Patent Application
20220338422
The disclosure relates generally to controlled environment agriculture and, more particularly, to conveying elongated plant support structures, such as grow towers, in a controlled agricultural environment.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.
During the twentieth century, agriculture slowly began to evolve from a conservative industry to a fast-moving high-tech industry in order to keep up with world food shortages, climate change, and societal changes. Farming began to move away from manually-implemented agricultural techniques toward computer-implemented technologies. Conventionally, farmers only have one growing season to produce the crops that would determine their revenue and food production for the entire year. However, this is changing. With indoor growing as an option, and with better access to data processing technologies and other advanced techniques, the science of agriculture has become more agile. It is adapting and learning as new data is collected and insights are generated.
Advancements in technology are making it feasible to control the effects of nature with the advent of “controlled indoor agriculture,” otherwise known as “controlled environment agriculture.” Improved efficiencies in space utilization and lighting, a better understanding of hydroponics, aeroponics, and crop cycles, and advancements in environmental control systems have allowed humans to better recreate environments conducive for agriculture crop growth with the goals of greater harvest weight yield per square foot, better nutrition and lower cost.
US Patent Publication Nos. 2018/0014485 and 2018/0014486, both assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure and incorporated by reference in their entirety herein, describe environmentally controlled vertical farming systems. The vertical farming structure (e.g., a vertical column) may be moved about an automated conveyance system in an open or closed-loop fashion, exposed to precision-controlled lighting, airflow and humidity, with ideal nutritional support.
Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods, systems, and computer-readable media storing instructions for operating one or more drive units in a controlled agricultural environment. For each of the one or more drive units, embodiments of the disclosure increase a distance between an alignment element and a drive element, receive a plant support structure that is oriented non-vertically so that the plant support structure rests on the drive element or the alignment element of each of the one or more drive units, and decrease the distance between the alignment element and the drive element so that the alignment element or the drive element rests on the plant support structure. For each of the one or more drive units, embodiments of the disclosure drive the drive element to convey the plant support structure.
Embodiments of the disclosure decrease the distance in response to sensing the presence of the plant support structure in the drive unit. Embodiments of the disclosure apply a force via the alignment element or the drive element to force the plant support structure against the drive element or the alignment element, respectively.
According to embodiments of the disclosure, the plant support structure comprises a grow tower. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the plant support structure includes a groove that rests on the drive element or the alignment element. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the alignment element comprises one or more rollers, one or more wheels, a linear bearing element, a belt, a tread, one or more gears, or a fixed material that has a coefficient of friction against the plant support structure less than a coefficient of friction of the drive element against the plant support structure; and the drive element comprises one or more rollers, one or more wheels, a belt, a tread, a linear actuator, or one or more gears.
Embodiments of the disclosure generate a slippage detection signal based at least in part upon a comparison of a measured position or motion of the plant support structure with a desired position or motion of the plant support structure. Embodiments of the disclosure trigger an action based upon detection of slippage.
According to embodiments of the disclosure, A drive unit in a controlled agricultural environment comprises: an alignment element; a drive element; and an actuator for adjusting a distance between the alignment element and the drive element. The actuator may increase the distance to enable reception of a plant support structure, and to decrease the distance to cause the alignment element and the drive element to contact opposing sides of the plant support structure. The drive unit may comprise a second actuator to drive the drive element to convey the plant support structure. The actuator may decrease the distance in response to one or more sensors sensing the presence of the plant support structure in the drive unit.
The drive unit may comprise a grow tower, and may include a groove that rests on the drive element or the alignment element.
The actuator may apply a force via the alignment element or the drive element to force the plant support structure against the drive element or the alignment element, respectively.
According to embodiments of the disclosure, the drive unit may include: one or more sensors; one or more memories storing instructions; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, that execute the instructions to cause performance of: commanding the drive element to achieve a desired position or motion of the plant support structure; determining a measured position or motion of the plant support structure, wherein the measured position or motion is based at least in part upon a signal from the one or more sensors; and generating a slippage detection signal based at least in part upon comparing the measured position or motion with the desired position or motion.
Further embodiments are summarized in the section below entitled “Selected Embodiments of the Disclosure.”
The present description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various example embodiments are shown. However, many different example embodiments may be used, and thus the description should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete. Various modifications to the exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
The present disclosure provides harvesting systems and subsystems that operate on plant support structures, such as grow towers. According to embodiments of the disclosure, these systems and subsystems may be configured for use in automated crop production systems for controlled environment agriculture. The present invention, however, is not limited to any particular crop production environment, which may be an automated controlled grow environment, an outdoor environment or any other suitable crop production environment.
The following describes examples of a vertical farm production system configured for high density growth and crop yield.
The system 10 may also include conveyance systems for moving the grow towers in a circuit throughout the crop's growth cycle, the circuit comprising a staging area configured to load the grow towers into and out of the vertical tower conveyance mechanism 200. The central processing system 30 may include one or more conveyance mechanisms for directing grow towers to stations in the central processing system 30—e.g., stations for loading plants into, and harvesting crops from, the grow towers. The vertical tower conveyance system 200, within the growing chamber 20, is configured to support and translate one or more grow towers 50 along grow lines 202. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the grow towers 50 hang from the grow lines 202.
Each grow tower 50 is configured to contain plant growth media that supports a root structure of at least one crop plant growing therein. Each grow tower 50 is also configured to releasably attach to a grow line 202 in a vertical orientation and move along the grow line 202 during a growth phase. Together, the vertical tower conveyance mechanism 200 and the central processing system 30 (including associated conveyance mechanisms) can be arranged in a production circuit under control of one or more computing systems.
The growth environment 20 may include light emitting sources positioned at various locations between and along the grow lines 202 of the vertical tower conveyance system 200. The light emitting sources can be positioned laterally relative to the grow towers 50 in the grow line 202 and configured to emit light toward the lateral faces of the grow towers 50 that include openings from which crops grow. The light emitting sources may be incorporated into a water-cooled, LED lighting system as described in U.S. Publ. No. 2017/0146226A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. In such an embodiment, the LED lights may be arranged in a bar-like structure. The bar-like structure may be placed in a vertical orientation to emit light laterally to substantially the entire length of adjacent grow towers 50. Multiple light bar structures may be arranged in the growth environment 20 along and between the grow lines 202. Other lighting systems and configurations may be employed. For example, the light bars may be arranged horizontally between grow lines 202.
