An air circulation based aeroponic system and method

Abstract

This invention relates to an aeroponic system and method based on air circulation. The system includes: a main module, defining at least an internal cavity capable of accommodating the root region of a seedling; a data acquisition module, for acquiring image information of the root region of the seedling within the internal cavity; and a central control module, capable of receiving the image information acquired by the data acquisition module. The internal cavity of the main module provides a growth environment for the root region of the seedling, regulated by the central control module. This growth environment includes at least the spatial flow field state of the internal cavity. The central control module generates corresponding control signals for adjusting the growth environment based on the received image information. The processing of the image information by the central control module includes at least identifying characteristic parts of the root region of the seedling. The method includes: transplanting the seedling; acquiring image information; analyzing and processing the image information to determine the growth status; and adjusting the cultivation method based on the growth status.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural engineering technology, and in particular to a misting system and method based on air circulation. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of agricultural technology, aeroponic cultivation is considered an advanced soilless cultivation model due to its potential yield and quality advantages that soil cultivation and ordinary hydroponics do not have. It also has technical advantages such as short production cycle, less pollution, significantly increased planting quantity per unit area, promotion of plant growth potential, and convenient precise control and observation of plant roots. It is more practical, efficient and widely applicable than conventional soilless cultivation, and is an important way to achieve high yield, high quality and high efficiency in agriculture, which is in line with the future direction of agricultural production development.

[0003] CN218789665U discloses a ventilated aeroponic growth box, including an aeroponic box with a nutrient chamber at the top along its height. A culture plate is placed on the aeroponic box, and several culture holes are arranged in a rectangular array on the culture plate. A nutrient plate is placed below the culture plate, and a chamber is set inside the nutrient plate. Multiple atomizing nozzles are set on the top of the nutrient plate, and each atomizing nozzle corresponds to one of the culture holes. The atomizing nozzles are connected to metal shaped hoses, which communicate with the chambers of the nutrient plate. A ventilation network is set below the nutrient plate, and several air outlets are set on the top of the ventilation network. An air inlet pipe is connected to the ventilation network.

[0004] CN110178717A discloses a fully sealed plant nutrient aeroponic device and its method, solving the problems of incomplete plant nutrition, easy spread of pests and diseases, and waste caused by the lack of gas recycling in existing plant nutrient aeroponic devices. The invention includes an aeroponic box, with a cultivation board dividing the box into a photosynthetic aeroponic box and a rhizosphere aeroponic box, providing different nutrient mists to the stems and leaves and the rhizosphere respectively, and collecting and reusing them separately. The invention features a freely switchable unidirectional circulation mode and a fully internal circulation mode. The unidirectional circulation mode allows for the entry of purified air and the utilization of carbon dioxide produced by the stems and leaves in the rhizosphere. The fully internal circulation mode transports carbon dioxide produced by the roots to the plant stems and leaves to accelerate photosynthesis, and transports oxygen produced by the stems and leaves through photosynthesis to the roots for respiration.

[0005] The airflow in aeroponics systems significantly impacts various environmental parameters, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations. However, plants with different characteristic parts typically require different environmental parameters at different growth stages. These characteristic parts are generally understood as the harvested or economically valuable components, and can be one or more of the six major organs: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. The airflow requirements for each organ vary depending on its characteristic part. Existing technologies only offer general solutions and cannot provide precise airflow control tailored to the specific characteristics of different plants, particularly failing to adjust the airflow field in the aeroponics environment according to the growth and development of these characteristic parts, thus hindering their development. Furthermore, in aeroponics, the root zone is typically used for nutrient absorption. When the plant's characteristic parts are also located in the root zone, the strength of airflow has a greater impact on plant growth, especially in cases of insufficient oxygen supply, which can lead to root rot and impair the normal development of these characteristic parts.

[0006] Moreover, current aeroponic systems only consider applications in conventional plant cultivation, aiming to obtain the greatest economic benefits in the short term with relatively minimal production and operating costs. However, for research on accelerating breeding, the economic value of the planted organisms should not be considered. What is more important is to explore the limits of the fastest maturation of various plants and shorten the breeding cycle. The value brought by this is far greater than the economic value of the planted organisms themselves.

