the location of weeds and the ground robots are performing weed control in areas identified by AI analysis of the drone data. To date, this problem in the industry has not been solved because drones are tied to infrastructure and their range is extremely limited.
Remote Network Connectivity
While connectivity has improved in highly urban areas, connectivity is poor to nonexistent in remote areas because there is no budget to invest in cellular bonding or satellite. Poor connectivity is a big issue in developing countries, such as Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. In addition, poor connectivity is limiting telecommunication as well as data transfer of critical information for both individuals and entities.
Furthermore, poor connectivity is holding back many industries, such as agriculture and utility inspection, from growing and fully utilizing technology in other fields, such as Internet of Things (IoT), automated equipment, and cloud-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis tools. Even in the United States, a pioneer country in connectivity, only about one-quarter of farms currently use any connected equipment or devices to access data, and that technology isn't typically state-of-the-art, running on 2G or 3G networks that telecommunication companies plan to dismantle or on very low-band IoT networks that are complicated and expensive to set up. In either case, those networks can support only a limited number of devices and lack the performance for real-time data transfer, which is essential to unlock the value of more advanced and complex use cases.
For the agriculture industry to advance and meet the increased food demands of the 21st century, it faces one major obstacle: many regions lack the necessary connectivity infrastructure, making development of it paramount to integrate advanced crop monitoring, livestock monitoring, building and equipment management, drone farming, and autonomous farming machinery. These advancements contribute to higher yields, lower costs, and greater resilience and sustainability for farmers and agriculture professionals allowing them to meet the 21st century food demand. In regions that already have a connectivity infrastructure, farms have been slow to deploy digital tools because their impact has not been sufficiently proven. The global farming industry is highly fragmented, with most labor done by individual farm owners. Particularly in Asia and Africa, few farms employ outside workers. On such farms, the adoption of connectivity solutions should free significant time for farmers, which they can use to farm additional land for pay or to pursue work outside the industry.
Since rural areas do not have access to high-speed cellular networks or satellite communications, small aircrafts, specifically drones, are an alternative; however, the current infrastructure requirements and limited flight for drones have limited their use in the telecommunication applications.
One of the major issues with current VTOL aircrafts, specifically drones, is that they are not optimized for solar charging both in flight and on the ground. As a result, all or most of all of the drones on the market have to charge at a centrally located charging infrastructure. Due to current drone's dependency on charging infrastructure, the technology is not scalable for remote networking solutions as their battery life is about 30 minutes before having to swap out batteries or charge. This limitation directly impacts the current technology to provide networking solutions in remote areas.
In addition, another one of the major issues with current VTOL aircrafts, and UAVs in general, is drones struggle to fly in light to moderate wind and/or rain. During moderate to extreme weather, most drones cannot fly and require being stored in a hanger or place of shelter from the elements. This limitation directly impacts the current technology to provide networking solutions in remote areas.
Surveillance and inspection drones, specifically traditional tail sitter drone designs, are susceptible to tipping over during landing in areas with moderate wind. As a result, aforesaid drones struggle to operate and perform mission in extreme weather conditions.
Another one of the major issues with current VTOL aircrafts, specifically drones, is the drones are relatively immobile while on the ground. Most drones have wheels, skis, or skids, which limit mobility unless the land is completely even. These characteristics limit the aircraft's ability to land in remote areas, affix itself to the ground, and charge on the ground.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a network of autonomous, self-charging VTOL aircrafts that is optimized for collecting and transferring data to and from rural areas. The autonomous, self-charging VTOL aircraft desirably has the ability to efficiently maneuver on the ground on any terrain in order to optimize charging on the ground and latch to the ground for shelter during extreme weather.
Additionally, there is a need for a network of VTOL aircrafts that charge both in flight and on the ground to eliminate the need for charging infrastructure, where drones are staged in a field, hillside, park lot, or even the top of a building prior to performing inspection. As a result, the network of drones is creating dynamic and decentralized networks with limited or no infrastructure that are flexible enough to support any area or industry. To date, this problem in the industry has not been solved as individuals and businesses, specifically rural farms, do not have access to the networks they need to transfer data and take advantage of technology dependent on network connectivity. In a number of the embodiments described herein, the drones will act as a network node to gather and transfer data and will make use of the aircraft itself to charge the battery packs supporting the powertrains necessary to transfer data and make temporary shelter by affixing itself to its environment.
Most VTOL aircraft designs do not have the capability to effectively maneuver on the ground, especially when the terrain is not flat. Also, VTOL aircrafts do not have the ability to attach themselves to the ground for protection from the environment. Furthermore, most designs are not optimized to maximize charging on both the ground and the air. Additionally, the current VTOL aircraft require infrastructure that is not feasible in remote areas.
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the disclosure will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the disclosure to these embodiments. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will readily be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details.
In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present disclosure. These conventions are intended to make this document more easily understood by those practicing or improving on the inventions, and it should be appreciated that the level of detail provided should not be interpreted as an indication as to whether such instances, methods, procedures, or components are known in the art, novel, or obvious.
Definitions
Artificial Intelligence is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. In addition, artificial intelligence may be used to teach the aircraft how to maneuver on the ground or align to the sun.
Gantry is interchangeable with “robot arm” and is the movable structure that is attached frame of the robot wherein the end effector is at the terminating action end. In some cases, the gantry may be attached to a track system capable of moving in multiple direction.
End effector is a device or tool attached to or integrally formed at the terminating end of a robot arm or gantry. In some embodiments, the end effector is a weed control application unit, such as an electrical probe and/or mechanical weed device. In some embodiments, the end effector is a weed control application unit such as an electrical probe, mechanical tool, or combination thereof. In some embodiments, the end effector comprises a hoe unit, a shovel unit, and an electrode or any combination thereof.
Linear actuator converts energy into linear push or pull movements, and some examples include hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, electromechanical cylinder, ball screw, lead screw, and/or the like.
Wi-Fi is a wireless networking technology that allows devices to interface with the Internet and interface with one another, creating a network.
Wi-Fi Router is wireless routers offer a convenient way to connect a small number of wired and any number of wireless devices to each other for access to the Internet.
Mobile Hotspot is a common feature on smartphones with both tethered and untethered connections. When you turn on your phone's mobile hotspot, you share your wireless network connection with other devices that can then access the Internet.
Wi-Fi Hotspot is a mobile hotspot obtained through a cell phone carrier. It's a small device that uses cellular towers that broadcast high-speed 3G or 4G broadband signals. Multiple devices, like tablets, phones, and laptops, can then connect wirelessly to the device.
LTE is short for “Long-Term Evolution” and broadcasts signals over cellular towers. LTE download speeds from 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
Satellite is a machine that is launched into space and moves around Earth or another body in space. At a minimum, a satellite comprises an antenna and power source, such as a battery or solar panel.
Solar Energy is radiant light and heat generated from the sun that can be harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies, such as solar heating or solar charging.
Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges. The robotic system seeks to use artificial intelligence to mimic nature and evolve to continuously adapt to the robotic system's environment.
Multi-modal VTOL Robot is capable of attaching itself to the ground or object, moving on the ground, or aerial movement and may be referred to as a weather resistant VTOL robotic system, aircraft, drone, or an aircraft in various embodiments through the disclosure.
Herbicide is a chemical substance toxic to plants.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, and input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions in the program. In some embodiments, the CPU may include a GPU and/or a TPU.
Accelerator is the use of computer hardware specially made to perform some functions more efficiently than is possible in software running on a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU).
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialized, electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device.
Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) is a highly optimized for large batches and convolutional neural networks and has the highest training throughput.
Transformer is a device that transfers electricity from one circuit to another with changing voltage level but no frequency change.
RGB is an additive color model in which red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors.
Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) refers to aircraft that can depart, hover, and land vertically, including fixed-wing aircraft with the ability to take off and touch down vertically.
Thrust Propeller produces lift, but in a forward direction—a force we refer to as thrust. Its rotary motion through the air creates a difference in air pressure between the front and back surfaces of its blades.
Aileron is a movable control surface, which on traditional airplanes is located on the trailing edge of an airplane wing and is used for imparting a rolling of the aircraft structure relative to its longitudinal axis and adjusting the pitch of the aircraft. For traditional airplanes, the aileron is very important for banking turns.
Rudder is a flight control surface which controls rotation about the vertical axis of an aircraft. This movement is referred to as yaw.
Elevator is a flight control surface that control the aircraft's pitch, which is critical for controlling the angle of attack and the lift of the wing.
Landing Gear is the part of an aircraft that supports the weight of the aircraft when the aircraft is in contact with the land or water.
Vertical Stabilizer is a flight control surface that prevents side slippage.
Exemplary Embodiments
Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods
It should be noted that the disclosed embodiments of a Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods may be combined with any embodiments disclosed herein, and individual features of the Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods may be combined with individual features of any other embodiment. Any other embodiments may also be combined with the disclosed Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods, and individual features of any embodiment may be combined with individual features of the disclosed Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods.
A ground robot or autonomous ground vehicle, as the terms are used herein, are broad terms that can include, but are not limited to, ground-based robot, ground vehicle, ground-based vehicle, autonomous ground vehicle, autonomous ground-based vehicle, unmanned vehicle, unmanned robot, autonomous robot, autonomous vehicle, autonomous robotic vehicle, land robot, land-based robot, land vehicle, land-based vehicle and/or the like. Drone, as the term is used herein, is a broad term that can include, but is not limited to, aircraft, flying vehicle, plane, solar plane, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems), AAVs (Autonomous Aerial Vehicles), and/or the like. Robotic arm, as the term is used herein, is a broad term that can include, but is not limited to, robot arm, mechanical arm, probe, hoe arm, and/or the like. A weed, as the term is used herein, is a broad term that can include, but is not limited to, a plant, agricultural plant, shrub, greenery, vegetation, undergrowth, plant species, plant organism, herb, flower, vegetable, flora, and/or the like.
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In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 flies over agriculture asset 102 that is a field of crops, such as corn. Inspection drone 101 takes pictures of crop rows 103, 105, and 107. Inspection drone compiles imagery including RGB, RGB and near infrared, or hyperspectral, and analyzes imagery to identify areas of action, which may include areas with weeds, areas with irrigation issues, areas with high crop stress, or the like. The areas of action are transferred to ground robots 111-113. Ground robots 111-113 travel to the point of action and begin taking action, such as weed control (see
In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 will inspect after ground-based robots 111-113 take action. In the case of weed control actions, inspection drone 101 will inspect to see if all of the weeds are removed and to see if any crops have been damaged by comparing images before weed control and after weed control. In some embodiments, re-inspection takes place days after the weed control is performed, for example, 2-3 days later, because it may take time for the weed to weaken, biodegrade, or otherwise be eliminated.
In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 will inspect consecutive days or multiple times a day to determine the accuracy of the imagery. Inspection drone 101 may capture imagery multiple times when performing crop count of, for example rows 103, 105, 107, and/or the like. In some embodiments, ground robots 111-113 will capture further images near the crop or on the ground to provide more data for analysis via AI.
In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 and ground-based robots 111-113 have at least one solar panel. Sun beams (not shown) emitted from sun (not shown) hit solar panel of inspection drone and ground-based robots to provide power for flight, ground movement, data collection, and data transmission. In other embodiments, inspection drone 101 has batteries (for example, like battery 503 in
In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 transmits inspection data to ground-based robots 111-113, and ground-based robots 111-113 transmit inspection data to cloud computing and storage via satellite. In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 transmits data to ground-based robots 111-113, and ground-based robots 111-113 transmit inspection data to cloud computing and storage via Wi-Fi networks. In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 transmits inspection data to ground-based robots 111-113, and ground-based robots 111-113 transmit inspection data to cloud computing and storage via cellular networks. In some embodiments, inspection drone transmits inspection data to ground-based robots 111-113, and ground-based robots 111-113 utilize on-board AI processors to process inspection data. In some embodiments, inspection drone 101 can fly and perform an inspection task, such as taking pictures of agriculture asset 102 and transfer the picture to cloud computing network via LTE network. In some embodiments, agriculture asset 102 is field of row crops, such as corn or sugar beets. In some embodiments, agriculture asset 102 is field of field crops, such as soybeans or rice. In some embodiments, agriculture asset 102 is group of livestock, such as cattle.
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Some Differences Between Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods and the Prior Art
Farmers are struggling to catch issues on the farmland early. Current farming methods and practices find issues after significant damage to crops, such an irrigation leak or plant disease. Therefore, it is advantageous to have a drone that can continuously inspect a parcel of land and have means to quickly analyze the data and either take immediate action or provide an actionable report to the farmer.
One area of interest is weed control. Weeds compete with crops for nutrients, and the presence of weeds will reduce a farmer's crop yield. Currently, farmers are spraying large amounts of herbicides over entire fields even for isolated problems with spraying equipment attached to tractors or airplanes. These methods are expensive and becoming ineffective as weeds are becoming resistant to herbicides. Over 250 herbicide resistant species of weeds exist in the United States of America. Additionally, herbicides are known carcinogens and harmful to farmers and farmland.
While mechanical and electrical weed control robots have been used previously, these robots are very expensive, and struggle catch issues after weeds spread seeds and struggle to effectively remove weeds. By removing weeds before they spread seeds, seeds will need to transfer from another field, which will decrease the probability of recurring weeds in the next growing season. Since farmers are heavily invested in pesticide application equipment and infrastructure, farmers need an efficient, low-cost method of removing weeds. Traditional mechanical weed control robots undergo high levels of wear that force the robots to be large and complex and require the farmer to perform frequent in field service. In addition, the current robots are heavy and cause damage to the farmland due to soil compaction. Also, a number of the electrical weed control robots have the high voltage system run continuously which results in an unsafe environment for people or animals near the robot and this creates large amounts of energy consumption. Therefore, it is advantageous to have robots that can detect weeds before they spread and quickly remove the weeds, which decreases the wear on the robots and size of the robots.
Drone and Ground Robot Perch System
Precision Weeding with Camera and CPU.
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In some embodiments, the camera could be used in combination with at least one sensor that could be capable of measuring voltage or resistance such as a comparator or ADC, ultra-sonic sensors, force feedback sensors, or the like. In some embodiments, a camera could be replaced by at least one sensor capable of measuring voltage or resistance such as a comparator or ADC, ultra-sonic sensors, force feedback sensors, or the like.
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In some embodiments, robot 500 comprises at least one solar panel 501, high voltage booster 511, switch 509, CPU 507, camera 505, negative probe 513, and positive probe 515 to eliminate weeds. In some embodiments, switch 509 is a relay. In some embodiments, positive probe 515 and negative probe 513 are combined into a single probe that moves to the location of a single weed. In some embodiments, the voltage of energy storage device 503 is between 12 volts and 240 volts. In some embodiments, the voltage of energy storage device 503 is between 24 volts and 240 volts and/or the like. In some embodiments, there is a super-capacitor bank with the energy storage device on the low voltage side. In some embodiments, the system comprises one or more capacitors on the high voltage side. In some embodiments, the one or more capacitors may comprise one or more super-capacitors. In some embodiments, robot 500 includes memory 525. In some embodiments, memory 525 is connected to CPU 507.
