Vision-based pollination system
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus for a vision-based pollination system. The vision-based pollination system includes a mobile support apparatus configured to traverse a crop field. The mobile support apparatus supports a pollination liquid storage tank fluidly coupled to a plurality of pollen applicators. The apparatus includes pollination nodes including a vision system and a camera. Each pollination node is coupled to and controls a portion of the pollen applicators. In operation, the mobile support apparatus traverses the crop field, each pollination node repeatedly taking photographs of a portion of the crop field, identifying locations for delivering the pollination liquid, and determining when to operate the pollen applicators to deliver the pollination liquid to the identified locations as the vision-based pollination system traverses the crop field.
1. A vision-based pollination system comprising:
a mobile apparatus;
a storage tank coupled to the mobile apparatus and configured to hold a pollination liquid;
at least one pollen applicator segment, each pollen applicator segment including a plurality of pollen applicators wherein each pollen applicator is coupled to the mobile apparatus and configured to deliver liquid, each pollen applicator fluidly coupled to the storage tank by a conduit; and
at least one pollination node, each pollination node operatively coupled to one pollen applicator segment, each pollination node including a vision system operatively coupled to a camera, each vision system comprising a processor, memory, and vision software, whereby each pollination node operatively controls pollen applicators in one pollen applicator group, whereby each pollination node is configured to perform the steps of:
repeatedly take digital photographs of a crop field as the vision-based pollination system traverses the crop field;
identify a pollination location from the photographs;
determine if at least one of the pollen applicators of the pollen applicator segment will be in a position to deliver the pollination liquid to the pollination location as the mobile apparatus traverses the crop field;
upon determining that at least one of the pollen applicators of the pollen applicator segment will be in the position to deliver the liquid to the pollination location, select the at least one pollen applicator in the position to deliver the pollination liquid to the pollination location; and
operate each selected at least one pollen applicator at a time when each selected at least one pollen applicator is in the position to deliver the pollination liquid to the pollination location, whereby the pollination liquid is delivered to the pollination location.
2. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , further comprising a support boom coupled to a rear of the mobile apparatus and supporting the pollination nodes and the pollen applicators.
3. The vision-based pollination system of claim 2 , wherein the support boom includes a tube portion oriented substantially horizontally and with a support boom longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the mobile apparatus.
4. The vision-based pollination system of claim 3 , wherein the support boom further includes a vertical arm at each end of a central horizontal portion of the support boom, whereby a U-shaped support boom is formed.
5. The vision-based pollination system of claim 2 , wherein the support boom is a tube shape, wherein the conduit includes a manifold running through the support boom.
6. The vision-based pollination system of claim 2 , wherein the support boom is movably coupled to the mobile apparatus such that the support boom may be moved with respect to the mobile apparatus.
7. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile apparatus is a wheeled apparatus.
8. The vision-based pollination system of claim 7 , wherein the mobile apparatus is a tractor.
9. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile apparatus is mounted on a track.
10. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile apparatus is suspended above the crop field.
11. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile apparatus includes a GPS system.
12. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the pollination location is a stigma of a flower.
13. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the vision-based pollination system is configured to pressurize the pollination liquid.
14. The vision-based pollination system of claim 13 , wherein the vision-based pollination system is configured to deliver the pollination liquid at varying distances from the pollen applicators.
15. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , further comprising the pollination liquid stored in the storage tank.
16. The vision-based pollination system of claim 15 , wherein the pollination liquid comprises sucrose, pollen, and deionized water.
17. The vision-based pollination system of claim 16 , wherein a percentage of pollen by weight is within the range of 0.01% and 1%.
18. The vision-based pollination system of claim 16 , wherein a percentage of deionized water by weight is within the range of 79%-94.99%.
19. The vision-based pollination system of claim 16 , wherein a sucrose percentage by weight is within the range of 5%-20%.
20. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the pollination location is a stigma of a flower visible in at least one of the photographs.
21. The vision-based pollination system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to detect ultraviolet light.
22. The vision-based pollination system of claim 21 , wherein the pollination location is determined based at least on crop characteristics viewable in ultraviolet light.