[0007] Furthermore, on the one hand, there are differences in understanding among those skilled in the art; on the other hand, the applicant studied a large number of documents and patents when making this invention, but due to space limitations, not all details and contents were listed in detail. However, this does not mean that the present invention does not possess the features of these prior art. On the contrary, the present invention already possesses all the features of the prior art, and the applicant reserves the right to add relevant prior art to the background art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an aeroponic system and method based on air circulation to solve at least some of the aforementioned technical problems. The technical solution of this invention is particularly applicable to breeding equipment because breeding can disregard the economic value of the planted organism itself; more importantly, it explores the limits of the fastest maturation for various plants. The value gained from shortening the breeding cycle far exceeds the economic value of the planted organism itself. In particular, this invention's research on growth environment parameters based on airflow field regulation for breeding plants represents an effort to pursue higher, faster, and stronger breeding technologies, and can provide technical support for subsequent space breeding. For example, potatoes, as one of the commonly chosen crop varieties in deep space breeding, can be better cultivated and harvested using the aeroponic device of this invention, avoiding the waste of high-cost aerospace resources.

[0009] The present invention discloses an aeroponic system based on air circulation, comprising: a main module, which at least defines an internal cavity capable of accommodating the root region of the seedlings; a data acquisition module, which is at least used to acquire image information of the root region of the seedlings located in the internal cavity; and a central control module capable of receiving the image information acquired by the data acquisition module.

[0010] The internal cavity of the main module can provide a growth environment for the root region of the seedlings that is regulated by the central control module. This growth environment includes at least the spatial flow field state of the internal cavity. The central control module can generate corresponding control signals for regulating the growth environment based on the received image information. The processing of image information by the central control module includes at least the identification of characteristic parts of the root region of the seedlings.

[0011] This configuration allows the main module to adjust the growth environment based on image information of the characteristic parts of the root region of the seedling. The growth environment includes at least the spatial flow field state of the internal cavity, so that the oxygen content in the internal cavity meets the growth requirements of the root region of the seedling, thereby enabling the normal development of the seedling with characteristic parts in the root region.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment, the central control module is at least capable of sending control signals to the air supply module to at least adjust the air flow field in the spatial flow field state, wherein the air supply module includes at least an air inlet pipe and an air outlet pipe respectively connected to different communication ports of the main module.

[0013] This design allows the exhaust pipe to draw out sterile air, which is then disinfected by the circulation treatment unit, before it enters the internal cavity through the intake pipe. Since the exhaust pipe also draws out a portion of the atomized nutrient solution along with the air from the internal cavity, connecting the exhaust pipe to the circulation treatment unit avoids resource waste. The circulation treatment unit can collect the atomized nutrient solution drawn out.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment, the main module is at least configured with a connection port that can be divided into an air inlet and an air outlet based on the different functions of the connected pipelines, wherein the air inlet and the air outlet can be arranged in a manner that is not directly opposite each other and does not share a side.

[0015] The non-directly opposite arrangement allows the air introduced into the internal cavity to ensure that the roots of all or designated seedlings receive the corresponding oxygen by at least partially extending the internal residence time. This internal residence time refers to the average time collected from the start of timing for each air molecule in a batch of several units of air molecules until the timing ends at the outlet. The non-shared-edge arrangement allows the air inlet and outlet to form a relatively smooth airflow channel in the internal cavity, so as to avoid generating too much turbulence or vortex in the internal cavity, thereby affecting the absorption of nutrient solution and / or oxygen by the plant roots.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment, the air supply module's adjustment of the airflow field can cause a change in the atomized nutrient solution flow field, wherein the atomized nutrient solution can be generated by the atomization module at least, and the atomized nutrient solution flow field can also be changed based on the adjustment of the atomization module's operating parameters.

[0017] When an airflow field is formed in the internal cavity, it will affect the flow field state of the atomized nutrient solution, thereby adjusting the mist dispersion state of the internal cavity. Based on the airflow at different angles and speeds, the atomized nutrient solution can switch to the corresponding dispersion state and fill the internal cavity in a way that is conducive to the growth of at least some of the seedlings after being sprayed, according to the flow trend of the airflow field.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment, the central control module can assign corresponding shooting tasks to the set or enabled acquisition module, wherein the acquisition module can at least set the imaging angle in a manner that is not on the line connecting any two planting holes.

