WO2024116084A1 - Monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in a territory of interest - Google Patents

Monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in a territory of interest Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024116084A1
WO2024116084A1 PCT/IB2023/062011 IB2023062011W WO2024116084A1 WO 2024116084 A1 WO2024116084 A1 WO 2024116084A1 IB 2023062011 W IB2023062011 W IB 2023062011W WO 2024116084 A1 WO2024116084 A1 WO 2024116084A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
series
crop
monitored
data
interest
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2023/062011
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Federico Frontali
Alessandro Chiarini
Original Assignee
Federico Frontali
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Federico Frontali filed Critical Federico Frontali
Publication of WO2024116084A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024116084A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T7/00—Image analysis
    • G06T7/90—Determination of colour characteristics
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T7/00—Image analysis
    • G06T7/0002—Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
    • G06T7/0012—Biomedical image inspection
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01B—SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
    • A01B79/00—Methods for working soil
    • A01B79/005—Precision agriculture
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
    • A01G17/00—Cultivation of hops, vines, fruit trees, or like trees
    • A01G17/005—Cultivation methods
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T2207/00—Indexing scheme for image analysis or image enhancement
    • G06T2207/10—Image acquisition modality
    • G06T2207/10024—Color image
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T2207/00—Indexing scheme for image analysis or image enhancement
    • G06T2207/10—Image acquisition modality
    • G06T2207/10032—Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T2207/00—Indexing scheme for image analysis or image enhancement
    • G06T2207/10—Image acquisition modality
    • G06T2207/10032—Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
    • G06T2207/10036—Multispectral image; Hyperspectral image
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T2207/00—Indexing scheme for image analysis or image enhancement
    • G06T2207/20—Special algorithmic details
    • G06T2207/20081—Training; Learning
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T2207/00—Indexing scheme for image analysis or image enhancement
    • G06T2207/20—Special algorithmic details
    • G06T2207/20084—Artificial neural networks [ANN]
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06T—IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T2207/00—Indexing scheme for image analysis or image enhancement
    • G06T2207/30—Subject of image; Context of image processing
    • G06T2207/30181—Earth observation
    • G06T2207/30188—Vegetation; Agriculture

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the agricultural and crop monitoring sector, preferably in the wine and viticulture sector.
  • the present invention regards an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop.
  • the invention regards an agricultural machine equipped with the aforementioned apparatus, for example a tractor or a drone configured to fly over an area of interest in which the crop to be monitored is located.
  • the invention also refers to a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop.
  • the agronomist deals with all those activities aimed at enhancing and managing agricultural, zootechnical and forestry production processes, at protecting the environment and, in general, activities relating to the rural world.
  • some of the agronomist's tasks involve selecting cultivation techniques capable of optimizing the yield of plantations and, furthermore, preventing and/or treating diseases that can affect cultivation plants.
  • the experience of agronomists is one of the fundamental aspects for the correct functioning of a plantation, in particular of a vineyard (the vineyard, in fact, is a plantation with a very refined and very complex functioning). Making the right choices promptly based on the information collected in the field is essential to guaranteeing the success of the production season.
  • the agronomist usually collects the data of interest manually and, for practicality, only on a small number of plants, namely his reference sample. The agronomist, therefore, does not have punctual visibility of the entire vineyard.
  • the measurements refer to a parcel of land (a plot) and are not geolocated to a specific tree.
  • the data collected by agronomists is very dependent on the various techniques used. Consequently, the measurements performed are not comparable with each other as the associated error would be high.
  • the technical task underlying the present invention is to propose an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop and a process which overcome the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above.
  • an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop capable of collecting and processing various information inherent to the aforementioned plant variety in order to promptly make the right choices to correctly treat the plant variety.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop configured to allow the execution of precise and timely operations on the analyzed plant variety. Therefore, specifically, the invention aims to allow the optimization of management operations (growth, care, ...) of the plant variety of interest, making the agronomist intervene only on the plants that require greater attention depending on the period and the purposes set by the agronomist himself, such as harvesting and/or pruning.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop which allows to carry out precise and punctual measurements of the crop to be monitored so as to allow precise and timely intervention by the agronomist depending on the state of evolution of the crop.
  • the specified technical task and the specified objects are substantially achieved by an apparatus and a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop, which include the technical characteristics set out in the respective independent claims.
  • the dependent claims correspond to further advantageous aspects of the invention.
  • the invention is aimed at an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in an area of interest.
  • the aforementioned apparatus includes at least one acquisition device configured to acquire a series of raw data relating to at least one crop to be monitored, at least one sensor configured to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data, and a control unit physically connected to at least the acquisition device and the sensor.
  • the series of raw data is representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop to be monitored, while the series of complementary data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time.
  • control unit includes a database configured to store the series of raw data and series of the complementary data, a processor configured to start an analysis algorithm configured to perform a plurality of operations to process the series of raw data and the series of complementary data so as to obtain a series of complex data.
  • the series of complex data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or fruits of the crop to be monitored.
  • control unit includes at least one wireless communication module configured to receive external input signals from an operator, and/or receive updates and/or additional functionality of said analysis algorithm in order to update and/or expand the operations that can be performed, and/or send to a remote server said series of complex data that can be used by an agronomist to evaluate the evolution of the crop to be monitored in the area of interest.