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In some embodiments, the latching legs of the drone are made of a conductive materials and act as electrodes to create a circuit between the ground, weed, and a conductive surface on the underside of the drone. The drone would have similar components to the ground robot as described in
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Method for Precision Weeding with Camera and CPU.
At block 730, the process begins when ground robot uses a camera to take an image, records a video, and/or the like, of the farmland. At block 731, the CPU on-board the ground robot identifies the existence and location of a weed. In some embodiments, image processing is performed by the GPU, TPU, or accelerator onboard the ground robot.
At block 732, if a weed was identified in block 731 the high voltage circuit switch is activated.
The process flow then varies depending on whether it would be better, more efficient, and/or the like to move the negative probe to the ground or to another weed. For example, if multiple weeds are within reach of the probe, the AI system may choose to move the negative probe to another weed to complete the circuit. If the AI system decides it would be better to move the negative probe to the ground, the process flow proceeds to block 734. If the AI system decides it would be better to move the negative probe to another weed, the process flow proceeds to block 740.
At block 734, the ground robot extends the high voltage positive probe that is closest to the weed to the weed and the negative probe to the ground. At block 736, the positive probe contacts the weed and the negative probe contacts ground, connecting the weed and the ground to the high voltage circuit for a substantial amount of time (t) to eliminate the weed. The time to eliminate the weed is dependent on the size of the high voltage booster (pulsed transformer circuit), voltage, and the size of the power source. As the voltage increases, the size of the transformer increases, or the size of the power source increases, the time to eliminate weeds when the probes are making contact with the weed and ground decreases.
At block 744, when the weed is eliminated or weaken, the high voltage switch is inactivated, and the positive probe and negative probe are retracted.
At block 740, the ground robot extends the high voltage positive probe to one weed and the negative probe to the other weed. At block 742, the positive probe contacts one weed and the negative probe contacts another weed, connecting the two weeds to the high voltage circuit for a substantial amount of time (t) to eliminate the weed. At block 744, when the weeds are eliminated or weaken, the low voltage switch is inactivated, and the positive probe and negative probe are retracted.
Solar Optimization.
Solar power can be important to sustain passive power requirements that could be used to power data transfer, electrical weed control, data compression, low voltage power systems, or communication systems. Power consumption for transferring data to satellites is approximately 25 watts. Power consumption for transferring data to cellular networks is approximately 2.5 watts. Power consumption for transferring data to Wi-Fi is approximately 1.5 watts.
With traditional drone and ground robots, the current robots would run out of battery very quickly when transferring data and have to perform a large number of battery swaps. However, with the ability to charge while moving on the ground and in the air, the ground robots and private network drones in this embodiment are able to transfer data throughout the day when the sun is out and do not require centralized charging. The systems disclosed herein enable the entire network to be in remote and rural areas since there is no infrastructure or human involvement needed.
This technology eliminates the need for a large infrastructure of charging stations and creates sustainable surveillance and inspection methods. By enabling the robots to charge on the ground or in flight, the robots essentially have unlimited range while using clean energy.
In some embodiments, drones 801 and 821 have solar panels. In other embodiments, drones 801 and 821 have batteries (for example, like battery 503 in
Inspection Drone Interface with Tractors and Other Farming Machines.
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In some embodiments, drone 901 can attach to combines, fruit pickers, harvesters, and/or the like. In some embodiments, drone 901 can provide a Wi-Fi connectivity signal to tractor 903 in order to transfer data and interface with other machines or sensors. In some embodiments, drone 901 can fly into the air and act as an antenna for tractor 903 to enable transfer of data, such as crop yield or loss to farmer or agriculture professional.
Wi-Fi Network and Robot Network Interface.
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In some embodiments, sun beams emitted from sun 1010 hit solar panel 1015 of ground robot 1011 to provide power for ground movement, data collection, and data transmission to Wi-Fi connection 1030. In order to transmit data over, ground robot must be within 500 feet of the connection. Autonomous drone 1001 can transfer imagery data over private LTE network to ground robot, and ground robot can transfer data via Wi-Fi to cloud analytics software provider. In some embodiments, Wi-Fi connection could be in a building or at a farm. In some embodiments, ground robot 1011 is positioned within 500 feet of potential user, such as a home, business, building, or person. Ground robot 1011 transfers Wi-Fi with the nearest autonomous drone 1011 that remotes Wi-Fi connection ground robot through a network of drones linked to a network in another area.
Private User and Robot Network Interface
Method for Inspection and Immediate Action by Drones and Ground Robots.
At block 1202, the process begins when drone 1001 takes off from the ground 1002 or takes off from ground robot 1011. At block 1204, drone 1001 begins to scan the agricultural asset 1003. At block 1206, drone 1001 completes the scan of the agricultural asset. For example, a completed scan may be scanning a certain number or crop rows, a certain number of livestock, a certain number of fields and/or the like. Depending on the embodiment, the drone may use different methods to analyze the data from the scan.
Block 1208 illustrates one embodiment, where drone 1001 uses an on-board AI processor to analyze data from the scan. At block 1218, the analysis of the agricultural asset 1003 is compiled in a report and sent to farmer, agricultural professional, and/or the like.
Block 1210 illustrates another embodiment, where drone 1001 transfers data from the scan to cloud 1030 for analysis. At block 1212, cloud 1030 performs analysis on the data. At block 1218, the analysis of the agricultural asset 1003 is compiled in a report and sent to farmer, agricultural professional, and/or the like.
Block 1214 is yet another embodiment, where drone 1001 transfers data from scan to ground robot 1011. At block 1216, ground robot 1011 uses AI processor to analyze the data. At block 1218, the analysis of the agricultural asset 1003 is compiled in a report and sent to farmer, agricultural professional, and/or the like.
At block 1302, the process begins when drone 1001 takes off from the ground 1002 or takes off from ground robot 1011. At block 1304, drone 1001 begins to scan the agricultural asset 1003. At block 1306, drone 1001 completes the scan of the agricultural asset 1003. For example, a completed scan may be scanning a certain number or crop rows, a certain number of livestock, a certain number of fields and/or the like. At block 1308, drone 1001 transfers data from scan to ground robot 1011.
At block 1310, ground robot 1011 uses AI processor to analyze the data and identify areas that require action. At block 1312, the ground robot 1011 determines the distance from the areas that require action. At block 1314, the closest ground robot travels to the area that requires action. At block 1316, ground robot 1011 takes action identified by analysis. For example, the action may be herding livestock, removing weeds, performing a crop inspection, digging holes and/or the like.
In some embodiments, at block 1314, the ground robots communicate with each other to determine which ground robot should travel to the area that requires action. For example, some robots might be presently occupied with a task and will continue completing the tasks even if they are the closes robot. Some robots may have special equipment for completing the required action.
At block 1402, the process begins when drone 1001 takes off from the ground 1002 or takes off from ground robot 1011. At block 1404, drone 1001 begins to scan a field of crops 1003 to find weeds. At block 1406, drone 1001 completes the scan of the field of crops 1003. At block 1408, drone 1001 transfers data from scan to ground robot 1011.
At block 1410, ground robot 1011 uses AI processor to analyze the data and identify areas of the field of crops 1003 where weeds are present or starting to spread. At block 1412, the ground robot 1011 determines the distance from the areas with weeds. At block 1414, the closest ground robot travels to the area that requires action. In some embodiments, there may be more than one ground robot on the farm and the ground robot will communicate with other ground robots to determine which robot is closest to the area with weeds and the closest robot will travel to the area and perform weed control. At block 1416, ground robot 1011 performs weed control. In some embodiments, the weed control may be with chemical, mechanical, machine, or electrical means or any combination thereof.