The growth environment 20 may also include a nutrient supply system configured to supply an aqueous crop nutrient solution to the crops as they translate through the growth chamber 20. The nutrient supply system may apply aqueous crop nutrient solution to the top of the grow towers 50. Gravity may cause the solution travel down the vertically-oriented grow tower 50 and through the length thereof to supply solution to the crops disposed along the length of the grow tower 50. The growth environment 20 may also include an airflow source that is configured to, when a tower is mounted to a grow line 202, direct airflow in the lateral growth direction of growth and through an under-canopy of the growing plant, so as to disturb the boundary layer of the under-canopy of the growing plant. In other implementations, airflow may come from the top of the canopy or orthogonal to the direction of plant growth. The growth environment 20 may also include a control system, and associated sensors, for regulating at least one growing condition, such as air temperature, airflow speed, relative air humidity, and ambient carbon dioxide gas content. The control system may for example include such sub-systems as HVAC units, chillers, fans and associated ducting and air handling equipment. Grow towers 50 may have identifying attributes (such as bar codes or RFID tags). The controlled environment agriculture system 10 may include corresponding sensors and programming logic for tracking the grow towers 50 during various stages of the farm production cycle or for controlling one or more conditions of the growth environment. The operation of control system and the length of time towers remain in the growth environment can vary considerably depending on a variety of factors, such as crop type and other factors.
As discussed above, grow towers 50 with newly transplanted crops or seedlings are transferred from the central processing system 30 into the vertical tower conveyance system 200. Vertical tower conveyance system 200 moves the grow towers 50 along respective grow lines 202 in growth environment 20 in a controlled fashion. Crops disposed in grow towers 50 are exposed to the controlled conditions of the growth environment (e.g., light, temperature, humidity, air flow, aqueous nutrient supply, etc.). The control system is capable of automated adjustments to optimize growing conditions within the growth chamber 20 to make continuous improvements to various attributes, such as crop yields, visual appeal and nutrient content. In addition, US Patent Publication Nos. 2018/0014485 and 2018/0014486, incorporated by reference herein, describe application of machine learning and other operations to optimize grow conditions in a vertical farming system. In some implementations, environmental condition sensors may be disposed on grow towers 50 or at various locations in the growth environment 20. When crops are ready for harvesting, grow towers 50 with crops to be harvested are transferred from the vertical tower conveyance system 200 to the central processing system 30 for harvesting and other processing operations.
Central processing system 30, as discussed in more detail below, may include processing stations directed to injecting seedlings into towers 50, harvesting crops from towers 50, and cleaning towers 50 that have been harvested. Central processing system 30 may also include conveyance mechanisms that move towers 50 between such processing stations. For example, as
Controlled environment agriculture system 10 may also include one or more conveyance mechanisms for transferring grow towers 50 between growth environment 20 and central processing system 30. In the implementation shown, the stations of central processing system 30 operate on grow towers 50 in a horizontal orientation. In embodiments of the disclosure, an automated pickup (loading) station 43, and associated control logic, may be operative to releasably grasp a horizontal tower from a loading location, rotate the tower to a vertical orientation and attach the tower to a transfer station for insertion into a selected grow line 202 of the growth environment 20. On the other end of growth environment 20, automated laydown (unloading) station 41, and associated control logic, may be operative to releasably grasp and move a vertically-oriented grow tower 50 from a buffer location, rotate the grow tower 50 to a horizontal orientation and place it on a conveyance system (such as a tower drive unit 2700 described below) for loading into harvester station 32. In some implementations, if a grow tower 50 is rejected due to quality control concerns, the conveyance system may bypass the harvester station 32 and carry the grow tower to washing station 34 (or some other station). The automated laydown and pickup stations 41 and 43 may each comprise a six-degrees of freedom robotic arm 1502, such as a FANUC robot. The stations 41 and 43 may also include end effectors for releasably grasping grow towers 50 at opposing ends.
Growth environment 20 may also include automated loading and unloading mechanisms for inserting grow towers 50 into selected grow lines 202 and unloading grow towers 50 from the grow lines 202. In embodiments of the disclosure, the load transfer conveyance mechanism 47 may include a powered and free conveyor system that conveys carriages each loaded with a grow tower 50 from the automated pickup station 43 to a selected grow line 202. Vertical grow tower conveyance system 200 may include sensors (such as RFID or bar code sensors) to identify a given grow tower 50 and, under control logic, select a grow line 202 for the grow tower 50. Particular algorithms for grow line selection can vary considerably depending on a number of factors. The load transfer conveyance mechanism 47 may also include one or more linear actuators that pushes the grow tower 50 onto a grow line 202. Similarly, the unload transfer conveyance mechanism 45 may include one or more linear actuators that push or pull grow towers from a grow line 202 onto a carriage of another powered and free conveyor mechanism, which conveys the carriages 1202 from the grow line 202 to the automated laydown station 41.
Grow towers 50 provide the sites for individual crops to grow in the system. As
Grow towers 50 may include a set of grow sites 53 arrayed along at least one face of the grow tower 50. In the implementation shown in
U.S. application Ser. No. 15/968,425 filed on May 1, 2018 which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes, discloses an example tower structure configuration that can be used in connection with various embodiments of the invention. Grow towers 50 may each consist of three extrusions which snap together to form one structure. Grow towers 50 may be made of an extruded plastic, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like. As shown, the grow tower 50 may be a dual-sided hydroponic tower, where the tower body 103 includes a central wall 56 that defines a first tower cavity 54a and a second tower cavity 54b.
As
The use of a hinged front face plate simplifies manufacturing of grow towers 50, as well as tower maintenance in general and tower cleaning in particular. For example, to clean a grow tower 50 the face plates 101 are unhinged (i.e., opened) from the body 103 to allow easy access to the body cavity 54a or 54b. After cleaning, the face plates 101 are closed. Since the face plates remain attached to the tower body 103 throughout the cleaning process, it is easier to maintain part alignment and to ensure that each face plate is properly associated with the appropriate tower body and, assuming a double-sided tower body, that each face plate 101 is properly associated with the appropriate side of a specific tower body 103. Additionally, if the planting and/or harvesting operations are performed with the face plate 101 in the open position, for the dual-sided configuration both face plates can be opened and simultaneously planted and/or harvested, thus eliminating the step of planting and/or harvesting one side and then rotating the tower and planting and/or harvesting the other side. In other embodiments, planting and/or harvesting operations are performed with the face plate 101 in the closed position.
Other implementations are possible. For example, grow tower 50 can comprise any tower body that includes a volume of medium or wicking medium extending into the tower interior from the face of the tower (either a portion or individual portions of the tower or the entirety of the tower length. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,327,582, which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses a grow tube having a slot extending from a face of the tube and a grow medium contained in the tube. The tube illustrated therein may be modified to include a hook 52 at the top thereof and to have slots on opposing faces, or one slot on a single face.
