RU2648696C1 - Agrotechnical complex with unmanned aerial vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: agrotechnical complex includes at least one ground aggregate intended for active and / or passive video monitoring of the stem part of plants, as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle intended for active and / or passive aerial and video monitoring of the field, and connected with them via radio communication or also using an external network directly with each or indirectly through the said apparatus or assembly a computer or monitor to which information corresponding to monitoring of plants and fields is transmitted. Wherein said unit comprises at least one ground robot capable of traveling over the ground surface, while the robot is designed for active and / or passive video monitoring of the root system of plants, for which the robot includes a working organ designed to extract the root system of the plant from the ground.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to reduce labor costs for obtaining samples of plants and soil, provides remote automatic analysis of soil for selected areas of the field.

17 cl

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to the field of agriculture and can be used to increase labor productivity of an agronomist.

State of the art

A well-known (RU 2471338) agrotechnical complex, including at least one ground unit, designed for active and / or passive video monitoring of the stem part of plants, as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle (hereinafter - UAV), designed for active and / or passive air-video field monitoring (on which there are mentioned plants), and connected with them via radio communication or also using an external network directly with each (independently with the unit and with the device) or indirectly through the mentioned device (with the unit volume) or the unit (with the device) or a computer monitor.

Such a complex is selected as a prototype.

The prototype has several disadvantages, the main of which is the limited ability to identify areas of depressive development of agricultural crops, as well as areas of their diseases. Such a limitation is due to the fact that the corresponding identification is carried out only by the results of aerial video monitoring and video monitoring of the stem part of plants, while a comprehensive assessment of the state of the latter also requires investigation of their root system.

There are ¹ ( ¹ - RU 2592904, https://www.technologyreview.com/s/408225/robotic-farmer/) various ground-based agricultural robots.

There are various devices for moving robots on the surface of the earth - crawling, walking robots are known, robots on wheels and tracks are known, and so on.

Various robot manipulators and corresponding working bodies are known.

Various technical means are known for measuring soil and plant parameters.

Known ² ( ² - RU 2523420, https://3dnews.ru/632408, http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/nazemnye-stantsii-podzaryadki-elektricheskih-bespilotnyh-letatelnyh-apparatov-na-osnove-otkrytyh- kontaktnyh-ploschadok, http://wpbi.ru/products/nazemnaya-stantsiya-zaryadki-khraneniya-bpla/) various robotic systems, including ground control points, which provide UAV charging both in flight and when landing at such points.

Known ³ ( ³ - US 20141124621) landing sites (docking system) for landing UAVs on ground units.

Known ⁴ ( ⁴ - RU 2292646) communication system, suggesting the possibility of using short-wave transceivers to access an external cellular network.

Technical result

The main technical result achieved by the implementation of the present invention is to enable remote high-performance comprehensive assessment by an agronomist of the condition of plants located mainly in areas of the field selected by the results of aerial video monitoring.

Note. The method of using the agrotechnical complex presented below also involves a random selection of field sections examined by means of a ground unit.

The invention also allows to obtain a technical result associated with:

- ensuring the adjustment of the data provided by the UAV and / or robot due to their joint accounting;

- minimizing the movement of the robot by taking into account the information received by the UAV;

- an increase in the useful life of the UAV due to its recharging by the robot - with a decrease in the time of technological flights to the place of recharging.

In addition, when using the invention, a technical result can be obtained associated with a reduction in labor costs for obtaining plant and soil samples, as well as for analysis of the latter due to automatic movement of the robot to selected areas of the field.

The invention also involves the use of a simple, inexpensive communication system that works over long distances and has access to external networks.

SUMMARY OF INVENTIONS

To achieve the claimed technical result, a number of main distinguishing features have been introduced into the known device of the agrotechnical complex, characterized by the above features,

- as a ground unit, the complex includes at least one ground robot capable of moving on the surface of the earth;

- the robot is designed for active and / or passive video monitoring of the root system of plants;

- the robot includes a working body, configured to remove the root system of the plant from the ground.