  • the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to perform an analysis of the images (or videos) acquired in relation to one or more plants of a crop in an area of interest, for example a cultivated field.
  • the acquisition of images and other relevant data, such as georeferencing and geolocation data, allow to carry out a mapping of the crop on the territory of interest.
  • the analysis of the images (and/or videos) acquired allows to perform a variety of operations in order to monitor the evolution of the ripening of the fruits of the crops, monitor the progress of the vegetative state of the crops, detect and/or monitor any diseases that could affect the crops, perform various quantitative measurements (not estimates) of the fruits and/or vegetative portions of the crops.
  • the aforementioned apparatus allows to obtain further advantages, including: it does not require additional personnel for its use as the obtained complex data is analyzed by the agronomist himself; it does not require particular maintenance as it is made up of structurally and functionally solid components;
  • the present invention also refers to a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in an area of interest.
  • the process includes the steps of: providing at least one acquisition device to acquire a series of raw data representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop to be monitored; providing at least one sensor to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data.
  • the series of complementary data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time; moving the acquisition device and the sensor through the territory of interest in order to acquire the series of raw data and the series of complementary data relating to the crop to be monitored; processing the series of raw data and the series of complementary data in order to obtain a series of complex data representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or fruits of the crop to be monitored; send the series of complex data to a remote server.
  • the process is therefore characterized by the fact that the processing step is carried out simultaneously with the moving step.
  • the process allows the detection and analysis of a large amount of data directly on the acquisition site and, therefore, sending the results of the aforementioned analysis to a remote server so that the agronomist can obtain the data from the entire field in order to make precise and timely decisions for crop treatment.
  • the agronomist will not be in possession of only portion of the data (obtained with a sample analysis) but will be able to analyze the entire mapping of the territory in order to act in a localized way based on the collected and processed data.
  • figure 1 shows, in perspective view, a possible embodiment of an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop
  • figure 2 shows, in perspective view, a possible embodiment of an agricultural machine preferably equipped with the apparatus shown in figure 1
  • figure 3 shows, in perspective view, a functional diagram representative of a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop.
  • the present invention is aimed at an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop which, with reference to the figures, has been generically indicated with the number 1.
  • Figure 1 shows an apparatus 1 for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in an area of interest.
  • the apparatus 1 includes at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c configured to acquire a series of raw data relating to at least one crop to be monitored, at least one sensor configured to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data, and a control unit physically connected to at least the acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c and to at least the sensor.
  • the sensor and the control unit (together with some elements directly connected to the control unit) are not visible in the attached figures, in particular in figure 1 , as they are arranged inside the box-like body 5 (better described later) of the apparatus 1 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • the series of raw data is representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop to be monitored, while the series of complementary data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time.
  • control unit includes a database configured to store at least the series of raw data and the series of complementary data, a processor configured to initiate an analysis algorithm configured to perform a plurality of operations so as to process said series of raw data and said series of complementary data so as to obtain a series of complex data, at least one wireless communication module configured to receive external input signals from an operator, and/or receive updates and/or additional functionality of the analysis algorithm in order to update and/or expand the operations that can be performed, and/or send to a remote server the series of complex data that can be used by an agronomist to evaluate the evolution of the crop to be monitored in the area of interest.
  • the series of complex data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or or the fruits of the crop to be monitored.
  • the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to be installed on a vehicle (or alternatively carried by hand) and therefore moved across a territory of interest. During its movement, the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to acquire a plurality of images or videos of the crops to be monitored, in their entirety or only some portions of particular interest, for example the fruits rather than the branches or leaves.
  • the apparatus 1 is suitable to acquire and detect a series of raw data (substantially relating to the images) and complementary data (substantially relating to the geolocation and other similar parameters) which can be analyzed by a specific analysis algorithm to obtain complex data that can be used by the agronomist to evaluate the subsequent steps to be applied punctually and promptly on the crop.
  • the agronomist is therefore able to act in a targeted and timely manner on each plant as needed, avoiding wasting time and effort with plants on which treatment is not essential.
  • the apparatus 1 is configured to start the execution of the analysis algorithm during the acquisition of the images so as to process the data collected therein and send to an external server, via the wireless connection module, only complex data in order to reduce calculation and information sharing times.
  • the sensors 3 installed in the apparatus 1 are: GPS sensors for geolocation, IMU sensors for monitoring the dynamics of the movement to which the same apparatus 1 is subjected across the territory of interest, gyroscopic sensors for determining the orientation of the apparatus 1 in order to detect the direction to which it performed the acquisition.
  • the geolocation and gyroscopic sensors 3 are suitable to allow the detection of the spatial position (with respect to the territory of interest, also for the purpose of mapping it) in which the data acquisition took place and, furthermore, the detection of the orientation of the aforementioned acquisition.
  • the geolocation sensor allows to detect along which row the acquisition of raw and/or complementary data took place, while the gyroscopic sensor allows to detect which side of the aforementioned row (right or left) was framed by the acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c during the advancement of the apparatus 1 by means of an operator and/or a vehicle (as better described below).