Hooks 52 may be injection-molded plastic parts. In embodiments of the disclosure, the plastic may be polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or an Acetyl Homopolymer (e.g., Delrin® sold by DuPont Company). The hook 52 may be solvent bonded to the top of the grow tower 50 and/or attached using rivets or other mechanical fasteners. The groove-engaging member 58 which rides in the rectangular groove 1002 of the grow line 202 may be a separate part or integrally formed with hook 52. If separate, this part can be made from a different material with lower friction and better wear properties than the rest of the hook, such as ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene or acetal. To keep assembly costs low, this separate part may snap onto the main body of the hook 52. Alternatively, the separate part also be over-molded onto the main body of hook 52.
As
At the junction between two sections of a grow line 202, a block 612 may be located in the t-slots 1004 of both conveyor bodies. This block serves to align the two grow line sections so that grow towers 50 may slide smoothly between them. Alternative methods for aligning sections of a grow line 202 include the use of dowel pins that fit into dowel holes in the extrusion profile of the section. The block 612 may be clamped to one of the grow line sections via a set screw, so that the grow line sections can still come together and move apart as the result of thermal expansion. Based on the relatively tight tolerances and small amount of material required, these blocks may be machined. Bronze may be used as the material for such blocks due to its strength, corrosion resistance, and wear properties.
In embodiments of the disclosure, the vertical tower conveyance system 200 utilizes a reciprocating linear ratchet and pawl structure (hereinafter referred to as a “reciprocating cam structure or mechanism”) to move grow towers 50 along a grow line 202.
The pivot point of the cams 602 and the means of attachment to the cam channel 604 consists of a binding post 606 and a hex head bolt 608; alternatively, detent clevis pins may be used. The hex head bolt 608 is positioned on the inner side of the cam channel 604 where there is no tool access in the axial direction. Being a hex head, it can be accessed radially with a wrench for removal. Given the large number of cams needed for a full-scale farm, a high-volume manufacturing process such as injection molding is suitable. ABS is suitable material given its stiffness and relatively low cost. All the cams 602 for a corresponding grow line 202 are attached to the cam channel 604. When connected to an actuator, this common beam structure allows all cams 602 to stroke back and forth in unison. The structure of the cam channel 604, in embodiments of the disclosure, is a downward facing u-channel constructed from sheet metal. Holes in the downward facing walls of cam channel 604 provide mounting points for cams 602 using binding posts 606.
Holes of the cam channel 604, in embodiments of the disclosure, are spaced at 12.7 mm intervals. Therefore, cams 602 can be spaced relative to one another at any integer multiple of 12.7 mm, allowing for variable grow tower spacing with only one cam channel. The base of the cam channel 604 limits rotation of the cams during the forward stroke. All degrees of freedom of the cam channel 604, except for translation in the axial direction, are constrained by linear guide carriages 610 (described below) which mount to the base of the cam channel 604 and ride in the t-slot 1004 of the grow line 202. Cam channel 604 may be assembled from separately formed sections, such as sections in 6-meter lengths. Longer sections reduce the number of junctions but may significantly increase shipping costs. Thermal expansion is generally not a concern because the cam channel is only fixed at the end connected to the actuator. Given the simple profile, thin wall thickness, and long length needed, sheet metal rolling is a suitable manufacturing process for the cam channel. Galvanized steel is a suitable material for this application.
Linear guide carriages 610 are bolted to the base of the cam channels 604 and ride within the t-slots 1004 of the grow lines 202. In some implementations, one carriage 610 is used per 6-meter section of cam channel. Carriages 610 may be injection molded plastic for low friction and wear resistance. Bolts attach the carriages 610 to the cam channel 604 by threading into over molded threaded inserts. If select cams 602 are removed, these bolts are accessible so that a section of cam channel 604 can be detached from the carriage and removed.
Sections of cam channel 604 are joined together with pairs of connectors 616 at each joint; alternatively, detent clevis pins may be used. Connectors 616 may be galvanized steel bars with machined holes at 20 mm spacing (the same hole spacing as the cam channel 604). Shoulder bolts 618 pass through holes in the outer connector, through the cam channel 604, and thread into holes in the inner connector. If the shoulder bolts fall in the same position as a cam 602, they can be used in place of a binding post. The heads of the shoulder bolts 618 are accessible so that connectors and sections of cam channel can be removed.
In embodiments of the disclosure, cam channel 604 attaches to a linear actuator, which operates in a forward and a back stroke. A suitable linear actuator may be the T13-B4010MS053-62 actuator offered by Thomson, Inc. of Redford, Va.; however, the reciprocating cam mechanism described herein can be operated with a variety of different actuators. The linear actuator may be attached to cam channel 604 at the off-loading end of a grow line 202, rather than the on-boarding end. In such a configuration, cam channel 604 is under tension when loaded by the towers 50 during a forward stroke of the actuator (which pulls the cam channel 604) which reduces risks of buckling.
Still further, as shown in
Other implementations for moving vertical grow towers 50 may be employed. For example, a lead screw mechanism may be employed. In such an implementation, the threads of the lead screw engage hooks 52 disposed on grow line 202 and move grow towers 50 as the shaft rotates. The pitch of the thread may be varied to achieve one-dimensional plant indexing. In another implementation, a belt conveyor include paddles along the belt may be employed to move grow towers 50 along a grow line 202. In such an implementation, a series of belt conveyors arranged along a grow line 202, where each belt conveyor includes a different spacing distance among the paddles to achieve one-dimensional plant indexing. In yet other implementations, a power-and-free conveyor may be employed to move grow towers 50 along a grow line 202.
As
As
In operation, irrigation line 802 provides aqueous nutrient solution to funnel structure 902 that even distributes the water to respective cavities 54a, 54b of grow tower 50. The aqueous nutrient solution supplied from the funnel structure 902 irrigates crops contained in respective plug containers 158 as it trickles down. In embodiments of the disclosure, a gutter disposed under each grow line 202 collects excess water from the grow towers 50 for recycling.
Other implementations are possible. For example, the funnel structure may be configured with two separate collectors that operate separately to distribute aqueous nutrient solution to a corresponding cavity 54a, 54b of a grow tower 50. In such a configuration, the irrigation supply line can be configured with one hole for each collector. In other implementations, the towers may only include a single cavity and include plug containers only on a single face 101 of the towers. Such a configuration still calls for a use of a funnel structure that directs aqueous nutrient solution to a desired portion of the tower cavity, but obviates the need for separate collectors or other structures facilitating even distribution.
