IP Library › Granted Patent US 12687860
Granted Patent B2
US 12687860 · App. 18/767,735 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Harvest readiness determination using drone with crop engaging component

Inventors: Duane M. Bomleny (Geneseo, IL); Scott N. Clark (Bettendorf, IA); Nathan R. Vandike (Geneseo, IL); Bradley K. Yanke (Eldridge, IA)
Assignee: Deere & Company
G05D1/689G06Q50/02G05D2105/15G05D2105/80G05D2107/21G05D2109/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687860
App. No.
18/767,735
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An agricultural system includes a drone controllable to exert force on a crop plant at a worksite, one or more harvest readiness sensors configured to detect one or more harvest readiness attributes after exertion of force on the crop plant and to generate harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes. The system further includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions, executable by the one or more processors. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to control the drone to exert force on the crop plant and identify a harvest readiness values corresponding to the worksite based on the harvest readiness sensor data.

Claims (53)

1 . An agricultural system comprising:

a drone controllable to exert force on a crop plant at a worksite;

one or more harvest readiness sensors configured to detect one or more harvest readiness attributes of the crop plant;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions, executable by the one or more processors, that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

obtain first harvest readiness sensor data, generated by the one or more harvest readiness sensors, indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes of the crop plant;

after the first harvest readiness sensor data is generated by the one or more harvest readiness sensors, control the drone to exert force on the crop plant;

obtain second harvest readiness sensor data, generated by the one or more harvest readiness sensors, indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes of the crop plant after the drone is controlled to exert force on the crop plant; and

identify a harvest readiness value corresponding to the worksite based on the first harvest readiness sensor data and the second harvest readiness sensor data.

2 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the drone includes a removal tool configured to separate material from the crop plant and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

control the drone to exert force on the crop plant by controlling the drone to exert the force on the crop plant with the removal tool to separate material from the crop plant.

3 . The agricultural system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more harvest readiness sensors are remote from the drone and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

control the drone to transport the material from the crop plant to a delivery location;

wherein the one or more harvest readiness sensors are configured to sense the material from the crop plant to detect the one or more harvest readiness attributes.

4 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the drone includes the one or more harvest readiness sensors, wherein the drone includes a crop engaging component, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

control the drone to exert force on the crop plant by controlling the drone to bring the crop engaging component into contact with the crop plant; and

detect, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, the one or more harvest readiness attributes in a measurement area associated with the crop plant after the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant, the second harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes detected in the measurement area after the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant.

5 . The agricultural system of claim 4 , and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

control the drone to detect, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, the one or more harvest readiness attributes in the measurement area before the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant, the one or more harvest readiness sensors configured to generate the first harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes before the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant.

6 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the drone includes the one or more harvest readiness sensors, wherein the drone includes an air stream generator, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

control the drone to exert force on the crop plant by controlling the drone to direct an air stream generated by the air stream generator towards the crop plant; and

control the drone to detect, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, the one or more harvest readiness attributes after the air stream is directed towards the crop plant, the second harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes after the air stream is directed towards the crop plant.

7 . The agricultural system of claim 6 , and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

control the drone to detect, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, the one or more harvest readiness attributes before the air stream is generated towards the crop plant, the one or more harvest readiness sensors configured to generate the first harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes before the air stream is generated towards the crop plant.

8 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the one or more processors to:

generate, based on the harvest readiness value, a harvester operation plan for use in control of one or more of a harvester or a harvest support machine.

9 . A computer implemented method of harvest readiness monitoring comprising:

controlling a drone to exert force on a crop plant at a worksite;

detecting, with one or more harvest readiness sensors, one or more harvest readiness attributes after exertion of force on the crop plant and generating harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes; and

identifying a harvest readiness value corresponding to the worksite based on the harvest readiness sensor data,

wherein controlling the drone to exert force on the crop plant comprises controlling the drone to bring a crop engaging component into contact with the crop plant, wherein detecting, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, comprises detecting, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, the one or more harvest readiness attributes in a measurement area associated with the crop plant after the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant, wherein generating the harvest readiness sensor data comprises generating the harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes detected in the measurement area after the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant,

and further comprising:

detecting, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, the one or more harvest readiness attributes in the measurement area before the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant and generating additional harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes detected in the measurement area before the crop engaging component is brought into contact with the crop plant; and

wherein identifying the harvest readiness value comprises identifying the harvest readiness value based on the harvest readiness sensor data and the additional harvest readiness sensor data.

10 . The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein controlling the drone to exert force on the crop plant comprises controlling the drone to direct an air stream towards the crop plant, wherein detecting, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, comprises detecting, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, the one or more harvest readiness attributes in a measurement area associated with the crop plant after the air stream is directed towards the crop plant, wherein generating the harvest readiness sensor data comprises generating the harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes detected in the measurement area after the air stream is directed towards the crop plant, and wherein the additional harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes is detected in the measurement area before the air stream is directed towards the crop plant.

11 . The computer implemented method of claim 9 and further comprising:

generating, based on the harvest readiness value, a harvest operation plan including one or more of: (i) a route; (ii) an assignment; or (iii) operating parameters of a work machine; and

controlling one or more controllable subsystems of the work machine based on the harvest operation plan.

12 . A drone comprising:

a crop engaging component configured to exert force on a crop plant at a worksite for detection of one or more harvest readiness attributes, wherein the crop engaging component comprises an air stream generator; and

one or more actuators controllable to cause the crop engaging component to exert force on the crop plant, wherein the one or more actuators are controllable to cause the air stream generator to exert force on the crop plant by causing the air stream generator to direct an air stream towards the crop plant.

13 . The drone of claim 12 and further comprising:

one or more harvest readiness sensors configured to detect the one or more harvest readiness attributes after exertion of force on the crop plant and to generate harvest readiness sensor data indicative of the one or more harvest readiness attributes.

14 . The drone of claim 12 , wherein the one or more actuators are controllable to cause the crop engaging component to exert force on the crop plant by causing the crop engaging component to contact the crop plant.

15 . The drone of claim 12 , wherein the crop engaging component comprises a removal tool configured to separate material from the crop plant and wherein the one or more actuators are controllable to cause the removal tool to exert force on the crop plant to separate material from the crop plant.

16 . The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein controlling the drone to exert force on the crop plant comprises controlling the drone to exert the force on the crop plant using a removal tool of the drone to separate material from the crop plant.

17 . The computer implemented method of claim 16 and further comprising: controlling the drone to transport the material from the crop plant to a delivery location, and wherein detecting, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, comprises detecting, with the one or more harvest readiness sensors, remote from the drone, the material from the crop plant.

18 . The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more harvest readiness attributes of the crop plant comprises a crop loss in a measurement area.

19 . The agricultural system of claim 18 , wherein the first harvest readiness sensor data comprises a first crop loss in the measurement area and the second harvest readiness sensor data comprises a second crop loss in the measurement area.

20 . The agricultural system of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

identify the harvest readiness value based on a difference between the first crop loss and the second crop loss.

21 . The agricultural system of claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

identify the harvest readiness value based on a comparison of the difference, between the first crop loss and the second crop loss, to a threshold.