The presented complex is also characterized by a number of particular distinguishing features:

- the robot’s video camera can be located on a mobile platform or on a working body, which, when the robot is stationary, can change the point of view on the object of attention;

- the robot may include a working body, configured to collect samples of plants and / or soil, while the robot may include a container for storing samples;

- the container may have units for separate storage of various samples;

- the robot may include a working body with at least one measuring device (multitester);

- the robot may include at least one source of electromagnetic radiation to ensure active video monitoring;

- the robot may include a lighting system;

- the robot may include a charger designed to recharge the UAV battery;

- the charger can be configured to remotely recharge the UAV battery;

- the robot may include a landing pad for the UAV;

- the charger can be wireless;

- the robot may include a working body, configured to replace the battery of the UAV;

- the robot may include an electric voltage generator designed to recharge the battery of the robot and / or UAV;

- the complex may include a charger designed to recharge the battery of the robot, which is built on the basis of a generator and / or solar panel and is located on the field;

- the charger for charging the robot battery may include a transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting signals from a transceiver connected to an access point to an external network;

- the robot and / or UAVs can include a transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting signals from a transceiver connected to an access point to an external network;

- A shortwave transceiver operating in the amateur radio frequency range can be used as a transceiver.

Information confirming the possibility of implementing the invention

The agrotechnical complex corresponding to the present invention should include at least one ground unit.

Moreover, such an aggregate should provide the possibility of active (with illumination, for example, laser, initiating luminescence) and / or passive video monitoring of the stem part of plants (that part of plants that is located above the ground).

The complex should include UAVs designed for active and / or passive aero-video monitoring of the field in order to identify possible abnormal vegetation zones (depressive zones, disease zones, etc.).

The use of UAVs in agriculture is well known in the art (RU 2558225, RU 2617340).

The video information received by the unit and the UAV must be transmitted to a computer or monitor of the unit control center and the UAV so that the agronomist can familiarize themselves with it.

The operator of the complex, in accordance with the instructions of the agronomist, can adjust the UAV flight mission and the operating program of the unit.

Information can be transmitted via radio communication or also using an external network (for example, cellular or Internet).

A computer or monitor can be independently connected to the unit and to the UAV, or they can through the unit to the UAV or vice versa.

The communication protocol may comply with ISO 11783.

As a ground unit, the complex must include at least one self-propelled robot capable of moving on the surface of the earth, controlled automatically in accordance with a given program or with the direct participation of the operator.

It is preferable that for almost every crop (or at least for each type of crop) there is a robot.

And at the same time for every 100-200 ha there was at least one robot.

The robot should have almost all the equipment similar to the filling of a modern UAV (for example, a multicopter).

It should include batteries, electric motors, propulsors (it can be, for example, 4 motor wheels, two of which can be controlled), a microprocessor system, a motion controller, a compass, a radio control system with a radio signal power amplifier, a directional antenna system, an information transmission unit that stores information device, gyroscopes, accelerometers, sonar, positioning system (for example, GPS and / or GLONASS and / or beidou and / or Galileo receiver), a beacon, servos, SLR cameras with variable zoom (in the robot you can t be several such chambers for the transmission of stereo image), a vision system, etc.

The robot must provide the possibility of active and / or passive video monitoring of not only the stem part of the plant, but also its root system.

To do this, it must include a working body, made with the possibility of digging up the root system of the plant from the ground.

For example, a robot can be equipped with a manipulator with one or several degrees of mobility, providing orienting and transport functions with respect to the working body. The working body itself can be a knife, a drill, a hook, a scraper, a scoop, a mini-cultivator, a root eliminator, a gripping device (a grip with mechanical fingers) and so on. It is possible to use their combination.

To ensure the operation of the manipulator and the working body, pneumatic, electric (preferably), hydraulic drives can be used.

The manipulator and the working body can be controlled automatically, or maybe with the participation of the operator.