  • the apparatus 1 can also include robotic environmental perception sensors, for example depth of field sensors, three-dimensional sensors, radar and/or LIDAR sensors.
  • robotic environmental perception sensors for example depth of field sensors, three-dimensional sensors, radar and/or LIDAR sensors.
  • the apparatus 1 is configured to carry out high precision measurements via sensors 3, preferably loT sensors, having a high analysis capacity.
  • control unit has a hardware neural network accelerator NPU, for example a Qualcomm Snapdragon® 888 processor, a RAM memory of 8GB and a database of 256GB.
  • NPU hardware neural network accelerator
  • the apparatus 1 comprises an output device 14, for example a 1.1 " MOLED display, connected to said control unit and configured to show as output the series of raw data and/or the series of complementary data and/or the series of complex data.
  • an output device 14 for example a 1.1 " MOLED display, connected to said control unit and configured to show as output the series of raw data and/or the series of complementary data and/or the series of complex data.
  • the apparatus 1 includes a control panel configured to send input signals to the control unit, for example to set the execution of particular operations of the analysis algorithm.
  • control panel is directly connected to the control unit.
  • control panel is arranged in communication with the control unit via the wireless communication module.
  • the control panel coincides with the output device 14 when the latter is a touchscreen display.
  • the wireless communication module comprises a WiFi module and/or a Bluetooth module and/or a module based on LTE and/or 5G technology.
  • the wireless communication module includes one or more communication antennas configured to send and receive signals.
  • the apparatus 1 includes a plurality of acquisition devices 2a, 2b, 2c, each of which has its own viewing angle of the crop to be monitored.
  • each acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c is capable of framing a same crop, or a portion thereof such as a fruit or a branch or a leaf, according to different angles so as to obtain a stereoscopic effect and, furthermore, to be able to simultaneously acquire different portions of the aforementioned crop, or part of it, in order to have greater definition (and, therefore, more visual information to analyze).
  • the plurality of acquisition devices 2a, 2b, 2c have different optical acquisition systems, including a wide-angle lens 2a, an ultra-wide-angle lens 2b and a periscope lens 2c.
  • the wide-angle lens 2a features a 50MP capture sensor, while the ultra-wide-angle lens and periscope lens feature a 48MP capture sensor.
  • the plurality of acquisition devices 2a, 2b, 2c allows to obtain images of the crop of interest with different depths of field and with different widths. In this way it is possible to vary, according to the needs, the area of the crop of interest to acquire and, therefore, monitor.
  • the apparatus 1 comprises a lighting system 4, preferably of the DUAL-LED type.
  • the lighting system allows for homogeneous illumination of the crops even if there is cloudy weather or, in any case, poor external lighting.
  • the apparatus 1 comprises a boxlike body 5 configured to contain at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c, at least one sensor 3 and the control unit.
  • the box-like body 5 allows all the various electronic components to be grouped inside it in order to protect them from atmospheric agents and possible accidental impacts.
  • the box-like body 5 is made of materials configured so as not to shield the input and/or output signals via the wireless communication module.
  • the box-like body 5 includes a containment shell 6 and a closing cover 7.
  • the containment shell 6 and the closing cover 7 are made of plastic and/or polymeric material, such as PLA.
  • a possible heat sink 15 arranged in contact at least with the control unit and with the sensors 3 is made of aluminum and arranged to project through the containment shell through an opening specifically created to improve the dissipation of the generated heat.
  • the containment shell 6 can be made of aluminum to assist the dissipation of the heat collected by a heat sink 15 placed inside it and in contact with the control unit, in particular with the sensors 3 and with the wireless communication module, while the closing cover 7 can be made of plastic and/or polymeric material, such as PLA.
  • the box-like body 5 will not shield the signals emitted and/or received by the wireless communication module (via the antenna/s if present).
  • the closing cover 7 is advantageously shaped to allow each acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c to face outwards so as to be able to acquire the relevant series of raw data relating to the crop of interest.
  • the box-like body 5 has a width between 100 and 150 millimeters, a height between 50 and 100 millimeters and a depth between 25 and 70 millimeters.
  • the box-like body 5 is hermetically closed to be impervious to external agents.
  • the box-like body 5 has an IP68 degree of protection, so as to guarantee that there is no dust deposit inside the casing and to resist any effects of continuous immersion of the casing (expected and unexpected).
  • Figure 2 shows an agricultural machine 50 which includes an agricultural vehicle 51 configured to advance along a direction of advancement L through a territory of interest T in which there is at least one crop C to be monitored and, furthermore, an apparatus 1 having one or more of the previously described characteristics.
  • the apparatus 1 is preferably connected to a portion of a chassis 52 of the agricultural vehicle 51.
  • the apparatus 1 is arranged in an operating position in which at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c is aimed towards the crop C to be monitored during the advancement of the agricultural vehicle 51 .
  • the aforementioned agricultural machine 50 includes a vehicle that can be moved autonomously or semi-autonomously and configured to inspect and analyze one or more crops C via the apparatus 1 for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in a territory of interest.