As discussed above, the stations of central processing system 30 operate on grow towers 50 in a horizontal orientation, while the vertical tower conveyance system 200 conveys grow towers in the growth environment 20 in a vertical orientation. In embodiments of the disclosure, an automated pickup station 43, and associated control logic, may be operative to releasably grasp a horizontally-oriented grow tower from a loading location, rotate the tower to a vertical orientation and attach the tower to a transfer station for insertion into a selected grow line 202 of the growth environment 20. On the other end of growth environment 20, automated laydown station 41, and associated control logic, may be operative to releasably grasp and move a vertically-oriented grow tower 50 from a stop or pick location, rotate the grow tower 50 to a horizontal orientation and place it on a conveyance system for processing by one or more stations of central processing system 30. For example, automated laydown station 41 may place grow towers 50 on a conveyance system (such as a tower drive unit 2700 described below) for loading into harvester station 32. The automated laydown station 41 and pickup station 43 may each comprise a six-degrees of freedom (six axes) robotic arm, such as a FANUC robot. The stations 41 and 43 may also include end effectors for releasably grasping grow towers 50 at opposing ends, as described in more detail below.
As
Bottom gripper assembly 1606, as shown in
Top gripper assembly 1604, in embodiments of the disclosure, is essentially a mirror image of bottom gripper assembly 1606, as it includes the same components and operates in the same manner described above. Catch plate 1718, in embodiments of the disclosure, may attach only to bottom gripper assembly 1606. Catch plate 1718 may act as a safety catch in case the gripper assemblies fail or the grow tower 50 slips. Other implementations are possible. For example, the gripper assemblies may be parallel gripper assemblies where both opposing arms of each gripper move when actuated to grasp a grow tower 50. In some implementations, the gripper assemblies 1604, 1606 may be welded to beam 1602. In other implementations, the gripper assemblies 1604, 1606 may include brackets or other features that allow the assemblies to attach to beam 1602 with bolts, screws or other fasteners.
Robot 1402 may be a 6-axis robotic arm including a base, a lower arm attached to the base, an upper arm attached to the lower arm, and a wrist mechanism disposed between the end of the upper arm and an end effector 1450. For example, robot 1402 may 1) rotate about its base; 2) rotate a lower arm to extend forward and backward; 3) rotate an upper arm, relative to the lower arm, upward and downward; 4) rotate the upper arm and attached wrist mechanism in a circular motion; 5) tilt a wrist mechanism attached to the end of the upper arm up and down; and/or 6) rotate the wrist mechanism clockwise or counter-clockwise. However, modifications to end effector 1450 (and/or other elements, such as conveyance mechanisms and the like) may permit different types of robots and mechanisms, as well as use of robots with fewer axes of movement. As
As discussed herein, grow towers may be relatively narrow and long structures that are comprised of an extruded plastic material. One or both of the lateral faces of the grow tower may include grow sites. The modeled or designed configuration of a grow tower assumes that the that the opposing lateral face does not vary along the x- or y-axis along the length of the tower. Grow towers in reality, however, vary across the x- and y-axes due, for example, to manufacturing tolerances and/or various loads placed on the towers. For example, a grow tower 50 may curve slightly along its length. This may present certain challenges when performing various operations on the grow tower, such as locating the opposing ends of a grow tower 50 during an automated pickup or laydown operation. Furthermore, when a grow tower 50 accelerates/decelerates in unload transfer conveyance mechanism 45, the grow tower 50 may swing slightly from its attachment point.
Other implementations are possible.
Nest portion 2607 is configured to engage the bottom end of grow tower 50 before the top end of grow tower 50 reaches the stop location 1404. In other words, when grow tower 50 reaches stop location 1404, face 2608 and arm 2610 of nest portion 2607 engage a corner of the bottom end of grow tower 50 holding the bottom end at a slight offset to hook 52 (the top of grow tower 50) in both the x- and y-dimensions. In embodiments of the disclosure, the offset between a) the expected (or designed) location of the corner of grow tower 50 (assuming no curvature or other variation of grow tower 50) without lead-in feature 2602, and b) the corner defined by face 2608 and arm 2610 of nest portion 2607 is ˜1.5 inches in both the x-and y-dimensions. Grow towers 50, therefore, rest at a slight angle to vertical when translated to stop location 1404 and engaged in nest portion 2607 of lead-in feature 2602. In embodiments of the disclosure, arm 2610 is ˜6 inches long to catch grow towers 50 that may bounce from lead-in feature 2602 as they are conveyed to stop location 1404. This configuration has at least two advantages. The configuration causes the grow tower 50 to rest in nest portion 2607 and prevents swinging of the grow tower 50 when it reaches stop location 1404. It also allows the laydown station 41 to more accurately locate both ends of grow tower 50, which may be warped due to either manufacturing tolerances or to deflection under load.
The end state of the laydown operation is to have a grow tower 50 laying on the projections 2004 of the harvester infeed conveyor 1420, as centered as possible, according to embodiments of the disclosure. Projections 2004 of harvester infeed conveyor 1420 facilitate the laydown operation by allowing the gripper assemblies 1604, 1606 and end effector 1450 to travel in the area between the conveyor surface and the top of projections 2004 and release the grow tower 50 on projections 2004. In embodiments of the disclosure, a grow tower 50 is oriented such that hook 52 points towards harvester station 32 and, in implementations having hinged side walls, and hinge side down. (According to other embodiments, the infeed conveyor 1420 may instead be implemented using a tower drive unit 2700 such as that described below.) The following summarizes the decisional steps that a controller for robot 1402 may execute during a laydown operation, according to embodiments of the disclosure.
The Main program for the robot controller may work as follows:
The Pick Tower program may work as follows:
The Place Tower program may work as follows:
As discussed above, central processing system 30 may include harvester station 32, washing station 34 and transplanter station 36. Central processing system 30 may also include one or more conveyors to transfer towers to or from a given station. For example, referring to
Washing station 34 may employ a variety of mechanisms to clean crop debris (such as roots and base or stem structures) from grow towers 50. To clean a grow tower 50, washing station 34 may employ pressurized water systems, pressurized air systems, mechanical means (such as scrubbers, scrub wheels, scrapers, etc.), or any combination of the foregoing systems. In implementations that use hinged grow towers (such as those discussed above), the washing station 34 may include a plurality of substations including a substation to open the front faces 101 of grow towers 50 prior to one or more cleaning operations, and a second substation to close the front faces 101 of grow towers after one or more cleaning operations.