The video camera of the robot can be located on a movable platform or on a working body (in particular, it itself can be a working body).

Here we are talking about a video camera, with the help of which video monitoring of a plant is carried out - its leaves, stem, root system and so on. (in general, the robot may have several cameras).

The camera manipulator can be controlled programmatically or remotely by an operator.

The robot may include a working body, configured to collect samples of plants and / or soil.

It can be a knife, file, scissors and so on. A plant sample (leaf, part of the stem, part of the root system) can be captured by the tong.

A software-controlled or remote-controlled manipulator with such a control can transfer the sample to a special container with various compartments (departments, pockets) for separate storage of various samples.

A soil sampler can be used to collect soil samples.

A robot can include a working body with at least one measuring device (however, such a device itself can also function as a working body), selected from the list is a meter: levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; pH level (in soil and cell sap); illumination; humidity, content of mobile forms of batteries; electrical conductivity; ratio of soil fractions; soil density; the depth of the plow sole; sodium content; level of nitrogen nutrition of plants; product quality and immune status of plants, etc.

To carry out a number of measurements, the robot may have an automated laboratory, containers for solutions and water, test strips, etc.

A robot may include at least one source of electromagnetic radiation to provide active video monitoring. It can be a laser or an infrared emitter. This may be a line of LEDs operating in different spectral ranges.

The robot may include a lighting system - spotlight, headlights.

It is assumed that the robot can work in any weather at any time of the day.

The robot may include a charger designed to recharge the UAV battery.

Moreover, such a device can be configured to remotely recharge the UAV battery, for example, by laser radiation.

In the latter case, the charger should include a guidance system, and the UAV an appropriate photodetector.

Remote charging of a UAV is well known in the art.

The robot may include a UAV landing pad. Such a platform may include guides designed to interface with the respective UAV working surfaces, grips designed to hold the UAV, and so on.

The platform may include a manipulator, the working body of which is the connector of the charger, connected to the UAV.

Preferably, the charger is wireless. For this, the UAV and the robot must have L-C circuits with the same resonant frequencies.

And when placing the UAV on the site, its accurate positioning must be ensured, for example, by means of the Morse cone, inside which the mentioned robot contour is placed.

The robot may include a working body, configured to replace the battery of the UAV.

The corresponding manipulator can be controlled automatically or remotely.

The robot may include an electric voltage generator designed to recharge the robot battery and / or UAV. It can be, for example, a gasoline / diesel generator or a solar panel.

Such a generator can also recharge a robot battery.

The complex may include a charger designed to recharge the battery of the robot, which is built on the basis of a generator (for example, a wind) and / or a solar battery and is located in the field in the area covered by the robot.

Moving the robot to such a device and connecting to it can be done automatically.

A charger for charging a robot battery may include a transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting signals from a transceiver connected to an access point to an external network. In this case, by means of radio communication, the charger can be connected to the robot and the UAV.

The robot and / or UAVs may include a transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting signals from a transceiver connected to an access point to an external network.

Thanks to both, the information from the UAV and the robot (video monitoring results, measurement results, etc.) will be in the external network.

As a transceiver, a short-wave transceiver operating in the amateur radio frequency range can be used.

Such a transceiver must be configured to connect to networks operating at substantially higher frequencies.

The use of the HF range will allow using the complex at any sites, at any distance from access points, which will make it possible for the UAV to operate almost exclusively useful (taking into account recharging or replacing the battery with a robot).

The principle of the complex

The ground aggregate is located on the field, the cultivated plants of which are to be studied.

Its purpose is video monitoring of all parts of a plant, soil analysis, sampling of soil, as well as plants or their parts.

Different ground aggregates can be located on different fields, especially if different crops are cultivated on them.

An UAV periodically appears above the field, the flight path of which is set programmatically or is controlled by the operator.

UAV carries out aero-video monitoring.