  • the agricultural machine 50 is configured to analyze the series of raw data and the series of complementary data directly on board the vehicle 51 so as to reduce the costs and times of transferring the data to a remote server.
  • the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to apply a computing system of the edge computing type.
  • the calculations are carried out with the use of artificial intelligence algorithms, even more preferably and specifically spatial perception.
  • the agricultural machine 50 is able to carry out various data collections that can be used for better crop monitoring.
  • the agricultural machine 50 is capable of carrying out at least one data collection per week.
  • the agricultural machine 50 is also configured to collect further raw data in a sample manner in order to create a more complete asset or database based on possible future developments.
  • the agricultural machine 50 is advantageously configured to update and/or add new measurements/analyses that can be performed based on the collected raw data.
  • wireless communication between the apparatus 1 and a remote server allows the analysis algorithm to be modified (updated, replaced or integrated) in case the agronomist decides to modify the crop C to be monitored or in case he decides to monitor different aspects of the crop, for example the presence of a disease rather than the progress of fruit ripening.
  • the agricultural vehicle 1 is a tractor.
  • the agricultural vehicle can be any vehicle or vehicle capable of being moved through the territory of interest T such as, for example, a drone capable of flying over the aforementioned territory of interest T.
  • the agricultural machine 50 includes an orientation device interposed between the apparatus 1 and the portion of the chassis 52 of the vehicle 51.
  • the orientation device is configured to modify the orientation of at least one acquisition device with respect to the direction of advancement L.
  • the agricultural machine 50 includes a stabilizing device interposed between the apparatus 1 and the portion of the chassis 52 of the vehicle 51 so as to reduce or eliminate vibrations which could reduce the quality of the images and/or videos acquired by each acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c.
  • Figure 3 shows a flow diagram of a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in a territory of interest T.
  • the process comprises the steps of: providing at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c to acquire a series of raw data representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop C to be monitored; providing at least one sensor 3 to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data.
  • the processing step is performed simultaneously with the moving step.
  • the process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop allows one or more of the following visual analyzes to be carried out, preferably visual analyzes of the phytosanitary type, such as: fruit counting; measurement of fruit size; analysis of the qualitative state of the fruits; analysis of the vegetative portions of the crop, such as estimating the volume and/or colorimetry of the leaves.
  • visual analyzes of the phytosanitary type such as: fruit counting; measurement of fruit size; analysis of the qualitative state of the fruits; analysis of the vegetative portions of the crop, such as estimating the volume and/or colorimetry of the leaves.
  • the aforementioned process is capable of performing at least the following operations: measurement, not estimation, of the yield and state of ripeness of the bunch; detection of Flavescence doree and measurement of leaf volume; detection of other typical vine diseases, such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, botrytis; - measurement of water stress.

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Abstract

An apparatus (1) for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in a territory of interest includes at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) configured to acquire raw data relating to at least one crop to be monitored; at least one sensor (3) configured to detect one or more complementary data that can be associated with the raw data; a control unit physically connected to at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) and to at least one sensor (3) and, furthermore, comprising a database for storing the raw data and complementary data; a processor configured to initiate an analysis algorithm configured to perform a plurality of operations to process the raw data and complementary data into complex data; at least one wireless communication module configured to receive external input signals, and/or receive updates and/or additional features, and/or send complex data to a remote server that can be used by an agronomist to evaluate the evolution of the crop to be monitored in the area of interest. The object of the present invention is also a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop.

Description

MONITORING THE EVOLUTION OF AT LEAST ONE CROP LOCATED IN A TERRITORY OF INTEREST
Technical field
The invention relates to the agricultural and crop monitoring sector, preferably in the wine and viticulture sector.
In particular, the present invention regards an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop. In addition, the invention regards an agricultural machine equipped with the aforementioned apparatus, for example a tractor or a drone configured to fly over an area of interest in which the crop to be monitored is located.
The invention also refers to a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop.
State of the art
The agronomist deals with all those activities aimed at enhancing and managing agricultural, zootechnical and forestry production processes, at protecting the environment and, in general, activities relating to the rural world.
In particular, some of the agronomist's tasks involve selecting cultivation techniques capable of optimizing the yield of plantations and, furthermore, preventing and/or treating diseases that can affect cultivation plants.
Therefore, the experience of agronomists is one of the fundamental aspects for the correct functioning of a plantation, in particular of a vineyard (the vineyard, in fact, is a plantation with a very refined and very complex functioning). Making the right choices promptly based on the information collected in the field is essential to guaranteeing the success of the production season.
However, the agronomist usually collects the data of interest manually and, for practicality, only on a small number of plants, namely his reference sample. The agronomist, therefore, does not have punctual visibility of the entire vineyard. In other words, the measurements refer to a parcel of land (a plot) and are not geolocated to a specific tree. In addition, the data collected by agronomists is very dependent on the various techniques used. Consequently, the measurements performed are not comparable with each other as the associated error would be high.
Finally, a further drawback of the prior art is that the entire cultivation is managed in the same way since the relevant collected data are estimates and not direct measurements. In other words, for example during the harvest period, the latter is carried out systematically across the entire field, since the agronomist does not have the possibility of knowing which plants are actually in the fully ripening phase and which are not.