[0019] This setup avoids overlapping root images caused by the shooting angle limitation when the acquisition module obtains image information of the plant roots, which would affect the identification of the roots of the cultivated plants included in the image and the confirmation of their current growth status. The acquisition module can be positioned on the side wall of the long side of the main module based on the special setting of the planting hole, to obtain relatively independent plant root image information. This setting avoids placement conflicts with the air outlet, and also facilitates the air outlet to draw air containing atomized nutrient solution out from the opposite side, thus preventing the nutrient solution from condensing into large droplets on the container and affecting the imaging effect of the acquisition module.

[0020] The aeroponic method based on air circulation disclosed in this invention includes the following steps:

[0021] The seedlings are placed in the planting holes opened on the top cover, and the planting holes have corresponding planting coordinates based on the long side and the wide side of the top cover.

[0022] Based on the imaging parameters of the acquisition module and / or the opening method of the planting hole, determine the setting or number of acquisition modules to be activated, and assign corresponding shooting tasks to the activated acquisition modules.

[0023] The image information acquired by the acquisition module is analyzed and processed to determine the growth status of the root region of the seedlings.

[0024] Based on the overall and / or local growth of the root regions of each breeding plant in the internal cavity, determine targeted harvesting plans and / or methods for adjusting environmental parameters for characteristic parts.

[0025] This configuration allows the main module to adjust the growth environment based on image information of the characteristic parts of the root region of the seedling. The growth environment includes at least the spatial flow field state of the internal cavity, so that the oxygen content in the internal cavity meets the growth requirements of the root region of the seedling, thereby enabling the normal development of the seedling with characteristic parts in the root region.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, planting holes are opened on the top cover in such a way that no two adjacent planting holes have the same long side coordinates or wide side coordinates.

[0027] This arrangement is to prevent the roots of adjacent seedlings from becoming entangled due to excessively close spacing. Furthermore, the distance between any two adjacent planting holes must be at least greater than a preset distance, which can be determined based on the variety of seedling. Different varieties of seedlings require different amounts of space during their growth.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment, the imaging parameters of the acquisition module include at least the imaging angle, wherein the acquisition module is capable of setting the imaging angle in a manner that is not on the line connecting any two planting holes.

[0029] This setup avoids overlapping root images caused by the shooting angle limitation when the acquisition module obtains image information of the plant roots, which would affect the identification of the roots of the cultivated plants included in the image and the confirmation of their current growth status. The acquisition module can be positioned on the side wall of the long side of the main module based on the special setting of the planting hole, to obtain relatively independent plant root image information. This setting avoids placement conflicts with the air outlet, and also facilitates the air outlet to draw air containing atomized nutrient solution out from the opposite side, thus preventing the nutrient solution from condensing into large droplets on the container and affecting the imaging effect of the acquisition module.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment, when analyzing a breeding plant with characteristic parts in the root region, all characteristic parts can be identified in the image information of the root region based on a pre-recorded feature model, and the outer contours of all characteristic parts can be delineated individually and separately for comparison with the pre-stored feature model.

[0031] This configuration allows the aeroponic system of this application to be preferably applied to seedlings with characteristic parts in the root region, so that when analyzing image information related to the root region, the characteristic parts can be analyzed in detail. The characteristic parts have at least some distinguishing features that are different from other parts of the root region, so that the central control module can identify the corresponding characteristic parts from the image information.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment, the environmental parameters can be adjusted at least by sending control signals to the atomization module and / or the air supply module, wherein adjusting the air flow field by driving the air supply module can at least cause a change in the atomized nutrient solution flow field.

[0033] When an airflow field is formed in the internal cavity, it will affect the flow field state of the atomized nutrient solution, thereby adjusting the mist dispersion state of the internal cavity. Based on the airflow at different angles and speeds, the atomized nutrient solution can switch to the corresponding dispersion state and fill the internal cavity in a way that is conducive to the growth of at least some of the seedlings after being sprayed, according to the flow trend of the airflow field. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a nutrient spray nozzle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a partial front view of a preferred embodiment of the aeroponic system provided by the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a partial top view of an aeroponic system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] List of reference numerals

[0038] 10: Main module; 11: Top cover; 12: Planting hole; 20: Atomization module; 21: Nutrient nozzle; 22: Liquid inlet pipe; 23: Liquid outlet pipe; 24: Liquid supply tank; 30: Air supply module; 31: Air inlet pipe; 32: Air outlet pipe; 40: Data acquisition module; 50: Central control module; 100: Liquid outlet; 200: Angle control unit; 300: Guiding unit; 400: Steering ring. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The following is a detailed explanation with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a nutrient spray nozzle 21 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial top view of a preferred embodiment of the aeroponic system provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a partial structural front view of an aeroponic system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] The present invention provides an aeroponic system, wherein the aeroponic system includes an atomization module 20 capable of providing different spraying modes based on plant growth and environmental changes.