At block 1502, the process begins when drone 1001 takes off from the ground 1002 or takes off from ground robot 1011. At block 1504, drone 1001 begins to scan a field of crops 1003. At block 1506, drone 1001 completes the scan of the field of crops 1003. At block 1508, drone 1001 transfers data from scan to ground robot 1011.
At block 1510, ground robot 1011 uses AI processor to analyze the data and identify areas of the field of crops 1003 that need further inspection. At block 1512, the ground robot 1011 determines the distance from the areas that require inspection. At block 1514, the closest ground robot travels to the areas that that need further inspection. In some embodiments, there may be more than one ground robot on the farm and the ground robot will communicate with other ground robots to determine which robots are closest to the areas that require further inspection, and the closest robots will travel to the areas.
At block 1516, ground robot 1011 performs additional inspection. In some embodiments the additional inspection could be additional scanning, sampling, and/or the like. At block 1518, ground robot superimposes data into drone scanning and compiles a report for farmer. In some embodiments, the ground robot will compile a report based on the imagery to show the metrics to the farmer.
Moveable Solar Panel on Ground Robot for More Effective Solar Charging and Protection of Drone.
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Ground Robot with Integrated Camera Angled Weed Control End Effectors.
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Some Disclosed Embodiments May Include One or More of the Following Benefits and Advantages
The Collaborative Robot Networks disclosed herein may have at least one or more of the following advantages over traditional agriculture robotics and methods of weed control:
It should be noted that the disclosed embodiments of a Hybrid Electrical Mechanical Autonomous Ground Vehicle may be combined with any embodiments disclosed herein, and individual features of the Hybrid Electrical Mechanical Autonomous Ground Vehicle may be combined with individual features of any other embodiment. Any other embodiments may also be combined with the disclosed Hybrid Electrical Mechanical Autonomous Ground Vehicle, and individual features of any embodiment may be combined with individual features of the disclosed Hybrid Electrical Mechanical Autonomous Ground Vehicle. For example, the hybrid electrical mechanical autonomous ground vehicle embodiments can comprise one or more hoe portions and one or more electrode portions coupled to a distal end of the one or more mechanical arms that are proximately coupled to the ground vehicle in such a way that the one or more mechanical arms can be positioned and/or rotated to use any of the one or more hoe portions, shovel portions, and/or electrode portions.
The ground robots described in Hybrid Electrical Mechanical Autonomous Ground Vehicle share many similarities to the ground robots describe in Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods, and the same or similar reference numbers are used to refer to the same or similar elements.
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In some embodiments, the hoe can comprise a warren hoe. A warren hoe is a hoe that comprises a generally heart or triangular-shaped blade set at a generally right angle to the handle (e.g., to the mechanical arm which would be equivalent to the handle in this use case). Such a warren hoe has been found to be desirable in the present use cases. Some embodiments may use different hoe shapes and/or different blades that may not necessarily be considered a hoe. For example, in some of the embodiments disclosed herein, the systems can comprise a draw hoe, a warren hoe, a hula hoe, a scuffle hoe, a collinear hoe, a wheel hoe, a fork hoe, a cultivator, a plough hoe, a sharp hoe, a dull hoe, a rounded hoe, a plant and/or soil disturbance tool that can come in various shapes and sizes, and/or the like. Further, some embodiments may position the hoe blade at an angle other than a right angle to the mechanical arm, such as approximately, no greater than, or no less than, 30, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 degrees.
A shovel is a tool that comprises a generally broad flat blade with upturned sides set at generally a 45-degree angle to the handle (e.g., to the mechanical arm which would be equivalent to the handle in this use case). Such a shovel has been found to be desirable in the present use cases. Some embodiments may use different shovel shapes and/or different blades that may not necessarily be considered a shovel. For example, some embodiments may utilize a trench shovel, a flat shovel, an edging shovel, a square digging shovel, a pointed digging shovel, a round digging shovel, a scoop shovel, and/or the like. Further, some embodiments may position the shovel blade at an angle other than a 45-degree angle to the mechanical arm, such as approximately, no greater than, or no less than, 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 degrees. In some embodiments, the shovel does not have upturned sides.
The positive electrode 2442 of robotic arm 2440 is coupled to hoe 2444 such that when a switch (for example, like switch 509 in
In operation, ground robot 2411 uses wheels 2414 to travel on ground 2402 along crop row 2403 to find weeds. Ground robot 2411 uses camera 2420 to detect weed 2430 in crop row 2403. When camera 2420 takes an image, records a video, and/or the like, and CPU (for example, like CPU 507 in
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In some embodiments, the wheels (and/or other propulsion system, such as tracks) are made of metal or have metal studs or some other conductive component to act as the negative probe to connect the circuit to the ground. In some embodiments, ground robot 2411 is powered by batteries (for example, like battery 503 in
In some embodiments, ground robot 2411 can have more than one camera. In some embodiments, ground robot 2411 can have more than two robotic arms (or only one robotic arm, which could, for example, be desirable if something other than a second robotic arm is used as a negative electrode). In some embodiments, robotic arms 2440 and 2450 are coupled to a hybrid mechanical electrical end-effector that includes any combination of a shovel, a hoe, and an electrode, or all three as shown in
In some embodiments, ground robot 2411 houses an electronic memory storage medium, such as memory 525 shown in
In some embodiments, an energy storage unit (which may include, for example, a battery, supercapacitor, and/or the like) is housed in ground robot 2411 and the energy storage unit is electrically coupled to a high voltage booster unit. In some embodiments, solar panel 2415 is electrically coupled to the energy storage unit and is configured to recharge the energy storage unit. In some embodiments, solar panel 2415 is coupled to ground robot 2411. In some embodiments, the one or more processors are in electronic communication through an electronic network with a central server system. In some embodiments, activating the high voltage booster unit comprises activating with a switch relay. In some embodiments, the plant species type is determined by use of a computer vision algorithm. In some embodiments, the plant species type is determined by use of an artificial intelligence algorithm.
In some embodiments, the AI system determines if the weed should be mechanically or electrically eliminated based on the energy required for the removal. The AI system makes this determination based on the one or more images of the agricultural ground soil and plant organisms in the path of the ground robot. There are some cases where electrical removal will use less energy, and some cases where mechanical will use less energy. For example, sometimes electrical removal will be more efficient when removing large weeds or weeds in hard, compact, and/or the like soil conditions. Further, sometimes mechanical removal will be more efficient when removing weeds from soft, non-compact, and/or the like soil conditions. In some embodiments, being able to mechanically remove a weed can be used a safety feature when the AI system in conjunction with the cameras disclosed herein (such as cameras 2420, 2520, 420, and/or the like) determine that electrical removal may be unsafe because of external conditions such as a person or animal nearby. In some embodiments, the AI system may determine that electrical weeding is desirable so that the soil is not disturbed. In some embodiments, the AI system may determine that mechanical weeding is desirable to till the soil. In some embodiments, the AI system uses a predictive algorithm to determine where the plant organism that is set for plant organism control is, based on the one or more images generated by the one or more cameras. Based on the analysis of the one or more images, the AI systems predicts a movement to be within a threshold distance. This method allows the plant organism control operations to occur in real time while the ground robot moves in a continuous forward path without stopping.