Transplanter station 36, in embodiments of the disclosure, includes an automated mechanism to inject seedlings into grow sites 53 of grow towers 50. In embodiments of the disclosure, the transplanter station 36 receives plug trays containing seedlings to be transplanted into the grow sites 53. In embodiments of the disclosure, transplanter station 36 includes a robotic arm and an end effector that includes one or more gripper or picking heads that grasps root-bound plugs from a plug tray and inserts them into grow sites 53 of grow tower 53. For implementations where grow sites 53 extend along a single face of a grow tower, the grow tower may be oriented such that the single face faces upwardly. For implementations where grow sites 53 extend along opposing faces of a grow tower 50, the grow tower 50 may be oriented such that the opposing faces having the grow sites face laterally.
As
Final cut grow towers 50, on the other hand, travel through harvester station 32, washing station 34 and transplanter 36 before reentering growth environment 20. With reference to
In the implementation shown in
As
As
The second-stage or internal grouping mechanism includes two pairs of grouping surfaces, where each pair operates on opposing sides of a grow tower 50 as it feeds through harvester 2302.
In embodiments of the disclosure, each of grouping members 2330a,b are machined from stainless steel and include an internal cavity. In some implementations, grouping surface 2318 may include holes 2334 through which air travels. In embodiments of the disclosure, a compressed air system supplies pressured air to the internal cavities of grouping members 2330a,b to create air flow from grouping surfaces 2318 to prevent plants from sticking. Although not shown, the holes and compressed air system can be configured to group plants as well.
In embodiments of the disclosure, a drive mechanism (e.g., drive wheel and motor assembly 2312) may be used to move grow tower 50 along one or more conveyors (e.g., 1420, 1504, 2102, 2104, 2106, 2108, 2110, or 2112) or in one or more tower processing tools (e.g., harvester 32, washer 34, or transplanter 36). The drive mechanism may detect the presence of an approaching grow tower 50 using a sensor (e.g., limit switch, optical sensor, light beam-break sensor). In embodiments of the disclosure, the signal from an optical sensor may be used to engage the drive mechanism to drive the motion of the grow tower 50. For example, referring to
In some embodiments, the friction drive roller 2313a may slip relative to the surface of groove 58a. The slippage of the friction drive roller 2313a may lead to loss of information regarding grow tower 50 indexed position along a converyor or inside of a tower processing tool. In some embodiments, the slippage of grow tower 50 (when driven by a drive mechanism) may be detected by comparing the expected motion of grow tower 50 (e.g., based on the number of turns of friction drive roller 2313a) to the actual distance traved by the grow tower 50. The distance traveled by grow tower 50 may be determined by detecting the motion of a grow tower edge between two optical sensors located a known distance apart from each other along the direction of motion for the grow tower (e.g., along a conveyor).
In some embodiments, the slippage of grow tower 50 may be detected by comparing the number of turns of friction drive roller 2313a when in contact with a grow tower to the number of turns of alignment wheel 2313b in contact with the same grow tower. If neither the friction drive roller 2313a nor the alignment wheel 2313b slip relative to grow tower 50, the number of turns of friction drive roller 2313a and the number of turns of alignment wheel 2313b may be related to the ratio of the friction drive roller 2313a and the alignment wheel 2313b radius, diameter, or circumference. In some embodiments, the the number of turns of friction drive roller 2313a and the number of turns of alignment wheel 2313b may be related to the ratio of the friction drive roller 2313a circumference and the alignment wheel 2313b circumference after taking into account the deformation of the friction drive roller 2313a or the alignment wheel 2313b caused by the contact force between the respective roller or wheel and grow tower 50.
In some embodiments, the number of turns of friction drive roller 2313a may be determined based on the signal sent to the motor coupled to the friction drive roller. In some embodiments, the number of turns of the alignment wheel 2313b may be determined by placing a magnetic mark on a component that moves in response to motion of the alignment wheel 2313b (e.g., magnetic mark embedded in the alignment wheel 2313b, magnetic mark on an axle of the alignment wheel 2313b) and using an inductive sensor to count the number of turns of the alignment wheel 2313b. In some embodiments, the number of turns of the alignment wheel 2313b may be determined using an optical encoder coupled to the alignment wheel 2313b or a component coupled to the alignment wheel 2313b.
In some embodiments, debris (e.g., plant matter) or water may be present in groove 58a or 58b of grow tower 50. The debris or water may contribute to slippage of grow tower 50 in the drive mechanism. In some embodiments, slippage may be mitigated by directing a flow of pressurized gas to disperse water or debris from the region to be contacted in the drive mechanism (e.g., directing pressurized gas towards a region in groove 58a before friction drive roller 2313a contacts the region). In some embodiments, slippage may be mitigated by removing any debris from the region to be contacted in the drive mechanism. For example, a brush may be used to remove debris from groove 58a before friction drive roller 2313a.
In some embodiments, slippage of grow tower 50 when driven by the drive mechanism may be mitigated by adjusting the friction between the friction drive roller 2313a or the contact area on grow tower 50. In some embodiments, the friction of the friction drive roller may be adjusted by changing the roller material or changing the durometer of the roller material. In some embodiments, the friction of the area on the grow tower contacted by the friction drive roller 2313a may be adjusted by changing the surface texture of the grow tower in that area (e.g., roughening the surface (e.g., via mechanical or chemical abrasion)). In some embodiments, the contact area of the friction drive roller 2313a may be a patterned tread. In some embodiments, the tread pattern may permit debris or water to move into a tread gap region to enhance frictional contact between the friction drive roller 2313a and a contact area on grow tower 50.
In some embodiments, detection of grow tower 50 slippage is used to trigger one or more actions. In some embodiments, detection of grow tower 50 slippage is used as an indication that a mechanical jam has occurred, or a user of the conveyor or tower processing tool may be informed (e.g., to take corrective action). In some embodiments, detection of grow tower 50 slippage is used to turn off the motor coupled to the friction drive roller 2313a to prevent wear of the friction drive roller 2313a or the area contacted by the friction drive roller 2313a on the grow tower 50. In some embodiments, detection of grow tower 50 slippage is tracked in a database to identify grow towers that are prone to slippage.