[0043] Preferably, such as Figure 1 As shown, the atomizing module 20 involved in this invention improves the angle and internal mechanical structure of the nutrient nozzle 21.

[0044] Preferably, the nutrient nozzle 21 includes an outlet 100, an angle control unit 200, a guide unit 300, a sleeve, and a steering ring 400. The angle control unit 200 is sleeved on the outside of the outlet 100, and the guide unit 300 and the angle control unit 200 are connected by gear meshing. The outlet 100, the angle control unit 200, and the guide unit 300 are sleeved inside the sleeve. The steering ring 400 is movably sleeved with the sleeve, such as... Figure 1 As shown.

[0045] Preferably, when the nozzle enters the working state, under the force of the water flow, the outlet 100, the angle control unit 200, and the guide unit 300 rise simultaneously. The guide unit 300 is connected to the steering ring 400. Rotating the steering ring 400 causes the guide unit 300 and the angle control unit 200 to rotate, changing the nutrient solution spray angle. The processor can control the steering ring 400 to control the nutrient solution spray angle of the outlet 100.

[0046] Preferably, the nutrient solution nozzle provided in this embodiment allows for adjustment of the rotation angle while the rotating ray nozzle is in operation. The nutrient solution nozzle provided in this embodiment also improves the accuracy of the rotation angle adjustment, avoiding waste of nutrient solution. The system analyzes the collected information to confirm the plant's growth status and controls the nutrient solution nozzle to provide a nutrient solution spray pattern towards or away from a specific plant tissue based on the plant's growth status. Preferably, the nozzle can also adjust the diameter of the sprayed nutrient solution mist particles.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] This embodiment is a further improvement on embodiment 1, and repeated content will not be described again.

[0049] This invention discloses an air circulation-based aeroponic system, wherein the aeroponic system includes a main module 10 and an atomizing module 20 disposed in the internal cavity of the main module 10. Preferably, the internal cavity of the main module 10 is defined by a top cover 11, a bottom plate, and several side walls, so that the internal cavity is substantially sealed, allowing the atomizing module 20 to create a mist atmosphere in the internal cavity of the main module 10 for a long time.

[0050] Furthermore, the top cover 11 of the main module 10 may be provided with a plurality of planting holes 12 at intervals, so that the seedlings to be planted can be inserted into the corresponding planting holes 12 respectively. When planting the seedlings in the planting holes 12, a surrounding material can be used to temporarily fix the seedlings in the planting holes 12, and by selecting a suitable size of surrounding material, the planting holes 12 are basically filled to maintain the basic sealing state of the internal cavity of the main module 10. Preferably, the surrounding material can be a planting basket or a simple sponge material, etc.

[0051] Preferably, the planting holes 12 on the top cover 11 are opened in a first direction, which is approximately perpendicular to the laying plane of the top cover 11 and points towards the internal cavity. This ensures that when the seedlings are planted in the planting holes 12, the growth direction of the seedlings is approximately parallel to the opening direction of the planting holes 12. The growth direction of the seedlings may include the main growth direction of its roots or the main growth direction of its stem (conventional above-ground stem). The main growth direction is the main orientation in the overall growth trend of the defined part of the seedling. The main growth direction of the roots is usually the direction from the planting holes 12 to the internal cavity (i.e., parallel and in the same direction as the first direction), and the main growth direction of the stem is usually the direction from the planting holes 12 to the external environment (i.e., parallel and in the opposite direction to the first direction). In other words, the main growth direction of the roots is usually opposite to the main growth direction of the stem, so that the roots and stems of the seedlings can grow on opposite sides of the planting holes 12.