Summary
In this context, the technical task underlying the present invention is to propose an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop and a process which overcome the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above.
In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop capable of collecting and processing various information inherent to the aforementioned plant variety in order to promptly make the right choices to correctly treat the plant variety.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop configured to allow the execution of precise and timely operations on the analyzed plant variety. Therefore, specifically, the invention aims to allow the optimization of management operations (growth, care, ...) of the plant variety of interest, making the agronomist intervene only on the plants that require greater attention depending on the period and the purposes set by the agronomist himself, such as harvesting and/or pruning.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop which allows to carry out precise and punctual measurements of the crop to be monitored so as to allow precise and timely intervention by the agronomist depending on the state of evolution of the crop.
The specified technical task and the specified objects are substantially achieved by an apparatus and a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop, which include the technical characteristics set out in the respective independent claims. The dependent claims correspond to further advantageous aspects of the invention.
It should be appreciated that this summary introduces a selection of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further developed in the detailed description below.
The invention is aimed at an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in an area of interest.
In particular, the aforementioned apparatus includes at least one acquisition device configured to acquire a series of raw data relating to at least one crop to be monitored, at least one sensor configured to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data, and a control unit physically connected to at least the acquisition device and the sensor. The series of raw data is representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop to be monitored, while the series of complementary data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time.
In addition, the control unit includes a database configured to store the series of raw data and series of the complementary data, a processor configured to start an analysis algorithm configured to perform a plurality of operations to process the series of raw data and the series of complementary data so as to obtain a series of complex data. The series of complex data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or fruits of the crop to be monitored. Finally, the control unit includes at least one wireless communication module configured to receive external input signals from an operator, and/or receive updates and/or additional functionality of said analysis algorithm in order to update and/or expand the operations that can be performed, and/or send to a remote server said series of complex data that can be used by an agronomist to evaluate the evolution of the crop to be monitored in the area of interest.
In other words, the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to perform an analysis of the images (or videos) acquired in relation to one or more plants of a crop in an area of interest, for example a cultivated field. The acquisition of images and other relevant data, such as georeferencing and geolocation data, allow to carry out a mapping of the crop on the territory of interest. Furthermore, the analysis of the images (and/or videos) acquired allows to perform a variety of operations in order to monitor the evolution of the ripening of the fruits of the crops, monitor the progress of the vegetative state of the crops, detect and/or monitor any diseases that could affect the crops, perform various quantitative measurements (not estimates) of the fruits and/or vegetative portions of the crops.
These operations are performed thanks to various functions of the analysis algorithm which is configured to perform image segmentation, to identify specific objects (discernment of fruits from other vegetative portions such as leaves and/or branches), perform a stereographic analysis to obtain the depth of the image, perform a wide-field and/or narrow-field analysis, etc.
In addition, the aforementioned apparatus allows to obtain further advantages, including: it does not require additional personnel for its use as the obtained complex data is analyzed by the agronomist himself; it does not require particular maintenance as it is made up of structurally and functionally solid components;
It does not require any supervision during its use.
The present invention also refers to a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in an area of interest.
In particular, the process includes the steps of: providing at least one acquisition device to acquire a series of raw data representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop to be monitored; providing at least one sensor to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data. The series of complementary data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time; moving the acquisition device and the sensor through the territory of interest in order to acquire the series of raw data and the series of complementary data relating to the crop to be monitored; processing the series of raw data and the series of complementary data in order to obtain a series of complex data representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or fruits of the crop to be monitored; send the series of complex data to a remote server.
The process is therefore characterized by the fact that the processing step is carried out simultaneously with the moving step.
Advantageously, similarly to the aforementioned apparatus, the process allows the detection and analysis of a large amount of data directly on the acquisition site and, therefore, sending the results of the aforementioned analysis to a remote server so that the agronomist can obtain the data from the entire field in order to make precise and timely decisions for crop treatment.
In other words, the agronomist will not be in possession of only portion of the data (obtained with a sample analysis) but will be able to analyze the entire mapping of the territory in order to act in a localized way based on the collected and processed data.
Brief description of the drawings
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the indicative, and therefore non-limiting, description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a device for monitoring at least one plant variety, as illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: figure 1 shows, in perspective view, a possible embodiment of an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop; figure 2 shows, in perspective view, a possible embodiment of an agricultural machine preferably equipped with the apparatus shown in figure 1 ; figure 3 shows, in perspective view, a functional diagram representative of a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop. With reference to the drawings, they serve solely to illustrate embodiments of the invention in order to better clarify, in combination with the description, the inventive principles underlying the invention.
Detailed description of at least one embodiment
The present invention is aimed at an apparatus for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop which, with reference to the figures, has been generically indicated with the number 1.
Any modifications or variations which, in light of the description, are evident to a person skilled in the art must be considered to fall within the scope of protection established by the present invention, according to considerations of technical equivalence.
Figure 1 shows an apparatus 1 for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in an area of interest.