In some embodiments, the robotic arms disclosed herein (such as robotic arms 2440, 2640, 2840, and/or the like) are coupled to the undercarriage portion of the ground vehicles disclosed herein (such as undercarriage portion 652 of ground robot 611 and/or the like). In some embodiments, the robotic arms can move in two axes such as the pitch axis and the yaw axis (for example, by use of a pitch and yaw motor like robotic arm 2740 in
In some embodiments, the ground robot can use the end effectors of the robotic arms disclosed herein (such as robotic arms 2440, 2640, 2840, and/or the like) to peel back layers of soil and take images with the cameras disclosed herein (such as cameras 2420, 2520, 420, and/or the like) of the root structure and soil color of each layer to estimate the amount of carbon stored in the ground. In some embodiments, peeling back layers of soil may include positioning a portion of the mechanical arm (for example, a hoe portion, shovel portion and/or the like) to be in contact with the ground and then using the propulsion units (for example, the wheels) to drag the mechanical portion arm along the ground to remove a layer of soil. In some embodiments, the motors in the mechanical arm are used to drag the mechanical portion arm along the ground to remove a layer of soil. In some embodiments, this analysis is conducted by use of the AI system. This feature is advantageous because it enables the ground robot to measure carbon sequestration. In some embodiments, the ground robots use the shovel portion of the hybrid electrical mechanical end effectors disclosed herein to peel back the layers of soil. In some embodiments, the ground robots use the hoe portion of the hybrid electrical mechanical end effectors, also known as a multi-use end-effector, disclosed herein to peel back the layers of soil.
In some embodiments, ground robots as described herein may use an AI system to process images recorded by the one or more cameras, where image processing generally refers to a method of manipulating an image to enhance and/or extract information from the image. The AI system performs digital images processing where the digital images are manipulating using computer algorithms. In some embodiments, the image processing is used to measure, characterize, classify and/or the like objects in the image. In some embodiments, the image processing follows some and/or all the following steps. First, image acquisition can be performed, where one or more images are captured using one or more cameras, other sensors and/or the like, and converted into a manageable entity. In some embodiments, the manageable entity is for example, a digital image file and/or the like. In some embodiment, the image acquisition method is scraping. Next, image enhancement can be performed, where the quality of the image is improved in order to extract information from the image for further process. Next, image restoration can be performed to improve the image quality. In some embodiment, the image restoration comprises removal of noise (for example, senor noise, motion blue, and/or the like) from the images. In some embodiments, the noise can be removed by using filters (for example, low-pass filter, median filters, and/or the like). In some embodiments, the AI system analyses the image data by using a model of the local image structure and controls filtering based on local information. In some embodiments, image restoration removes other corruptions from the image such as blue, missing pixels, camera misfocus, and/or the like by using models such as probabilistic and mathematical and/or the like. In some embodiments, the AI system uses edge detection methods for data extraction and image segmentation. Next, color imaging processing can be performed, where one or more images are undergo different processing, for example, pseudocolor, RGB and/or the like processing. Next, image compression and/or decompression can be performed, where compression can be used to reduce the size and/or resolution or the images and decompression can be used to restore the image to the original size and/or resolution. In some embodiments, image compression and/or decompression can be used during an image augmentation process to extend the data set with augmented images. Next, morphological processing can be performed to describe and/or define the shapes and structures of the objects in the one or more images. In some embodiments, the morphological processing can be used to create data sets for training AI models (for example, to train the AI model to detect and/or recognize certain objects in the images such as plants, weeds, soil, humans, animals, and/or the like). Next, image recognition can be performed, where certain features of individual objects in the one or more images can be identified. In some embodiments, various techniques are used for image recognition, such as object detection, objection recognition, segmentation, and/or the like. Use of object detection can be beneficial to identify and/or detect semantic objects of particular classes (for example, such as plants, weeds, soil types, humans, animals, and/or the like) in the images. In some embodiments, the AI system undergoes a process of deep learning development that may include cycles of the previously described image processing method to further develop the AI model. Finally, representation and description may be performed, where the processed data may be visualized and described. In some embodiments, the visualization tools are used to turn AI model outputs into readable image that may be used to perform additional analysis.
In some embodiments, ground robots as described herein may use an AI system to make decisions that can be used for operation of the ground robot vehicle and/or to perform one or more of the weed management, ground soil management, and/or livestock herding management operations. In some embodiments, the decision making can utilize the image processing described above to make decisions. For example, based on the results of the image processing in a weed management operation, the AI system may choose to perform either and/or both a mechanical weed management operation and an electrical weed management operation. In some embodiments, the AI system determines if the weed should be mechanically or electrically eliminated based on the energy required for the removal. The AI system makes this determination based on one or more images of the agricultural ground soil and plant organisms in the path of the ground robot. There are some cases where electrical removal will use less energy, and some cases where mechanical will use less energy. For example, the AI system may determine that electrical removal will be more efficient when the image processing is used to determine that a weed set for elimination is large, the soil is hard or compact, and/or the like. Sometimes, the AI system may determine that mechanical removal will be more efficient when the image processing is used to determine that a weed set for elimination is small, the soil is soft or not compact, and/or the like. [0265] As shown in
In some embodiments, the hoe may comprise a hula hoe. A hula hoe is a hoe that comprises a square or stirrup-shaped blade set at a generally right angle to the handle (e.g., to the mechanical arm which would be equivalent to the handle in this use case). Such a hula hoe has been found to be desirable in the present use cases. Some embodiments may use different hoe shapes and/or different blades that may not necessarily be considered a hoe. For example, some embodiments may utilize a draw hoe, a hoe, a scuffle hoe, a collinear hoe, a wheel hoe, a fork hoe, a cultivator, a plough hoe, a stirrup hoe, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the hula hoe may be a pendulum-type hoe that allows it to move in a back and forward motion with respect to the handle. The back and forward motion may be achieved by including a pivot in the connection between the hoe and the handle, which allows the blade to change angle with respect to the handle. This pendulum action may be advantageous to allow for the blade to cut at the correct angle on both backwards and forwards cuts. Some embodiments may position the hoe blade at an angle other than a right angle to the mechanical arm, such as approximately, no greater than, or no less than, 30, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 degrees.
The positive electrode 2542 of robotic arm 2540 is coupled to hoe 2544 such that when a switch (for example, like switch 509 in
In operation, ground robot 2511 uses wheels 2514 to travel on ground 2502 along crop row 2503 to find weeds. Ground robot 2511 uses camera 2520 to detect weed 2530 in crop row 2503. When camera 2520 takes an image, records a video, and/or the like, and CPU (for example, like CPU 507 in
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In some embodiments, ground robot 2511 can have more than one camera. In some embodiments, ground robot 2511 can have more than two robotic arms. In some embodiments, robotic arms 2540 and 2550 are coupled to a hybrid mechanical electrical end-effector that includes any combination of a shovel, a hoe, and an electrode, or all three as shown in
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In operation, ground robot 2611 uses wheels 2614 to travel on ground 2602 along crop row 2603 to find weeds. Ground robot 2611 uses camera to detect weed 2630 in crop row 2603. When camera takes an image, records a video, and/or the like, and CPU (for example, like CPU 507 in
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In some embodiments, the wheels (and/or other propulsion system, such as tracks) are made of metal or have metal studs to act as the negative probe to connect the circuit to the ground. In some embodiments, ground robot 2611 is powered by batteries (for example, like battery 503 in
In some embodiments, ground robot 2611 can have more than one camera. In some embodiments, robotic arm 2640 are coupled to a hybrid mechanical electrical end-effector that includes any combination of a shovel, a hoe, and an electrode, or all three as shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the robotic arm 2640 moves the end effector 2644 through the cleaning mechanism in different planes of motion to remove the debris. In some embodiments, the ground robot 2611 uses camera and an AI system to ensure the debris has been removed. In some embodiments, the end effector 2644 is cleaned after every weed is removed. In some embodiments, the end effector 2624 is cleaned after a certain number of weeds are removed, or a duration of time has passed. In some embodiments, the end effector 2644 is cleaned when the AI system determined a cleaning is necessary, for example, such as when the AI system detects a specific quantity of debris or issues with the circuit, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism comprises one or more protrusions coupled to an external portion of the ground vehicles disclosed herein (such as ground robot 2811, 2611, 2411 and/or the like). In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism can be used to clean a robotic arm, an end effector, an electrode, a hoe portion, a shovel portion, and/or the like (including any of the robotic arms, end effectors, electrodes, hoe portions, and shovel portions disclosed herein).