[0052] Preferably, the top cover 11 can be movably placed on the side wall of the main module 10, such that the internal cavity can be released from a relatively sealed state at least when the top cover 11 is removed. Preferably, the top cover 11 can move at least in a first direction or its opposite direction to adjust the relative positional relationship between the seedlings in the planting holes 12 and the internal cavity. More preferably, the maximum distance that the top cover 11 moves in the opposite direction of the first direction is at least enough to ensure that the roots of the seedlings in each planting hole 12 can be completely or substantially detached from the internal cavity, wherein "detachment" means that the seedlings that follow the top cover 11 to the maximum distance in the opposite direction of the first direction have at least substantially no roots confined in the internal cavity. Preferably, the top cover 11 can be moved to the maximum distance along the first direction and placed on the side wall of the main module 10 so that the roots of the seedlings in each planting hole 12 can be completely contained in the internal cavity. Here, "contained" means that the roots of the seedlings that follow the top cover 11 to the maximum distance along the first direction can be suspended in the internal cavity.

[0053] Preferably, the seedlings to be planted can be any type of seedling that has undergone a seedling stage. More preferably, based on the water stress or good root aeration characteristics of aeroponics, the present invention is particularly suitable for crops with well-developed root systems, such as micro-seed potato propagation.

[0054] Preferably, the atomizing module 20 disposed in the internal cavity of the main module 10 can provide nutrients to the roots of the seedlings contained in the internal cavity through the nutrient nozzle 21. The atomizing module 20 provides nutrients by at least atomizing the nutrient solution into tiny droplets to fill the entire internal cavity, so that the liquid of the nutrient solution can be adsorbed onto the roots suspended in the internal cavity and absorbed by the roots.

[0055] Preferably, the nutrient nozzle 21 can be connected to a supply tank 24 containing a preset concentration of nutrient solution via an inlet pipe 22. The inlet pipe 22 may be equipped with a pressure device to drive the nutrient solution in the supply tank 24 to flow to the nutrient nozzle 21; the pressure device may be, for example, a pump. Preferably, the supply tank 24 is typically located outside the internal cavity of the main module 10, meaning the inlet pipe 22 can pass through the side wall, top cover 11, or bottom plate of the main module 10 in a sealed manner, thereby establishing a supply line. Preferably, the inlet pipe 22 passes through the side wall of the main module 10. Preferably, an outlet pipe 23 may be provided in a sealed manner on the side wall or bottom plate of the main module 10 to discharge residual nutrient solution from the internal cavity. This residual nutrient solution may be nutrient solution that, after being atomized by the nutrient nozzle 21, has not been absorbed by the roots of the plant and has fallen and collected at the bottom of the internal cavity due to gravity.

[0056] Preferably, the atomizing device may also be configured with an air supply module 303 for providing oxygen to the internal cavity of the main module 10, wherein the air supply module 303 enables gas exchange between the internal cavity of the main module 10 and the external environment.

[0057] Preferably, the air supply module 303 may be provided with an air inlet pipe 31, an air outlet pipe 32, and a circulation processing unit. The circulation processing unit may be located outside the internal cavity of the main module 10, and communicate with the internal cavity through the air inlet pipe 31. Preferably, the air outlet pipe 32, which communicates with the internal cavity of the main module 10 on one side, may be directly connected to the external environment or to the circulation processing unit on the other side. The air outlet pipe 32 communicating with the circulation processing unit allows the sterile air generated after the drawn-out air is disinfected by the circulation processing unit to re-enter the internal cavity through the air inlet pipe 31. Preferably, since the air outlet pipe 32 also draws out a portion of the nutrient solution in atomized state when drawing out the air from the internal cavity, connecting the air outlet pipe 32 to the circulation processing unit avoids resource waste. The circulation processing unit can collect the drawn-out atomized nutrient solution. Preferably, both the air inlet pipe 31 and the air outlet pipe 32 may be equipped with a power component to at least achieve active air delivery.

[0058] Preferably, the air inlet pipe 31 and air outlet pipe 32 of the air supply module 303 can be sealed to the air inlet and air outlet opened on the main body module 10. In this case, the planting hole 12 is set in the area near the air inlet and air outlet in such a way that no seedlings are planted or few seedlings are planted, so as to avoid the roots of the seedlings from blocking the air inlet and air outlet. Furthermore, the air inlet and outlet on the main module 10 can be configured in the following way: the air inlet and outlet can be set in a way that is not directly opposite each other and does not share the same side. The not directly opposite setting can ensure that the air introduced into the internal cavity can ensure that the roots of all or designated seedlings can receive the corresponding oxygen by at least partially prolonging the internal residence time. The internal residence time refers to the average time collected from the start of timing of each air molecule in a batch of several units of air molecules until the timing ends at the air outlet. The not sharing the same side setting can ensure that the air inlet and outlet can form a relatively smooth air flow channel in the internal cavity to avoid generating too much turbulence or vortex in the internal cavity, thereby affecting the absorption of nutrient solution and / or oxygen by the plant roots.