In particular, the apparatus 1 includes at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c configured to acquire a series of raw data relating to at least one crop to be monitored, at least one sensor configured to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data, and a control unit physically connected to at least the acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c and to at least the sensor. The sensor and the control unit (together with some elements directly connected to the control unit) are not visible in the attached figures, in particular in figure 1 , as they are arranged inside the box-like body 5 (better described later) of the apparatus 1 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
The series of raw data is representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop to be monitored, while the series of complementary data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time.
In addition, the control unit includes a database configured to store at least the series of raw data and the series of complementary data, a processor configured to initiate an analysis algorithm configured to perform a plurality of operations so as to process said series of raw data and said series of complementary data so as to obtain a series of complex data, at least one wireless communication module configured to receive external input signals from an operator, and/or receive updates and/or additional functionality of the analysis algorithm in order to update and/or expand the operations that can be performed, and/or send to a remote server the series of complex data that can be used by an agronomist to evaluate the evolution of the crop to be monitored in the area of interest.
In particular, the series of complex data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or or the fruits of the crop to be monitored.
In other words, the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to be installed on a vehicle (or alternatively carried by hand) and therefore moved across a territory of interest. During its movement, the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to acquire a plurality of images or videos of the crops to be monitored, in their entirety or only some portions of particular interest, for example the fruits rather than the branches or leaves. Thanks to the intercommunication between each acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c and each sensor 3 present, the apparatus 1 is suitable to acquire and detect a series of raw data (substantially relating to the images) and complementary data (substantially relating to the geolocation and other similar parameters) which can be analyzed by a specific analysis algorithm to obtain complex data that can be used by the agronomist to evaluate the subsequent steps to be applied punctually and promptly on the crop. In other words, the agronomist is therefore able to act in a targeted and timely manner on each plant as needed, avoiding wasting time and effort with plants on which treatment is not essential.
Even more advantageously, the apparatus 1 is configured to start the execution of the analysis algorithm during the acquisition of the images so as to process the data collected therein and send to an external server, via the wireless connection module, only complex data in order to reduce calculation and information sharing times.
Preferably, some of the sensors 3 installed in the apparatus 1 are: GPS sensors for geolocation, IMU sensors for monitoring the dynamics of the movement to which the same apparatus 1 is subjected across the territory of interest, gyroscopic sensors for determining the orientation of the apparatus 1 in order to detect the direction to which it performed the acquisition. In other words, for example, the geolocation and gyroscopic sensors 3 are suitable to allow the detection of the spatial position (with respect to the territory of interest, also for the purpose of mapping it) in which the data acquisition took place and, furthermore, the detection of the orientation of the aforementioned acquisition. For example, in the case in which the apparatus 1 is used in a vineyard, the geolocation sensor allows to detect along which row the acquisition of raw and/or complementary data took place, while the gyroscopic sensor allows to detect which side of the aforementioned row (right or left) was framed by the acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c during the advancement of the apparatus 1 by means of an operator and/or a vehicle (as better described below).
In addition, the apparatus 1 can also include robotic environmental perception sensors, for example depth of field sensors, three-dimensional sensors, radar and/or LIDAR sensors.
Advantageously, the apparatus 1 is configured to carry out high precision measurements via sensors 3, preferably loT sensors, having a high analysis capacity.
Preferably, the control unit has a hardware neural network accelerator NPU, for example a Qualcomm Snapdragon® 888 processor, a RAM memory of 8GB and a database of 256GB.
According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus 1 comprises an output device 14, for example a 1.1 " MOLED display, connected to said control unit and configured to show as output the series of raw data and/or the series of complementary data and/or the series of complex data.
According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus 1 includes a control panel configured to send input signals to the control unit, for example to set the execution of particular operations of the analysis algorithm.
Preferably, the control panel is directly connected to the control unit.
Alternatively, the control panel is arranged in communication with the control unit via the wireless communication module.
Even more preferably, the control panel coincides with the output device 14 when the latter is a touchscreen display. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the wireless communication module comprises a WiFi module and/or a Bluetooth module and/or a module based on LTE and/or 5G technology.
Preferably, the wireless communication module includes one or more communication antennas configured to send and receive signals.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the apparatus 1 includes a plurality of acquisition devices 2a, 2b, 2c, each of which has its own viewing angle of the crop to be monitored.
In other words, each acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c is capable of framing a same crop, or a portion thereof such as a fruit or a branch or a leaf, according to different angles so as to obtain a stereoscopic effect and, furthermore, to be able to simultaneously acquire different portions of the aforementioned crop, or part of it, in order to have greater definition (and, therefore, more visual information to analyze).
Preferably, the plurality of acquisition devices 2a, 2b, 2c have different optical acquisition systems, including a wide-angle lens 2a, an ultra-wide-angle lens 2b and a periscope lens 2c.
Even more preferably, the wide-angle lens 2a features a 50MP capture sensor, while the ultra-wide-angle lens and periscope lens feature a 48MP capture sensor.
Advantageously, the plurality of acquisition devices 2a, 2b, 2c allows to obtain images of the crop of interest with different depths of field and with different widths. In this way it is possible to vary, according to the needs, the area of the crop of interest to acquire and, therefore, monitor.