An UAV can transmit a radio signal to a ground-based unit, which at one time - adding its data to those received from an UAV, can transmit a radio signal to a base or through a transceiver to a transceiver of an access point.

The latter can be installed on it specifically for communication with the ground unit. Moreover, such a transceiver can provide the ability to communicate with various ground units.

The task of establishing this connection is the exchange of data between a computer installed on the base and the devices mentioned here above, as well as between such devices themselves.

The information received from the UAV allows you to clarify the "task" of the ground unit (the trajectory of its movement in the field, the necessary manipulations with plants and soil, as well as the necessary measurements), and the one received from the ground unit is the flight "task" of the UAV.

Correction of tasks is carried out by an agronomist who can simultaneously perform the functions of an operator of the complex.

Note. Preferred allocation for the latter independent staffing.

For example. UAVs found on the field a depressive area, which previously was not there. Automatic analysis of video information and the results of active laser video monitoring indicated the presence of a fungal disease in plants of such a site. The agronomist decides to send to this section of the ground-based robot, which should conduct a comprehensive examination of plants. Automatically arriving at the corresponding site at the given coordinates received from the UAV, the robot detects the development of rot in the root system, which resulted in the moldiness of the leaf part of the plants. Moreover, due to a random selection of places on the field, for which plants comprehensive studies are being carried out, it turns out that such rot is much more widespread in the field than was expected from the results of aerial video monitoring. The information obtained will allow the agronomist to make the right decision regarding the selection of funds for processing the field.

To study the root system of plants, a robot can dig a plant, can sweep the ground from the root system by supplying a stream of air, it can tear a plant out of the ground, etc.

If the plant remains in the ground, then, for example, by means of a manipulator, the working body of which holds a video camera designed for video monitoring of the plant, the robot can provide the agronomist with the opportunity to examine all parts of the plant from different angles.

The robot can perform various operations to study plants and soil automatically. Moreover, in certain cases, it can give an alarm (for example, if symptoms of quarantine diseases are detected).

A robot can have multiple cameras.

For example, it may have a camera that provides control over the landing on the UAV robot.

It can also have a vision system that provides it safe for cultivated plants to automatically move around the field.

For work at night, the robot includes a lighting system.

The biggest problem associated with the use of UAVs in agriculture is the relatively short useful life of UAVs.

So, when performing a flight mission after takeoff, approximately 50% of the flight time is spent on a technological return to recharge. Despite the fact that the recharging itself will take about 2 times longer compared to the flight time. As a result, for every hour of work with UAVs, there will be 10 minutes. its useful work.

This is unacceptable.

But the corresponding problem can be solved if the robot solves the well-known technical solutions for the automatic ground charging of UAVs (or changing the UAV battery).

Naturally, the best result will be obtained if the robot can replace the battery of the UAV. In this case, all recharging losses will be no more than 10 minutes / hour.

Moreover, the robot will be able to occupy on the field the most favorable from the point of view of the working (associated with air-video monitoring) UAV trajectory.

In this case, when servicing several fields with robots, one UAV will be able to monitor up to thousand hectares per day.

When servicing one field with a robot or several fields serviced by one robot, the latter can serve as a base for UAV parking during off-hours.

A similar base can be any robot in any field, although if there are several cultures, downtime in the operation of UAVs is hardly possible.

The robot itself can be recharged from the built-in generator, or maybe from a charger (from a charging station) located on or near the field.

For example, when automatically detecting a low battery level of a UAV battery in automatic mode (by analogy with returning to the take-off point when the radio connection is lost) using a navigation system and, for example, navigation beacons of robots, it can land on the robot closest to it.

That, in turn, upon landing can provide power to the appropriate charger.

Also, the robot in the appropriate situation can move to the field charger and recharge its battery, or it can automatically turn on the built-in generator for this purpose.

Obviously, the UAV can fly around the area that serves several robots, i.e. An UAV can serve several robots, including various types.

Also, one robot can serve several UAVs.