[0059] Preferably, the main body module 10 can be configured as a narrow strip, such that the main body module 10 has at least a long side and a wide side, wherein the length of the long side can be greater than the length of the wide side. Further, based on the configuration of the long and wide sides of the main body module 10, the planting holes 12 opened on the top cover 11 can have corresponding planting coordinates based on their long and wide side positions. Preferably, to avoid the roots of adjacent seedlings becoming entangled due to excessively close spacing, any two adjacent planting holes 12 opened on the top cover 11 do not have the same long or wide side coordinates, and the distance between any two adjacent planting holes 12 is at least greater than a preset distance. The preset distance can be determined according to the variety of the seedling; different varieties of seedlings require different amounts of space during their growth.

[0060] Preferably, the main module 10 can have corresponding air inlets and outlets on its long and wide sidewalls, respectively, so that the air inlets and outlets are arranged in a way that is not directly opposite each other and does not share the same side. More preferably, the air inlet can be arranged on the sidewall of the wide side of the main module 10, and the air outlet can be arranged on the sidewall of the long side of the main module 10. Preferably, air inlets are arranged on the sidewalls of both wide sides of the main module 10, and corresponding air inlet pipes 31 are arranged, so that when air is introduced through the air inlets, the generally narrow strip-shaped internal cavity can be quickly filled, and then the air can be quickly discharged through the air outlets arranged on different sides of the air inlets.

[0061] Preferably, the air inlet pipe 31 of the air supply module 303 is configured such that at least a portion of its structure extends into the air inlet, allowing the air delivery end extending into the air inlet to be angle-adjustable. The air inlet pipe 31 can adjust the airflow direction of the air delivery end via an angle adjustment mechanism. Further, the angle adjustment mechanism can set multiple continuous or discontinuous points in the horizontal direction. Continuous points refer to the air delivery end being able to remain at any position between two adjacent points; discontinuous points refer to the air delivery end being able to remain only at preset point positions. In other words, based on the point settings of the angle adjustment mechanism, the air delivery end can at least remain at the preset point positions. Preferably, the air delivery ends of different air inlet pipes 31 can be independently controlled to form multiple flow fields within the internal cavity based on different control logics.

[0062] Preferably, the aeroponic system may be configured with one or more acquisition modules 404 for at least acquiring image information of the roots of the seedlings, thereby confirming the current growth status of the plants. Since the roots of the seedlings typically need to be protected from light during aeroponics, the sidewalls of the main module 10 are usually made of a non-transparent material. The acquisition modules 404 must be disposed within the internal cavity of the main module 10, at least in a way that provides water protection. Preferably, the water protection measures applied to the acquisition modules 404 may, for example, involve placing the acquisition modules 404 within a sealed container, and at least a portion of this container is made of a transparent material for optical acquisition. Furthermore, the receiving box is made of transparent material on at least the side of the acquisition module 404 facing the roots of the seedling. Preferably, the receiving box is configured such that the orientation (or imaging angle) of the acquisition module 404 placed in the receiving box is not on the line connecting any two planting holes 12 (or seedlings), so as to avoid overlapping of root images caused by the shooting angle limitation when the acquisition module 404 acquires image information of the plant roots, thereby affecting the identification of the roots of the seedlings contained in the image and the confirmation of the current growth status. Preferably, based on the following configuration of the planting holes 12, that is, any two adjacent planting holes 12 opened on the top cover 11 do not have the same long side coordinates or wide side coordinates (or have different long side coordinates or wide side coordinates), the acquisition module 404 with the receiving box can be set on the side wall of the long side of the main module 10 to acquire relatively independent plant root image information. Furthermore, the acquisition module 404 can be positioned on a different side from the air outlet to avoid positional conflicts. This also facilitates the extraction of air containing atomized nutrient solution from the opposite side of the air outlet, preventing the nutrient solution from condensing into large droplets on the container and affecting the imaging effect of the acquisition module 404. Preferably, based on the imaging parameters of the acquisition module 404 and / or the opening method of the planting holes 12, the number of acquisition modules 404 set or activated is determined, and corresponding shooting tasks are assigned to the activated acquisition modules 404. The imaging parameters of the acquisition module 404 may include imaging angle, imaging distance, etc., and the opening method of the planting holes 12 may include opening angle, opening spacing, etc. The shooting tasks assigned to the acquisition module 404 at least include shooting interval period, shooting range, etc.