In some embodiments, the number of revolutions of the friction drive roller 2613A may be compared to the number of revolutions of the alignment wheel 2613B to detect slippage. In some embodiments, some amount of slippage between the grow tower 50 and the friction drive roller 2613A may be permitted before an action is taken. In some embodiments, if the diameters of the friction drive roller 2613A and the alignment wheel 2613B are the same, a slippage detection signal may be triggered if the number of revolutions of the friction drive roller 2613A and the number of revolutions of the alignment wheel 2613B differ by more than a certain threshold percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, or more) or if the number of revolutions of the friction drive roller 2613A and the number of revolutions of the alignment wheel 2613B differ by more than a certain threshold amount (e.g., ¼ turn, ½ turn, 1 turn, or more of the friction drive roller 2613A). If the radius/diameter/circumference of the friction drive roller 2613A and the alignment wheel 2613B are different, a slippage detection signal may be triggered by comparing the radius/diameter/circumference-scaled number of revolutions. For example, if the friction drive roller 2613A has double the diameter of the alignment wheel 2613B, the number of turns of the friction drive roller 2613A may be compared to double the number of turns of the alignment wheel 2613B.
In some embodiments, slippage may be detected if the distance traveled by a point on the circumference of the friction drive roller 2613A contacting the grow tower 50 (based on the number of turns of the friction drive roller 2613A) differs from the measured distance traveled by the grow tower 50. The distance traveled by a point on the circumference of the friction drive roller 2613A may represent a desired distance of travel of the grow tower 50 that is commanded by an operator of the drive mechanism. For example, assuming no slippage, if 5 turns of the friction drive roller 2613A corresponds to motion of the grow tower 50 from the position of grow tower sensor 2611A (with grow tower 50 edge at 50A) to the position of grow tower sensor 2611B (with grow tower 50 edge at 50B), then slippage may be inferred if the friction drive roller 2613A turns more than 5 turns to move the grow tower 50 from the position of grow tower sensor 2611A to the position of grow tower sensor 2611B. In some embodiments, a slippage detection signal may be triggered if the friction drive roller 2613A turns more than a certain threshold percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, or more) above the expected 5 turns or if the friction drive roller 2613A turns more than a certain threshold amount (e.g., ¼ turn, ½ turn, 1 turn, or more) above the expected 5 turns.
In some embodiments, a signal indicating the presence of the grow tower 50 based on a signal from sensor 2611C may trigger the engagement and activation of the drive mechanism (e.g., engagement and activation of the friction drive roller 2613A and the alignment wheel 2613B) to move the grow tower 50. In some embodiments, the friction drive roller 2613A and the alignment wheel 2613B may move vertically for engagement (e.g., to bring them into contact with one or more grow tower surfaces). In some embodiments, the signal from sensor 2611C may trigger the motor coupled to the friction drive roller 2613A to start turning the friction drive roller 2613A. In some embodiments, once signal from sensor 2611A indicates that a grow tower 50 is present in the drive mechanism, the rotations of the friction drive roller 2613A and the alignment wheel 2613B may be compared to generate a slippage detection signal. In some embodiments, the motion of the grow tower 50 from position 50A (based on a signal from sensor 2611A) to position 50B (based on signal from sensor 2611B) may be compared to the rotations of the friction drive roller 2613A to generate a slippage detection signal. In some embodiments, the slippage detection signal may trigger another action. In some embodiments, the triggered action may be one or more of: (1) stopping the drive mechanism, (2) disengaging the drive mechanism (e.g., bringing friction drive roller 2613A or alignment wheel 2613B out of contact with the grow tower 50), (3) alerting a user of the conveyor or tower processing tool, or (4) recording an ID associated with the grow tower 50 in the drive mechanism and information related to the detected slippage (e.g., slippage as a percentage, distance, or number of turns).
In sum, slippage may be detected in a number of ways. In general, a conveyance system of embodiments of the disclosure compares representations of desired grow tower 50 motion or position in the direction of conveyance with measured grow tower 50 motion or position. For example, desired grow tower 50 motion or position may be represented by: a desired distance of travel (e.g., commanded by an operator), which may, for example, be a desired distance to be traveled by a point on the circumference of the friction drive roller 2613A, or a desired distance of travel of an edge of the grow tower 50; or a desired speed of the grow tower 50, such as a desired speed for an edge of the grow tower 50 or based on a desired rate of rotation of the friction drive roller 2613A.
The measured grow tower 50 motion or position may be represented by: a measured distance of travel, which may, for example, be a measured distance traveled by a point on the circumference of alignment wheel 2613B, or a measured distance of travel of an edge of the grow tower 50; or a measured speed of the grow tower 50, such as that measured for an edge of the grow tower 50 or based on the measured rate of rotation of the alignment wheel 2613B.
Other implementations are possible. For example, the harvester 2302 may be configured such that faces 101 of grow tower 50 are oriented vertically when positioned in the harvester. In other implementations, the harvester 2302 could be configured such that grow towers 50 are oriented vertically during harvesting operations. In addition, while the embodiments described above involve a stationary harvester mechanism with moving grow towers, other embodiments may involve a moving harvester mechanism and stationary grow towers. In such an implementation, the grouping mechanisms and harvesting blades may move relative to the stationary tower faces. Still further, while the systems described above involve grow towers with grow sites at opposing lateral faces, implementations of the harvester can be configured to operate with grow towers or other grow structures having grow sites on only a single face.
The foregoing discloses a harvesting system where grow towers 50 feed through the harvester 2302 in a single direction into an entry point and out of an exit point. Other implementations are possible. For example, the infeed and outfeed mechanisms can be controlled to drive a grow tower 50 in a first direction for harvesting, as discussed above. A controller can then cause the harvesting blades 2306 to retract and cause the infeed and outfeed mechanisms 2312 to drive the grow tower 50 in the reverse direction back through the harvester 2302. In such an implementation, a second gathering mechanism can be disposed at the exit point of harvester 2302 opposite the entry point to gather and/or protect remaining plant stalks and other plant matter as a harvested grow tower 50 is conveyed back through harvester station 2302.
As shown, the drive element 2704 and the alignment element 2706 may each comprise two or more wheels. As shown, two alignment wheels 2706 are rotatably mounted on to a mount plate 2707. In general, the alignment element 2706 may take the form of, for example, one or more elements that rotate, or that are static but that allow a grow tower to slide with low friction between the drive element 2704 and the alignment element 2706. For example, the alignment element may comprise one or more rollers, one or more wheels, a linear bearing element (e.g., a plain bearing element) designed to allow the grow tower 50 to slide against the alignment element 2706, a belt, a tread, one or more gears designed to mesh with complementary teeth on the opposing surface of the grow tower 50, or a fixed material that has a coefficient of friction against the plant support structure less than a coefficient of friction of the drive element against the plant support structure. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the alignment element 2706 may comprise a plastic material, for example a thermoplastic such as Delrin®.