In some embodiments, the cleaning mechanism 2660 contains a sharpener, hone, grinder and/or the like that can be used to sharpen tools on the end effector 2644 such a shovel, a hoe, and/or the like. In some embodiments the robotic arm 2640 moves the end effector 2644 through the sharpener to sharpen the tools.
In this embodiment, the pitch motor 2720 is connected to the vehicle structure 2770, with an output shaft 2725 of the pitch motor 2720 being oriented in a vertical direction such that the output shaft rotates about a vertical rotation axis 2724. A bracket 2721 is coupled to the output shaft of the pitch motor 2720, and the yaw motor 2710 is coupled to the bracket 2721. The yaw motor 2710 is positioned on the bracket 2721 such that an output shaft 2715 of the yaw motor 2710 is oriented in a horizontal direction, such that the output shaft rotates about a horizontally oriented rotation axis 2714. The output shaft 2715 of the yaw motor 2710 is coupled to a proximal end of the hoe arm 2740. With such an arrangement, the hoe arm 2740 can be caused to rotate about two separate axes of rotation, namely a vertical axis 2724 defined by the output shaft 2725 of the pitch motor 2720 and a horizontal axis 2714 defined by the output shaft 2715 of the yaw motor 2710. Other embodiments may include more or less drive motors and/or axes of rotation, other embodiments may position the multiple axes of rotation in different orientations, and/or the like. Further, in some embodiments, including the embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, the motors 2710, 2720 desirably comprise brushless DC motors, which can operate relatively efficiently. Some embodiments may, however, use different types of electric motors, hydraulic and/or pneumatic motors, linear actuators, rack and pinon systems, hydraulic and/or pneumatic cylinders or actuators, and/or the like.
As shown in
This method of digging holes is advantageous for creating pockets in the ground that can retain water and seeds. In one application, ground robot 2811 can use robot arm 2840 in position 2840B to dig crescent pockets shown in
As shown in
Use of ground robot 2811 to move livestock can be advantageous because in some embodiments, ground robot 2811 can use cameras (for example, such as camera 2420 in
Use of ground robots disclosed herein (such as ground robot 2811, 2611, 2411 and/or the like), to dig soil water retention pockets is advantageous to prevent soil compression which is common when standard construction vehicles are used to dig holes in the ground. In some embodiments, a ground robot weighs no more than, for example 150 pounds, which allows a single robot to be shipped over standard freight and reduces soil compaction and damage to the land. In some embodiments, ground robot weights no more than 75 pounds, 100 pounds, 125 pounds, 175 pounds, 200 pounds, and/or the like. In some embodiments, ground robot's light weight is achieved by using large solar panel size instead of larger batteries. Further, in some embodiments, the light weight of ground robot is achieved by allowing the solar panel to pivot to improve solar efficiency by up to, for example 35%. In some embodiments, the increase in solar efficiency can be 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, and/or the like. In some embodiments, ground robot's weight is reduced because it does not have any onboard fuel inputs, gas engines, heavy tools such as lasers and/or the like. In some embodiments, ground robot has two or more cameras. In some embodiments, ground vehicle unit is constructed with aluminum extrusions, thin steel, and/or the like. In some embodiments, ground robot applies a pressure of for example, approximately 6 PSI (pounds per square inch) on the ground. In some embodiments, ground robot applies a pressure on the ground of less than 4 PSI, 5 PSI, 6 PSI, 7 PSI, 8 PSI, 9 PSI, 10 PSI, 11 PSI, 12 PSI, 13 PSI, 14 PSI, 15 PSI, and/or the like. In some embodiments ground robot 2811 applies a pressure of less than 15 PSI on the soil to prevent soil compression. In some embodiments ground robot is symmetrical. In some embodiments, ground robot can operate the same way whether moving forwards or backwards. In some embodiments, ground robot has a mechanical propulsion mechanism that comprises mechanical legs. In some embodiments, ground robot has a mechanical propulsion mechanism that comprises four wheels. In some embodiments, the software in ground robot can be changed to complete any of the operations disclosed herein.
As shown in
In some embodiments ground robot 5411 is symmetrical. Symmetrical means that ground robot 5411 may have the same or similar components on each side (for example, a camera and/or the like) such that ground robot 5411 can perform agricultural plant and soil management operations whether moving forwards or in reverse. Being symmetrical and able to move and perform operations while moving forwards or in reverse is beneficial because it enables ground robot to move up and down crop rows without having to turn. FIG. 54A shows ground robot 5411 moving in a forward direction.
As shown in
Dynamic, Infrastructure Free Robotic Network
It should be noted that the disclosed embodiments of a Dynamic, Infrastructure free Robotic Network may be combined with any embodiments disclosed herein, and individual features of the Dynamic, Infrastructure free Robotic Network may be combined with individual features of any other embodiment. Any other embodiments may also be combined with the disclosed Dynamic, Infrastructure free Robotic Network, and individual features of any embodiment may be combined with individual features of the disclosed Dynamic, Infrastructure free Robotic Network.
As shown in
In some embodiments, link drone 3101 transmits data to cloud computing and storage 3109 via satellite 3103. In some embodiments, link drone is controlled via on-board AI processor. In some embodiments, a remote operator (not shown) can control link drone 3101 through satellite 3103. In some embodiments, link drone 3101 communicates with a private network of drones shown as network drone 3105A and network drone 3105N. The private network of drones is at least one drone. In some embodiments, network Drone 3105A can fly and perform an inspection task, such as taking pictures of a plot of land and transfer the picture to link drone 3101 via LTE network. After the picture is received by link drone 3101, link drone 3101 can transmit the picture to cloud computing and analysis 3109 through satellite 3103. In some embodiments, all of the networking, private LTE, WI-FI, and/or the like can be done between all of the robots themselves.
In some embodiments, antenna 3303 and antenna 3305 can be combined into a single antenna. In some embodiments, more than two antennas may be used, including Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) antennas. In some embodiments, solar cells on the top of the wing of the drone can be used as an antenna. All the solar cells may be used as a single antenna or the solar cells may be grouped into smaller antennas.
Camera 3313 provides visual capability to the drone during flight and on the ground to locate obstructions and potential threats. In addition, camera 3313 can take pictures of objects of interests, such as crops on a farm. CPU 3307 performs most of the processing inside the robot. In some embodiments, CPU 3307 compresses image and data files prior to transfer. Memory 3309 is used for storing data during flight and on the ground. Flight controller 3311 controls robot 3301 during flight for auto stabilization. In some embodiments, robot 3301 may have a single CPU processor and may or may not include a GPU processor.
In some embodiments, antenna 3403 and antenna 3405 can be combined into a single antenna. In some embodiments, more than two antennas may be used, including Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) antennas. In some embodiments, solar cells on the top of the wing of the drone can be used as an antenna. All the solar cells may be used as a single antenna or the solar cells may be grouped into smaller antennas.
Camera 3413 provides visual capability to the drone during flight and on the ground to locate obstructions and potential threats. In addition, camera 3413 can take pictures of objects of interests, such as crops on a farm. CPU 3407 performs most of the processing inside the robot. In some embodiments, CPU 3407 compresses image and data files prior to transfer. Memory 3409 is used for storing data during flight and on the ground. Flight controller 3411 controls robot 3401 during flight for auto stabilization.
In some embodiments, link drone may be elevated such as flying in the air, on a roof, in a tree, and/or the like, to reduce ground effects.