[0063] Preferably, the shooting task of the acquisition module 404 can be assigned by the central control module 505 configured in the aeroponic system. The central control module 505 can receive the image information and / or environmental detection information of the internal cavity acquired by the acquisition module 404 to determine the current growth status of the seedlings and the influence of environmental factors on the current growth status of the seedlings.

[0064] Preferably, the central control module 505 initiates an analysis program in response to the received image information. The purpose of the analysis program is to extract and identify the image information to determine the growth status of the root region of the corresponding seedling, thereby assessing the overall growth status of the seedling. Further, the central control module 505 can acquire the entire or partial external contour of the root region of the seedling through the image information, and determine the growth status of the root region of the corresponding seedling based on a comparison of this external contour with a pre-stored model.

[0065] Preferably, the aeroponic system of this application is suitable for seedlings with characteristic parts in the root region, so that when the central control module 505 analyzes the image information related to the root region acquired by the acquisition module 404, it can focus on analyzing the characteristic parts. These characteristic parts have at least one distinguishable feature from other parts of the root region, which helps the central control module 505 identify the corresponding characteristic parts from the image information. For example, the seedling with characteristic parts in the root region can be a potato crop or other crops similar to potatoes; the characteristic part of a potato crop is its tuber.

[0066] The reason this application selected potato or other similar crops as preferred embodiments is that potatoes are high-yield crops, but during cultivation, leaf curling, stunted plant growth, weak stems, small or deformed tubers, and aging and cracking of the skin are often observed. These are what are commonly referred to as potato degeneration. Degeneration means that potatoes are infected with viral diseases, which seriously affects potato yield and quality. Virus-free seed potatoes refer to potato seed potatoes that have undergone a series of technical measures to remove viruses from the tubers, resulting in virus-free or minimally virus-infected seed potatoes. These seed potatoes have advantages such as early maturity, high yield, and good quality. Potato yield and quality are closely related to seed potatoes. Poor seed potatoes will significantly reduce yield and quality. Once viruses invade potato plants and tubers, they will cause severe potato degeneration and various diseases, leading to a substantial decrease in potato yield.

[0067] While aeroponics technology enables efficient and high-quality cultivation of virus-free seed potatoes, current technologies lack accurate monitoring of plant growth status (e.g., growth stage) and the development of characteristic parts (e.g., tuber formation). Manual visual inspection is prone to significant errors, and differing standards among inspectors can lead to variations in harvesting criteria, resulting in omissions or premature harvesting. Furthermore, for large-scale plant factories, manually inspecting the development of characteristic parts (e.g., tuber formation) significantly increases labor costs and typically requires removing the plants from the aeroponic environment, potentially impacting normal plant growth. Therefore, the aeroponic system of this application addresses these issues by acquiring image information related to the root region of the seed potatoes via the acquisition module 404.

[0068] Preferably, when analyzing a plant with characteristic parts in its root region, the central control module 505 can identify all characteristic parts in the image information of the root region based on a pre-recorded feature model. The growth pattern of these characteristic parts in the root region differs from that of other parts, facilitating identification by the central control module 505. For example, the central control module 505 can designate the tuber of a potato crop as a characteristic part with attributes different from fibrous roots. The tuber and fibrous roots of a potato crop have different growth patterns, and their changing trends during growth can be captured and identified based on time series data. Furthermore, when identifying characteristic parts in the image information, the central control module 505 can perform secondary identification at least when abnormal characteristic parts appear in the root region of the plant. These abnormal characteristic parts may be abnormal structures resulting from unsuitable growth environments or from the influence of the imaging angle of the acquisition module 404, forming abnormal structures after multiple characteristic parts are superimposed on the image. Furthermore, the alienated feature parts can be obtained at least through reasonable calculation of the feature parts, and usually cannot be formed by combining other parts of the root region. That is, when the central control module 505 finds that any part of the root region is neither a feature part nor another part, it can calculate what parts can grow or combine to obtain that part. Preferably, when the central control module 505 determines the existence of abnormal feature parts, it can identify the cause of the abnormal feature parts. Specifically, when the central control module 505 determines that the abnormal growth of the feature parts is caused by the influence of the growth environment, it can at least adjust the environmental parameters, such as the atomization method, ambient temperature and humidity, oxygen content, and carbon dioxide content. When the central control module 505 determines that the overlapping of multiple feature parts is caused by the imaging angle of the acquisition module 404, it can determine the number and order of overlapping feature parts in the image information by boundary division, and can delineate the outer contour of each feature part in a front-to-back order. The outer contour of the feature parts located in the later position can be roughly delineated based on the conventional structure of the feature parts and the local contour of the unobstructed part. The later position refers to the overlapping order that is not in the first position. The order of overlapping is defined from front to back, and the front-to-back direction is the imaging direction of the acquisition module 404 (usually in the same direction as the wide side direction). The earlier the overlapping order is, the closer it is to the acquisition module 404.