The drive element may, for example, comprise one or more rollers, one or more wheels, a belt, a tread, a linear actuator, or one or more gears designed to mesh with complementary teeth on the opposing surface of the grow tower 50. The linear actuator (e.g., a solenoid, a pneumatic or hydraulic piston) may, for example, pull or push the grow tower 50. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the linear actuator may grab the tower 50 by its hook 52 and pull it in the direction of travel. The drive element 2704 may be coated with or fabricated from a material with a relatively high coefficient of friction, such as polyurethane with a kinetic coefficient of friction greater than 1.
The TDU frame may include an upper sub-frame 2708 that hingeably attaches to the rest of the frame 2702 (the rest of the frame referred to herein as the “base”) via a hinge element 2710. The hinge element 2710 may comprise a pin or rod integrally coupled with the upper sub-frame 2708, where the ends of the pin or rod are rotatably fitted into holes in members of the base of the frame 2702.
An actuator 2712, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic piston, is coupled to the base and to the upper sub-frame 2708. As shown in
At different points during processing, a grow tower 50 is laid down, e.g., by a robot arm, in a horizontal position and conveyed, according to embodiments of the disclosure. According to some conveyance approaches, the alignment wheels and the drive wheels bear a fixed relationship to each other. In those approaches, the tower 50 is inserted laterally between the upper and lower wheels along the axis of conveyance. The fixed rollers impart more force on the leading and trailing edges of the tower conveyed through them than on the rest of the tower body. These edge forces lead to damage of the edges after a tower has been inserted and conveyed multiple times.
The adjustable-access tower drive unit according to embodiments of the disclosure, such as that shown in
Instead of insertion of the grow tower along the axis of conveyance, the adjustable-access TDU 2700 enables more freedom with respect to the angle of insertion of a grow tower into the TDU. For example, with the alignment element 2706 in the open position, the controller may instruct a robot arm to insert the grow tower in a direction normal to the face of the TDU. The tower may be laid down so that the leading edge would not bear the force of the alignment element 2706 when the TDU is in the closed position, thereby preventing tower edge damage. After the grow tower is laid down on the drive element 2704, the controller may cause extension of the actuator 2712 to move the alignment element 2706 to rest on top of the laid-down tower.
According to embodiments of the disclosure, the controller may cause the actuator 2712 not just to enable the alignment element 2706 to rest on top of the laid-down tower, but to apply a force to the alignment element 2706 to force the grow tower against the drive element 2704 to increase friction.
In the embodiment shown in
According to embodiments of the disclosure, the mount plate 2707 includes a pivot 2709 about which the mount plate 2707 can rotate. The pivot 2709 enables the alignment wheels 2706 to self-adjust so that they are in contact with the tower 50 body even if tower is not disposed perfectly horizontally (e.g., upon insertion into the TDU 2700) or the tower 50 body varies in thickness.
According to embodiments of the disclosure, by offsetting the pivot 2709 from the horizontal center of gravity of the mount plate 2707 (e.g, more to one side than the other), gravity will pull down one alignment wheel 2706 more than the other, resulting in an angular bias of the mount plate 2707. For example, the alignment wheels 2706 can be biased to create a greater nominal distance between a corresponding drive wheel 2704 and an alignment wheel 2706 closest to the leading edge of the tower 50 being received by the TDU 2700. This would reduce the chance of damaging the leading edge of the tower 50 upon reception.
According to embodiments of the disclosure, the TDU 2700 may employ slippage detection as described with respect to other embodiments of the disclosure (e.g., with respect to
After harvesting, the tower 50 no longer has plants extending from its sides. Thus, a TDU of smaller sizing that does not accommodate a keep-out volume may be employed to convey a tower at the outfeed of the harvester station 32, to introduce the harvested tower to washing station 34, to remove the tower from the washing station 34, and to introduce the tower to the transplanter station 36. As an example,
After transplantation at transplanter station 36 of seedlings into a tower, the seedlings occupy only a small region outside the tower body, thus requiring a much smaller keep-out volume than a TDU conveying a tower with mature plants into harvester station 32. Accordingly, a TDU of smaller sizing than that used to convey towers to the harvester station 32 may be employed. Grow tower sensors in a tower drive unit 2700, similar to sensors 2611A and 2611B, may detect the presence of grow tower 50 as it is approaches or is conveyed through the TDU 2700. In particular, the sensors may be optical sensors to detect the leading and trailing edges of the grow tower 50 or the approach of the tower body in a direction normal to the face of the drive element 2704. In embodiments, sensors may be placed anywhere near the TDU 2700 along the expected path that a grow tower 50 would follow to be introduced into the TDU 2700.
In embodiments, in response to receiving a signal from one or more sensors indicating the approach of the grow tower 50, the controller may trigger the actuator 2712 to open the TDU 2700 by moving the alignment element 2706 away from the drive element 2704, if the TDU 2700 is not already in an open position from a previous conveyance operation. Upon detection by one or more sensors that the grow tower 50 has been brought to rest on the drive element 2704, the controller may move the TDU 2700 into a closed position so that the alignment element 2706 is brought in contact with the uppermost surface of grow tower 50 (i.e., the tower side surface facing upward while the grow tower 50 is in a horizontal position), thereby engaging the alignment element 2706 and the drive element 2704 with the grow tower 50. After the grow tower is engaged, the controller may activate the motor or other actuator coupled to the drive element 2704 to turn the drive element 2704 and convey the grow tower 50 through the TDU 2700.
One advantage of the TDU 2700 of embodiments of the disclosure is that only a few elements (e.g., the drive element 2704) of the TDU 2700 come into contact with plant material. Many of the elements, e.g. sub-frame 2708, may be formed of smooth, tubular pieces from which plant material and water slips off easily. The TDU 2700 also minimizes the number of horizontal surfaces on which plant material and water may gather. According to embodiments of the disclosure, the TDU 2700 may be a “clean in place” style system in which nozzles of cleaning fluid, water, or air (or a combination thereof) are pointed at the wheels and shafts (the only plant contact surfaces) so they can be automatically cleaned.
One or more of the controllers (otherwise referred to herein as one or more control systems) discussed above, such as the one or more controllers for central processing system 30 or individual stations thereof, may be implemented as follows.