In some embodiments, the aircraft can takeoff vertically by angling the large ailerons for thrust vectoring, and once at a minimum flight altitude, the aircraft's leading edge of the wing will rotate until it is parallel to the ground. Other methods of takeoff will be satisfactory but may result in wasted power. In some embodiments, aircraft 3501 has multi-functional stabilizers 3516.
Current networking technology is too expensive and requires too much infrastructure to support remote and rural areas. For example, satellites require large investments into rockets to launch into space, and even technology such as Starlink™ require users to set up ground stations, which is not feasible in remote and rural areas. Furthermore, these ground stations require high power consumption on the order of 25 watts for data transfer, which is not feasible in developing countries where individuals are struggling to keep a light bulb lit.
Alternatively, low altitude solar planes cannot immediately land to establish a Wi-Fi signal for a user; these planes require large amounts of power to operate and are expensive; and furthermore, low altitude solar planes require infrastructure for landing and cannot immediately land to improve solar charging capability. Solar planes typically require a custom receiver, and the planes themselves are very expensive. Balloons like Google Loon and solar planes are subject to issues with weather, wind, and clouds which prevent them from providing constant uplink. Also, solar planes require large, heavy battery packs to fly at night.
While cellular towers are viable options in urban areas, cellular towers are too expensive for rural areas, especially ones that are in developing countries. Cellular towers are also immobile and infrastructure, such as roads, must be in place to access the cellular tower for maintenance and service. In addition, most cellular towers require power and hardline communications connections in order to function, which are both challenging to get in rural and developing areas.
Several companies have proposed their own VTOL aircraft designs; however, their proposed designs have efficiency issues during takeoff mode and long-range mode due to the large drag surfaces. In addition, most of the VTOL aircraft designs do not have the capability to effectively maneuver on the ground, especially when the terrain is not flat. This is important when the aircraft cannot land close to a Wi-Fi connection and has to walk inside of the 460-foot radius. Furthermore, most designs are not optimized to maximize charging both on the ground and in the air. As a result, an autonomous network of drones is not possible because of the current technologies dependency on charging and launching infrastructure and inability to survive in extreme weather.
Certain embodiments of the inventions solve the following issues (among others) with traditional quadcopter drone designs:
As shown in
Method for Latching on the Ground or Objects for Link Drones
As shown in
Link drone 3701 has the ability to latch onto ground 3710 or objects, such as building 3720, using its legs. When link drone 3701 is transferring data, the ideal configuration is for link drone to be elevated above ground 3710 to eliminate ground effects and signal distortion by greater than 5 wave lengths of communication signal from the ground. In some embodiments, the number of wave lengths is approximately 10. In addition, by landing on building 3720, link drone 3701 is able to transfer data to satellite 3703, cellular tower 3707, private drone network 3705 or an individual 3709 with less obstructions than if link 3701 was latched on the ground, improving the data quality and transfer. By latching onto the ground or building, link drone 3701 can avoid being blown away by the wind, rain, or extreme weather conditions. Link drone 3701 is able to create a temporary Wi-Fi router 3715 allowing individual 3709 in building 3720 to transfer data from a device to the internet since link drone 3701 can connect to satellite 3703 or cellular tower 3707. In some embodiments, there could be more than on link drone to improve bandwidth of the private drone network 3705.
As shown in
Link drone 3701 and private network drone 3705 have the ability to latch onto ground 3710 or objects, such as building 3720, using its legs. By latching onto the ground or building, link drone 3701 and private network drone can avoid being blown away by the wind, rain, or extreme weather conditions. In some embodiments, there could be more than on link drone to improve bandwidth of the private drone network 3705.
The latching legs extend and retract, which allows the aircraft to “walk” on the ground. The aircraft can have two or more latching legs, and one desirable method is to have two latching legs to minimize the weight and complexity of the aircraft.
The latching legs position and geometry allow link drone 3701 to attach itself to the environment, which is essential in extreme weather. Furthermore, if there are high winds, the link drone 3701 can quickly land and latch to the environment to avoid damage to the aircraft. In some embodiments, the aircraft can latch to a tree, shrub, another object in nature, or manmade object.
A method for the aircraft latching on the ground, according to an embodiment is set forth below:
In some embodiments, sun beams 3708 emitted from sun 3717 hit solar panels 3702 of link drone 3701 and/or solar panels 3702 of private network drone 3705 to provide power for flight, ground movement, data collection, and data transmission to satellite 3703, Wi-Fi Router 3713, and/or the like. In some embodiments, link drone 3101 and/or private network drone 3705 have solar panel 3102. In other embodiments, link drone 3101 and/or private network drone 3705 has batteries (for example, like battery 503 in
Solar Optimization on the Ground and in Flight
Based on the position of the propellers and that some embodiments do not contain a fuselage, the exterior surfaces of the wing and ailerons are optimized for accepting sun rays. This design strives to eliminate obstructions from blocking the sun rays' path to surface where solar panels can be attached. In this configuration, solar panels will be placed on the top of the wing and ailerons.
Solar power is beneficial to sustain passive power requirements that could be used to power data transfer, data compression, low voltage power systems, or communication systems. Power consumption for transferring data to satellites is approximately 25 watts. Power consumption for transferring data to 4G cellular networks is approximately 2 watts. Power consumption for transferring data to Wi-Fi is approximately 6 watts. With traditional drone technology, the drones would run out of battery very quickly when transferring data and have to perform a large number of batter swaps. However, with the ability to solar charge both on the ground and in flight, the link drones and private network drones in these embodiments are able to transfer data through-out the day when the sun is out and do not require centralized charging, which enables the entire network to be in remote and rural areas since there is no infrastructure or human involvement needed. This embodiment creates an aircraft that can charge both in flight and on the ground. When flying, solar charging can produce more than enough power to transfer data over private LTE network, and when landed and aligned to the sun, solar can produce 35 watts of power which is enough to transfer data over satellite, cellular tower, and Wi-Fi router connections. This technology eliminates the need for a large infrastructure of charging stations and create sustainable surveillance and inspection methods. By enabling the aircraft to charge on the ground or in flight, the aircraft essentially has unlimited range while using clean energy.
In some embodiments, link drone 3912 has solar panel 3913. In other embodiments, link drone has batteries (for example, like battery 503 in
Satellite Network and Private Drone Network Interface
As shown in
In some embodiments, link drone 4201 transmits data to cloud computing and storage 4209 via satellite 4203. In some embodiments, link drone is controlled via on-board AI processor. In some embodiments, a remote operator (not shown) can control link drone 4201 through satellite 4203. In some embodiments, link drone 4201 communicates with a private network of drones shown as network drone 4205A and network drone 4205N. The private network of drones is at least one drone. In some embodiments, network Drone 4205A can fly and perform an inspection task, such as taking pictures of a plot of land and transferring the picture to link drone 4201 via LTE network. After the picture is received by link drone 4201, link drone 4201 can transmit the picture to cloud computing and analysis (for example, like cloud computing and analysis 3109 in
Wi-Fi Network and Private Drone Network Interface
As shown in
In some embodiments, link drone 4301 transmits data to cloud computing and storage 4309 via Wi-Fi connection 4303. In some embodiments, Wi-Fi connection could be in a building or at a farm. In some embodiments, link drone is controlled via on-board AI processor. In some embodiments, a remote operator (not shown) can control link drone 4301 through Wi-Fi connection 4303. In some embodiments, link drone 4301 communicates with a private network of drones shown as network drone 4305A and network drone 4305N. The private network of drones is at least one drone. In some embodiments, network drone 4305A can fly and perform an inspection task, such as taking pictures of a plot of land and transfer the picture to link drone 4301 via private LTE network. After the picture is received by link drone 4301, link drone 4301 can transmit the picture to cloud computing and analysis 4309 through Wi-Fi connection 4303.