For example, in one case the analysis of the entire crop (fruits, leaves and trunk/branches) might be of interest, while in other cases it might be more interesting to focus only on the fruits, avoiding framing the trunk and some vegetative portions.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the apparatus 1 comprises a lighting system 4, preferably of the DUAL-LED type. Thus, the lighting system allows for homogeneous illumination of the crops even if there is cloudy weather or, in any case, poor external lighting.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the apparatus 1 comprises a boxlike body 5 configured to contain at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c, at least one sensor 3 and the control unit.
Advantageously, the box-like body 5 allows all the various electronic components to be grouped inside it in order to protect them from atmospheric agents and possible accidental impacts.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the box-like body 5 is made of materials configured so as not to shield the input and/or output signals via the wireless communication module.
Preferably, the box-like body 5 includes a containment shell 6 and a closing cover 7.
Even more preferably, the containment shell 6 and the closing cover 7 are made of plastic and/or polymeric material, such as PLA. A possible heat sink 15 arranged in contact at least with the control unit and with the sensors 3 is made of aluminum and arranged to project through the containment shell through an opening specifically created to improve the dissipation of the generated heat.
Alternatively, the containment shell 6 can be made of aluminum to assist the dissipation of the heat collected by a heat sink 15 placed inside it and in contact with the control unit, in particular with the sensors 3 and with the wireless communication module, while the closing cover 7 can be made of plastic and/or polymeric material, such as PLA.
Thus, the box-like body 5 will not shield the signals emitted and/or received by the wireless communication module (via the antenna/s if present).
In particular, the closing cover 7 is advantageously shaped to allow each acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c to face outwards so as to be able to acquire the relevant series of raw data relating to the crop of interest. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the box-like body 5 has a width between 100 and 150 millimeters, a height between 50 and 100 millimeters and a depth between 25 and 70 millimeters.
Preferably, the box-like body 5 is hermetically closed to be impervious to external agents.
Even more preferably, the box-like body 5 has an IP68 degree of protection, so as to guarantee that there is no dust deposit inside the casing and to resist any effects of continuous immersion of the casing (expected and unexpected).
Figure 2 shows an agricultural machine 50 which includes an agricultural vehicle 51 configured to advance along a direction of advancement L through a territory of interest T in which there is at least one crop C to be monitored and, furthermore, an apparatus 1 having one or more of the previously described characteristics. The apparatus 1 is preferably connected to a portion of a chassis 52 of the agricultural vehicle 51.
In addition, the apparatus 1 is arranged in an operating position in which at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c is aimed towards the crop C to be monitored during the advancement of the agricultural vehicle 51 .
In other words, the aforementioned agricultural machine 50 includes a vehicle that can be moved autonomously or semi-autonomously and configured to inspect and analyze one or more crops C via the apparatus 1 for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in a territory of interest.
Advantageously, through the apparatus 1 , the agricultural machine 50 is configured to analyze the series of raw data and the series of complementary data directly on board the vehicle 51 so as to reduce the costs and times of transferring the data to a remote server.
In other words, the apparatus 1 is advantageously configured to apply a computing system of the edge computing type. Preferably, the calculations are carried out with the use of artificial intelligence algorithms, even more preferably and specifically spatial perception.
In addition, thanks to the frequent number of passages through the territory of interest T, the agricultural machine 50 is able to carry out various data collections that can be used for better crop monitoring. For example, in a vineyard, the agricultural machine 50 is capable of carrying out at least one data collection per week.
Furthermore, the agricultural machine 50 is also configured to collect further raw data in a sample manner in order to create a more complete asset or database based on possible future developments.
Thanks to wireless connectivity, therefore in a totally remote manner and even after the installation of the apparatus 1 on the vehicle 51 , the agricultural machine 50 is advantageously configured to update and/or add new measurements/analyses that can be performed based on the collected raw data.
For example, wireless communication between the apparatus 1 and a remote server allows the analysis algorithm to be modified (updated, replaced or integrated) in case the agronomist decides to modify the crop C to be monitored or in case he decides to monitor different aspects of the crop, for example the presence of a disease rather than the progress of fruit ripening.
In accordance with a possible aspect of the invention illustrated in Figure 2, the agricultural vehicle 1 is a tractor.
Alternatively, the agricultural vehicle can be any vehicle or vehicle capable of being moved through the territory of interest T such as, for example, a drone capable of flying over the aforementioned territory of interest T.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the agricultural machine 50 includes an orientation device interposed between the apparatus 1 and the portion of the chassis 52 of the vehicle 51. In particular, the orientation device is configured to modify the orientation of at least one acquisition device with respect to the direction of advancement L.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the agricultural machine 50 includes a stabilizing device interposed between the apparatus 1 and the portion of the chassis 52 of the vehicle 51 so as to reduce or eliminate vibrations which could reduce the quality of the images and/or videos acquired by each acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c. Figure 3 shows a flow diagram of a process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in a territory of interest T.
