Automated plant monitoring systems and methods
Systems and methods for managing operation of plant growth zone(s) are presented, the management system comprising: a storage device comprising a database that stores data indicative of plant characteristics for each plant in the plant growth zone, the plant characteristics comprising plant spatial and environmental characteristics and plant location in the plant growth zone; and a data processing unit comprising a database manager configured to create a new, or update an existing, database entry record corresponding to a plant in the plant growth zone, in response to sensing data being received from sensing system(s), the sensing data being part of visit data indicative of a visit by the sensing system(s) to the individual plant, and create a data retrieval record in response to data request input with respect to plant(s) in the plant growth zone, the database manager comprising: a sub-plant features extraction module configured to identify in the visit data spatial sub¬plant features of each plant sensed during a visit, and a plant structure data generation module configured to generate plant structure data corresponding to the identified spatial sub-plant features, the database manager being configured to create the new, or update the existing, database entry record, to store said plant structure data in the database, and identify, in the data request input, each plant, and utilize the plant structure data stored in the database to create the respective data retrieval record; the plant structure data is configured such that contents of the database entry record and/or the data retrieval record comprise a virtual representation of the corresponding plant's structure in accordance with locations of the spatial sub-plant features and their dimensions matching a real structure of the plant.
1 . A plant management system for managing operation of one or more plant growth zones being subscribers of the management system, the management system comprising:
a storage device comprising a database and being configured and operable to store a plurality of entry records corresponding to a respective plurality of plants in each of one or more plant growth zones, each entry record comprising data indicative of plant characteristics for a respective individual plant in the plant growth zone, the plant characteristics comprising spatial and environmental characteristics and location of the individual plant in the plant growth zone; and
a data processing unit comprising a database manager, said database manager being configured to communicate with one or more sensing systems of the subscribers to receive and process visit data, provided by said or more sensing systems, and create the entry records in association with respective individual plants, the visit data comprising time and location data of execution of said visit by the one or more sensing systems for each individual plant in the plant growth zone, and sensing data for said each individual plant, said database manager comprising:
a sub-plant features extraction module configured and operable to analyze sensing data, being part of the visit data with respect to the individual plant, and identify spatial sub-plant features of each individual plant sensed during the visit in relation to spatial sub-plant level characteristics of the individual plant, wherein the spatial sub-level characteristics of the individual plant comprise one or more of the following: specific branches of the individual plant, specific leaves on a given branch of the individual plant, specific flowers and/or fruits on a given branch of the individual plant, specific flower branches/trusses of the individual plant, specific flowers and/or fruit on a given flower of the individual plant, and wherein the sub-plant features in relation to said spatial sub-plant level characteristics of the individual plant comprise one or more of the following: geometry, dimensions, number, health state, and temperature of one or more of branches, trusses, inflorescences, leaves, flowers and fruits; and
a plant structure data generation module configured and operable to analyze the spatial sub-plant features being identified by the sub-plant features extraction module, and generate corresponding up-to-date plant structure data of the respective individual plant configured to form the entry record whose contents comprise a virtual representation of the corresponding individual plant's structure in accordance with locations of the spatial sub-plant features and their dimensions matching a real structure of said individual plant, and a history of visits with respect to the location of each individual plant in the plant growth zone indicative of developments of the real structure of the individual plant;
the database manager being configured and operable to selectively carry out the following: in response to the visit data, create a new entry record to be stored in the database or update an existing entry record stored in the database, corresponding to a respective individual plant in the plant growth zone; in response to data request input with respect to one or more individual plants in the plant growth zone, create a data retrieval record; and analyze data indicative of the plant characteristics in the entry record stored in the database, and, upon identifying a predetermined condition of the one or more sub-plant features, generate and communicate corresponding operation data to said one or more plant growth zones to apply a visit to the respective individual plant;
wherein the operation data generated by the database manager is further indicative of one or more treatment plans to be applied by one or more treatment systems to the spatial sub-plant feature(s) of the relevant individual plant(s);
wherein the plant management system is further configured to communicate the operation data to the one or more treatment systems to apply the one or more treatment plans, and create a database entry treatment record in response to treatment data being received from the one or more treatment systems, the treatment data comprising data indicative of a treatment applied by the one or more treatment systems to a spatial sub-plant feature of the relevant individual plant, to thereby store the database entry treatment record and assign it to the spatial sub-plant feature.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said visit data further comprises at least one of the following:
environmental data indicative of said environmental characteristics of each individual plant, and wherein said database entry record is indicative of temperature of a portion of the individual plant and/or indicative of temperature and/or humidity in a vicinity of each individual plant in the plant growth zone; and
soil condition data, and wherein said database entry record is indicative of nutrition and/or water content associated with each individual plant in the plant growth zone.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said spatial sub-plant features of each individual plant further comprise health state of flowers, said health state of the flowers comprising pollination and/or pruning state of the flowers.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said treatment plan comprises applying pollination and/or pruning and/or disinfection to said spatial sub-plant feature of the relevant individual plant.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , characterized by at least one of the following:
comprising one or more sensing systems configured and operable to provide said sensing data, each sensing system comprising one or more sensors including at least one imaging sensor such that said visit data comprises image data of said spatial sub-plant features; and
being associated with a central station comprising said storage device and said database manager, the central station being configured as a computer system for data communication, via a communication network, with the one or more sensing systems and/or the one or more treatment systems.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , comprising one or more treatment systems configured and operable to apply said one or more treatment plans.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , comprising one or more sensing systems and/or treatment systems carried by one or more robotic vehicles configured to navigate inside the plant growth zone, based on the operation data from said database manager, to apply said one or more visits to said one or more individual plants in the plant growth zone.