For example, not only UAVs performing aerial video monitoring, but also UAVs performing field processing can be recharged from a robot. The latter can be refueled by the robot with "chemistry", for example, with finely dispersed hormonal preparations.

Obviously, several robots, for example, highly specialized ones, can work on the same field. At the same time, all robots do not have to have a charger for the UAV.

Obviously, the complex can be focused on the use of satellite communications, but this is not always rational.

The relationship of the main distinguishing features with the claimed technical result

The expansion of the robot's functional capabilities in terms of providing the ability to video monitor the root system of plants allows a comprehensive assessment by an agronomist of the state of the latter, located mainly in areas of the field, selected based on the results of aerial video monitoring without being on the field.

The agronomist sits in the office in which the said monitor is located.

At the same time, he has the ability to view both operational information obtained from the monitoring results carried out by the UAV and the robot, as well as accumulated earlier.

The tasks of the agronomist for further research are transferred to the operator of the complex, which, using a computer, corrects the tasks of the corresponding devices.

Moreover, such adjustment is carried out thanks to a joint assessment of the information received.

It is important that the impossibility of studying the root system of plants precludes the possibility of making a uniquely correct decision regarding the state of the latter.

In general, the UAV significantly reduces the movement of the robot, since the latter does not need to totally examine the entire field.

The practice of using UAVs indicates that if there is the possibility of a comprehensive assessment of plants, one is required - approximately 1 plant per 30 hectares per day (in addition to examining areas identified by UAVs).

Robot - charger several times increases the useful life of UAVs.

Claims (17)

1. Agrotechnical complex, including at least one ground unit, designed for active and / or passive video monitoring of the stem part of the plants, as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle, designed for active and / or passive aerial video monitoring of the field, and associated with them via radio communication or also using an external network directly with each or indirectly through the mentioned apparatus or unit, a computer or a monitor, to which information corresponding to the monitoring of plants and fields is transmitted, characterized in that as said unit it includes at least one ground-based robot capable of moving on the surface of the earth, while the robot is designed for active and / or passive video monitoring of the root system of plants, for which the robot includes a working body configured to remove the root system of the plant out of the ground. 2. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the robot’s video camera is located on a movable platform or on a working body, which, when the robot is stationary, can change the point of view on the object of attention. 3. The complex according to p. 1, characterized in that the robot includes a working body configured to collect samples of plants and / or soil, while the robot includes a container for storing samples. 4. The complex according to claim 3, characterized in that the container has compartments for separate storage of various samples. 5. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the robot includes a working body with at least one measuring device. 6. The complex according to claim 5, characterized in that the robot includes at least one source of electromagnetic radiation to ensure active video monitoring. 7. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the robot includes a lighting system. 8. The complex according to p. 1, characterized in that the robot includes a charger designed to recharge the battery of the said apparatus. 9. The complex according to claim 8, characterized in that the charger is configured to remotely recharge the battery of the apparatus. 10. The complex according to claim 8, characterized in that the robot includes a landing pad for said apparatus. 11. The complex according to p. 10, characterized in that the charger is made wireless. 12. The complex according to p. 10, characterized in that the robot includes a working body made with the possibility of replacing the battery of the said apparatus. 13. The complex according to any one of paragraphs. 8-11, characterized in that the robot includes an electric voltage generator designed to recharge the battery of the robot and / or apparatus. 14. The complex according to any one of paragraphs. 8-11, characterized in that it further includes a charger designed to recharge the battery of the robot, which is built on the basis of a generator and / or solar panel and is located in the field. 15. The complex according to p. 13, characterized in that the charger for charging the robot battery includes a transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting signals from a transceiver connected to an access point to an external network. 16. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the said robot and / or apparatus include a transceiver capable of receiving and transmitting signals from a transceiver connected to an access point to an external network. 17. The complex according to any one of paragraphs. 15 or 16, characterized in that a short-wave transceiver operating in the amateur radio frequency range is used as a transceiver.