As shown in
In some embodiments, link drone 4401 may fly or move on the ground 4410 to collect data with sensors or cameras. In some embodiment, sun beams 4408 emitted from sun 4407 hit solar panel (for example, like solar panel 4302 in
Cellular Network and Private Drone Network Interface.
As shown in
In some embodiments, link drone 4501 transmits data to cloud computing and storage 4509 via cellular tower 4503. In some embodiments, link drone is controlled via on-board AI processor. In some embodiments, a remote operator (not shown) can control link drone 4501 through cellular tower connection 4503. In some embodiments, link drone 4501 communicates with a private network of drones shown as network drone 4505A and network drone 4505N (for example, like network drone 4405N in
Private Network Scalability and Flexibility
As shown in
On-Demand Remote Wi-Fi Routers
As shown in
Furthermore, Dynamic, Infrastructure Free Robotic Network 4800 could deploy a drone directly to a remote farm and the drone acts as a Wi-Fi router that the farm could use. This connection could help the farm to gather and send data to companies to perform data analysis and give guidance back to the farmer to help the farmer to make informed decision to increase crop yield.
Certain Advantages of the Disclosed Embodiments of Dynamic, Infrastructure Free Robotic Networks
It should be noted that the disclosed embodiments of a Infrastructure Free Agriculture Connectivity Network may be combined with any embodiments disclosed herein, and individual features of the Infrastructure Free Agriculture Connectivity Network may be combined with individual features of any other embodiment. Any other embodiments may also be combined with the disclosed Infrastructure Free Agriculture Connectivity Network, and individual features of any embodiment may be combined with individual features of the disclosed Infrastructure Free Agriculture Connectivity Network.
As shown in
Link drone 5001 communicates with private network of drones 5010 shown as plurality of drones. The private network of drones is at least one drone. In some embodiments, network drone 5005A can fly and perform an inspection task, such as taking pictures of a plot of land and transfer the picture to link drone 5001 via private LTE network. In some embodiments, link drone 5001 can communicate with cellular tower 5003. In some embodiments, private network of drones 5010 includes one or more drones 5005N and 5005A. In some embodiments private network drones have solar panels 5006N and 5006A. Any one of the drones in private drone network 5010 can communicate and transfer data with farming technology devices 5030. Farming technology 5030 includes sensors for smart-crop monitoring 5031, other farming drones 5033 such as pesticide spraying drones, sensors for live-stock monitoring 5035, autonomous farming machines 5037 such as tractors, and building and equipment 5039. In this situation, sensors on the farm can communicate to other equipment on the farm via the private drone network. The sensors and equipment will have an antenna matching the frequency of the private drone network 5010 network. For example, automated tractors can access GPS via this network and use data from drones to harvest crops at the optimal times.
At block 5102, the process begins when private network drone takes a picture, records a video, and/or the like of crops on a farm. At block 5104, the network drone sends pictures, videos, and/or the like of crops to link drone via private drone network. At block 5106, link drone receives image of the crops. Depending on the embodiment, the drone may use different methods to send images. In some embodiments, the drone may use multiple combinations of the methods of sending images.
Block 5108 illustrates one embodiment, where link drone sends imagery to crop analytics platform via satellite. At block 5114, crop analytics platform receives imagery and performs analysis. At block 5116, crop analytics platform sends analysis back to farmer over internet. In some embodiments the analysis is sent to mobile application.
Block 5110 illustrates another embodiment, where link drone sends imagery to crop analytics platform via Wi-Fi. At block 5114, crop analytics platform receives imagery and performs analysis. At block 5116, crop analytics platform sends analysis back to farmer over internet. In some embodiments the analysis is sent to mobile application.
Block 5112 illustrates yet another embodiment, where link drone sends imagery to crop analytics platform via cellular tower. At block 5114, crop analytics platform receives imagery and performs analysis. At block 5116, crop analytics platform sends analysis back to farmer over internet. In some embodiments the analysis is sent to mobile application.
At block 5210, the process begins when Multi-Modal, Weather Resistant Robot Network performs periodic diagnostic tests to determine signal strength and bandwidth. At block 5220, Multi-Modal, Weather Resistant Robot Network determines signal strength is low in region X. At block 5230, Multi-Modal, Weather Resistant Robot Network uses AI to determine how many more drones are needed to strengthen signal and bandwidth in region X. At block 5240, Multi-Modal, Weather Resistant Robot Network uses AI to space drones evenly to boost signal strength in region X.
At block 5310, the process begins when drone is charging via sun and transmitting data. At block 5320, the drone camera and/or sensor detects danger approaching drone. In some embodiments, danger may be an extreme weather system, a group of animals approaching, and/or the like. At block 5330, drone immediately takes off.
At block 5340, drone determines the closest area away from the danger but within the network distance requirements of Wi-Fi of 460 ft, satellite of clear form obstruction, and/or cell tower from 2-30 miles. At block 5350, drone determines a safe location and lands. At block 5360, drone lands and continues to transfer data and/or charge via sun rays.
Some Disclosed Embodiments May Include One or More of the Following Benefits and Advantages
Most farms do not have connectivity because they are located in remote areas and rural areas, especially ones in developing countries. Rural areas do not have the money to invest into cellular network towers and Wi-Fi has limited range from the router. Farms need a more flexible, low-cost solution for data transfer and telecommunications. Drones have been considered, but there are many dependencies that make a temporary, flexible farming network.
Current VTOL drones use standard infrastructure for charging the drone and taking shelter during extreme weather. However, these solutions require tethered power, and as a result, the solutions are static and cannot adapt to the environment or the mission. Some solutions also require human interaction and planning, which are not ideal when performing inspection and/or data transfer in remote areas or urban areas that do not have space for temporary infrastructure. Current drone surveillance systems also suffer from the same infrastructure problems that create a barrier for implementation of large-scale surveillance systems as it requires a significant investment into a charging station infrastructure. The disclosed technology aims to, among other things eliminate the need for additional infrastructure and promote flexible and sustainable inspection and data transfer networks.
Conventional thinking uses large solar panels attached to infrastructure to charge batteries; however, in our design, the drone itself will have the solar panels attached to it for charging on the ground shown in an embodiment, which eliminates the need for expensive, static infrastructure. In addition, conventional thinking also doesn't account for the importance of how spending the majority of time charging on the ground instead of in the air makes the solar panel charging practical. Also, the proposed design has features that allow the drone to mimic nature and affix itself to the environment.
Infrastructure Free Agriculture Connectivity Network.
Some embodiments of the Infrastructure Free Agriculture Connectivity Network may include one or more of the following advantages or benefits:
Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. The headings used herein are for the convenience of the reader only and are not meant to limit the scope of the disclosures or claims.
Any ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all overlap, sub-ranges, and combinations thereof. Language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” “between,” and the like includes the number recited. Numbers preceded by a term such as “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” as used herein include the recited numbers, and also represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount.
Although the features that have been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the disclosure and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Additionally, the skilled artisan will recognize that any of the above-described methods can be carried out using any appropriate apparatus. Further, the disclosure herein of any particular feature, aspect, method, property, characteristic, quality, attribute, element, or the like in connection with an embodiment can be used in all other embodiments set forth herein. For all of the embodiments described herein the steps of the methods need not be performed sequentially. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present disclosure herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.
Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 C.F.R. § 1.57. This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/093,694, entitled “Multi-Modal, Weather Resistant, Robot Network and Methods of Data Transfer,” filed on Oct. 19, 2020, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/128,627, entitled “Collaborative Robot Network with Optimized Weed Control Methods,” filed on Dec. 21, 2020, and the entirety of both provisional applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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