8 . A method for managing data of plants in one or more plant growth zones, the method comprising:
receiving visit data in relation to the plant growth zone, the visit data comprising time and location data of execution of the visit by one or more sensing systems to each individual plant in the plant growth zone, and sensing data obtained by said one or more sensing systems from the each individual plant in the plant growth zone, the visit data being indicative of plant characteristics for the each individual plant in the plant growth zone comprising plant spatial and environmental characteristics and plant location in the plant growth zone;
analyzing the visit data to identify spatial sub-plant features of each individual plant, sensed during the visit, in relation to spatial sub-plant level characteristics, wherein the spatial sub-level characteristics comprise one or more of the following: specific branches of the individual plant, specific leaves on a given branch of the individual plant, specific flowers and/or fruits on a given branch of the individual plant, specific flower branches/trusses of the individual plant, specific flowers and/or fruit on a given flower of the individual plant, and wherein the spatial sub-plant features in relation to said spatial sub-plant level characteristics of the individual plant comprise one or more of the following: geometry, dimensions, number, health state, and temperature of one or more of branches, trusses, inflorescences, leaves, flowers and fruits;
analyzing the spatial sub-plant features being identified and generating corresponding up-to-date plant structure data of the respective individual plant, and utilizing the visit data and the up-to-date plant structure data and creating an entry record in the database whose contents comprise a virtual representation of the corresponding individual plant's structure in accordance with locations of the spatial sub-plant features and their dimensions matching a real structure of the individual plant, and a history of visits with respect to the location of the individual plant in the plant growth zone indicative of developments of the real structure of the individual plant;
based on data being received, selectively carrying out the following: managing creation of a new entry record in the database or update of an existing record in the database corresponding to the respective individual plant in the plant growth zone; generation of a data retrieval record; and analyzing the entry record stored in the database, and, upon identifying a predetermined condition of one or more sub-plant features, generating and communicating corresponding operation data to said one or more plant growth zones to apply a visit to the relevant individual plant, wherein the operation data is further indicative of one or more treatment plans to be applied by one or more treatment systems to the spatial sub-plant feature(s) of the relevant individual plant(s); and
communicating the operation data to the one or more treatment systems to apply the one or more treatment plans, and creating a database entry treatment record in response to treatment data being received from the one or more treatment systems, the treatment data comprising data indicative of a treatment applied by the one or more treatment systems to a spatial sub-plant feature of the relevant individual plant, to thereby store the database entry treatment record and assign it to the spatial sub-plant feature.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein said visit data further comprises at least one of the following:
environmental data indicative of environmental characteristics of each individual plant, thereby enabling recordation and/or retrieval of temperature of a portion of the individual plant and/or temperature and/or humidity in a vicinity of each individual plant in the plant growth zone; and
soil condition data, thereby enabling recordation and/or retrieval of nutrition and/or water content associated with each individual plant in the plant growth zone.
10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein said spatial sub-plant features of each individual plant further comprise health state of flowers, said health state of the flowers comprising pollination and/or pruning state of the flowers.
11 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein said treatment plan comprises applying pollination and/or pruning and/or disinfection to said spatial sub-plant feature of the relevant individual plant.
12 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein said sensing data comprises imaging data.