In particular, the process comprises the steps of: providing at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c to acquire a series of raw data representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop C to be monitored; providing at least one sensor 3 to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with the series of raw data. The series of complementary data is representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time; moving at least one acquisition device 2a, 2b, 2c and at least one sensor 3 through the territory of interest T in order to acquire the series of raw data and one or more series of complementary data relating to the crop C to be monitored; processing the series of raw data and one or more series of complementary data in order to obtain a series of complex data representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or fruits of the crop to be monitored; sending the series of complex data to a remote server so that the agronomist can use them to evaluate the evolution of the crop C to be monitored in the territory of interest T.
Preferably, the processing step is performed simultaneously with the moving step.
In accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention, the aforementioned process includes a preliminary step of providing an apparatus 1 having one or more of the previously described characteristics.
Advantageously, the process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop allows one or more of the following visual analyzes to be carried out, preferably visual analyzes of the phytosanitary type, such as: fruit counting; measurement of fruit size; analysis of the qualitative state of the fruits; analysis of the vegetative portions of the crop, such as estimating the volume and/or colorimetry of the leaves.
If applied to a vine, the aforementioned process is capable of performing at least the following operations: measurement, not estimation, of the yield and state of ripeness of the bunch; detection of Flavescence doree and measurement of leaf volume; detection of other typical vine diseases, such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, botrytis; - measurement of water stress.

Claims
Claims An apparatus (1) for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop located in an area of interest, comprising: at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) configured to acquire a series of raw data relating to at least one crop to be monitored, said series of raw data being representative of one or more images and/or videos of said crop to be monitored; at least one sensor (3) configured to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with said series of raw data, said series of complementary data being representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time; a control unit physically connected to at least said at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) and said at least one sensor
(3) and comprising:
• a database configured to store at least said series of raw data and said series of complementary data;
• a processor configured to initiate an analysis algorithm configured to perform a plurality of operations so as to process said series of raw data and said series of complementary data so as to obtain a series of complex data, said series of complex data being representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or fruits of the crop to be monitored;
• at least one wireless communication module configured to receive external input signals from an operator, and/or receive updates and/or additional features of said analysis algorithm in order to update and/or expand the operations that can be performed, and/or send to a remote server said series of complex data that can be used by an agronomist to evaluate the evolution of the crop to be monitored in the area of interest. The apparatus (1) according to claim 1 , wherein said wireless communication module comprises a WiFi module and/or a Bluetooth module and/or a module based on LTE and/or 5G technology. The apparatus (1) according to claim 2, wherein said wireless communication module comprises one or more communication antennas. The apparatus (1) according to any previous claim, comprising a plurality of acquisition devices (2a, 2b, 2c), each having its own viewing angle. The apparatus (1) according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of acquisition devices (2a, 2b, 2c) has different optical acquisition systems, including a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens and a periscopic lens. The apparatus (1) according to any previous claim, comprising a lighting system
(4), preferably of the DUAL-LED type. The apparatus (1) according to any previous claim, comprising a box-like body (5) configured to contain at least said at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c), said at least one sensor (3) and said control unit. The apparatus (1) according to claim 7, wherein said box-like body (5) is made of materials configured not to shield the input and/or output signals via said wireless communication module. The apparatus (1) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said box-like body (5) has a width of between 100 and 150 millimetres, a height of between 50 and 100 millimeters and a depth of between 25 and 70 millimetres. The apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein said box-like body
(5) is hermetically closed to be impervious to external agents. An agricultural machine (50) comprising: an agricultural vehicle (51) configured to advance along a direction of advancement (L) through a territory of interest (T) in which there is at least one crop (C) to be monitored; an apparatus (1) in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 10 and connected to a portion of a chassis (52) of said agricultural vehicle (51), wherein said apparatus (1) is arranged in an operating position in which said at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) is aimed towards the crop (C) to be monitored during the advancement of said agricultural vehicle (51). The agricultural machine according to claim 11 , comprising an orientation device interposed between said apparatus (1) and said portion of the chassis (52) of the vehicle (51), said orientation device being configured to modify the orientation of said at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) with respect to said direction of advancement (L). A process for monitoring the evolution of at least one crop (C) located in an area of interest (T), including the steps of: preparing at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) to acquire a series of raw data representative of one or more images and/or videos of the crop to be monitored; preparing at least one sensor (3) to detect one or more series of complementary data that can be associated with said series of raw data, said series of complementary data being representative of at least one or more of the following information: orientation, geolocation, acquisition time; moving said at least one acquisition device (2a, 2b, 2c) and said at least one sensor (3) through the territory of interest (T) in order to acquire said series of raw data and said one or more series of complementary data relating to the crop (C) to be monitored; processing said series of raw data and said one or more series of complementary data in order to obtain a series of complex data representative of at least one or more of the following information: mapping of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, discernment of the fruits from a vegetative portion of the crop, qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the vegetative portion and/or fruits of the crop to be monitored; sending said series of complex data to a remote server so that an agronomist can use them to evaluate the evolution of the crop to be monitored in the territory of interest, wherein said processing step is performed simultaneously with said moving step. The process according to claim 13, comprising a preliminary step of providing an apparatus (1) in accordance with any claim from 1 to 10.
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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20220183208A1 (en) * 2020-10-16 2022-06-16 Verdant Robotics, Inc. Autonomous detection and control of vegetation

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