Program code may be stored in non-transitory media such as persistent storage in secondary memory 810 or main memory 808 or both. Main memory 808 may include volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM) or non-volatile memory such as read only memory (ROM), as well as different levels of cache memory for faster access to instructions and data. Secondary memory may include persistent storage such as solid-state drives, hard disk drives or optical disks. One or more processors 804 reads program code from one or more non-transitory media and executes the code to enable the computer system to accomplish the methods performed by the embodiments herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the processor(s) may ingest source code, and interpret or compile the source code into machine code that is understandable at the hardware gate level of the processor(s) 804. The processor(s) 804 may include graphics processing units (GPUs) for handling computationally intensive tasks.
The processor(s) 804 may communicate with external networks via one or more communications interfaces, such as a network interface card, WiFi transceiver, etc. A bus 805 communicatively couples the I/O subsystem 802, the processor(s) 804, peripheral devices 806, communications interfaces, memory 808, and persistent storage 810. Embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to this representative architecture. Alternative embodiments may employ different arrangements and types of components, e.g., separate buses for input-output components and memory subsystems.
Those skilled in the art will understand that some or all of the elements of embodiments of the disclosure, and their accompanying operations, may be implemented wholly or partially by one or more computer systems including one or more processors and one or more memory systems like those of computer system 800. In particular, the elements of automated systems or devices described herein may be computer-implemented. Some elements and functionality may be implemented locally and others may be implemented in a distributed fashion over a network through different servers, e.g., in client-server fashion, for example.
Although the disclosure may not expressly disclose that some embodiments or features described herein may be combined with other embodiments or features described herein, this disclosure should be read to describe any such combinations that would be practicable by one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the term “include” shall mean “include, without limitation,” and the term “or” shall mean non-exclusive “or” in the manner of “and/or.”
Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in some embodiments, some of the operations described herein may be performed by human implementation, or through a combination of automated and manual means. When an operation is not fully automated, appropriate components of embodiments of the disclosure may, for example, receive the results of human performance of the operations rather than generate results through its own operational capabilities.
All references cited herein, including, without limitation, articles, publications, patents, patent publications, and patent applications, are incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes, except that any portion of any such reference is not incorporated by reference herein if it: (1) is inconsistent with embodiments of the disclosure expressly described herein; (2) limits the scope of any embodiments described herein; or (3) limits the scope of any terms of any claims recited herein. Mention of any reference, article, publication, patent, patent publication, or patent application cited herein is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that it constitutes valid prior art or forms part of the common general knowledge in any country in the world, or that it discloses essential matter.
Several features and aspects of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail with reference to particular embodiments by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that alternative implementations and various modifications to the disclosed embodiments are within the scope and contemplation of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be considered as limited only by the scope of the claims.
In the claims below, a claim n reciting “any one of the preceding claims starting with claim x,” shall refer to any one of the claims starting with claim x and ending with the immediately preceding claim (claim n-1). For example, claim 35 reciting “The system of any one of the preceding claims starting with claim 28” refers to the system of any one of claims 28-34.
1. A harvester, comprising
2. The harvester of embodiment 1 further comprising a lead-in grouping mechanism comprising a first ramped surface member disposed over the second face of the grow structure when located in the channel, and a second ramped surface member disposed over the third face of the grow structure when located in the channel, wherein the first ramped surface member terminates at the first end of the grouping surface of the first grouping member and wherein the second ramped surface member terminates at the first end of the grouping surface of the second grouping member.
3. The harvester of embodiment 1 wherein each grouping surface includes a plurality of air holes defined therein, and wherein the harvester further comprises a compressed air system to deliver air to each grouping member.
4. A harvester for processing a grow tower, wherein the grow tower includes grow sites on opposing faces thereof, the harvester comprising:
5. The harvester of embodiment 4 wherein the grouping surface for each of the first, second, third and fourth grouping members has a first end and a second end, wherein the grouping surface at the first end extends substantially parallel to the first face, wherein the grouping surface at the second end extends substantially perpendicular to the first face, wherein the grouping surface transitions from the first end to the second end.
6. The harvester of embodiment 4 further comprising an outfeed mechanism disposed in the channel after the harvesting mechanism.
7. The harvester of embodiment 4 wherein the infeed mechanism comprises a pneumatic roller disposed on one side of the channel and a drive wheel disposed on an opposite side of the channel.
8. The harvester of embodiment 7 wherein the grow tower further comprises grooves extending along upper and lower faces thereof, and wherein the pneumatic roller and the drive wheel are configured to engage the respective grooves of the grow tower.
9. The harvester of embodiment 4 wherein the lower lead-in feature further comprises a ramped surface angled upwardly along the channel.
10. The harvester of embodiment 4 wherein the upper lead-in feature further comprises a third face contiguous with the first ramped surface and extending parallel to the channel, and a fourth face contiguous with the second ramped surface and extending parallel to the channel.
11. The harvester of embodiment 10 wherein the lower lead-in feature further comprises a third face contiguous with the first ramped surface and extending parallel to the channel, and a fourth face contiguous with the second ramped surface and extending parallel to the channel.
12. The harvester of embodiment 4 wherein each grouping surface includes a plurality of air holes defined therein, and wherein the harvester further comprises a compressed air system to deliver air to each grouping member.
13. The harvester of embodiment 4 wherein the harvesting mechanism comprises one or more rotating blades disposed on a first lateral side of the channel, and one or more rotating blades disposed on a second, opposing lateral side of the channel.
14. The harvester of embodiment 4 further comprising a chute disposed under the harvesting mechanism.
15. The harvester of any one of embodiments 1-3, wherein the infeed mechanism further comprises one or more sensors configured to detect motion of the grow structure along the channel, and the harvester further comprises a grow structure conveyance system operable to detect slippage of the grow structure based at least in part upon a signal from at least one of the one or more sensors.
16. The harvester of any one of embodiments 4-14, wherein the infeed mechanism further comprises one or more sensors configured to detect motion of the grow tower along the channel, and the harvester further comprises a grow tower conveyance system operable to detect slippage of the grow tower based at least in part upon a signal from at least one of the one or more sensors.
17. A system for controlling the conveyance of a grow tower along a channel, the system comprising:
18. The system of embodiment 17, wherein the slippage detection signal triggers an action.
19. The system of embodiment 18, wherein the action comprises alerting a user of the system.
20. The system of any one of embodiments 18 or 19, wherein the action comprises stopping the movement of the grow tower by the actuator.
21. The system of any one of embodiments 18-20, wherein the action comprises storing information related to the grow tower.
22. The system of any one of embodiments 18-21, wherein the actuator comprises a friction drive roller roller coupled to a motor.
23. The system of any one of embodiments 18-21, wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/903,712, filed Sep. 20, 2019, assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure, and incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US20/15921 | 1/30/2020 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62903712 | Sep 2019 | US |