[0069] Preferably, the central control module 505 pre-stores a standard model of the feature region. When the identified and / or delineated feature region meets the error threshold of the standard model, it can be assigned a qualified label. The assigned qualified label at least includes the coordinates of the planting hole 12 of the crop corresponding to the feature region and the position of the feature region in the root region of the corresponding crop. Further, the position of the feature region in the root region of the corresponding crop can be set in a manner different from the order of stacking. That is, the central control module 505 can sort the positions in a different order than from front to back. When sorting the positions, multiple feature regions with overlapping images can be assigned the same position sequence and can be further subdivided according to their respective stacking order. More preferably, the position of the feature region in the root region of the corresponding crop can be arranged in a left-to-right or right-to-left direction. The left-to-right or right-to-left direction is orthogonal to the imaging direction of the acquisition module 404 (usually in the same direction as the long side).

[0070] Preferably, when the harvest interval and / or the preset number of qualified labels are reached, targeted harvesting is performed on individual or all characteristic parts of each crop that have been assigned qualified labels, based on the coordinates and positions attached to the qualified labels. Targeted harvesting means that the qualified characteristic parts can be located and harvested based on the coordinates and positions attached to the qualified labels. This avoids the problem of inaccurate manual inspection and also avoids the waste of productivity caused by simply setting the harvest interval. This waste of productivity refers to the situation where harvesting is started as soon as the harvest interval is reached, but after manual inspection throughout the entire process, only a very small number of characteristic parts meet the requirements, resulting in a low input-output ratio and a significant waste of labor and material costs. Preferably, during the harvesting process, the top cover 11 can be raised at least in the opposite direction of the first direction so that the characteristic parts can be removed from the internal cavity and exposed to the external environment. After targeted harvesting, the top cover 11 can then fall back in the first direction, enclosing the root area back into the internal cavity. Furthermore, since the root region of a breeding plant may contain multiple characteristic parts, and these characteristic parts may have varying degrees of development (partial or complete), even two characteristic parts belonging to the same breeding plant's root region may obtain corresponding qualified tags at different times. Therefore, after the top cover 11 is lowered, the acquisition module 404 can be activated to acquire post-harvest image information and send it to the central control module 505. The central control module 505 determines whether the coordinates and position of the harvested characteristic part are consistent with the previous qualified tag based on the post-harvest image information. Furthermore, for cases where harvesting should have occurred in the previous harvesting stage but was not carried out, the central control module 505 can assign a timeout tag. For characteristic parts with timeout tags, their status needs to be placed separately and evaluated in subsequent harvesting stages. This situation may occur due to harvesting omissions or inaccuracies in predicting the outer contour of the later-positioned characteristic part when images are superimposed.

[0071] Preferably, when the central control module 505 starts the analysis program on the image information, in addition to determining the feature parts that can be assigned a qualified label, it can also determine the adjustment method of environmental parameters based on the overall and / or local growth of the root regions (especially the feature parts) of each plant in the internal cavity. The adjustment of environmental parameters can be achieved at least by sending control signals to the atomization module 20 and / or the air supply module 303.

[0072] Preferably, the atomizing module 20, responding to the control signal, can adjust the following operating parameters: atomized particle injection angle, atomized particle ejection speed, atomized particle size, atomization working time, atomization interval time, etc. Preferably, the air supply module 303, responding to the control signal, can adjust the following operating parameters: air intake volume, air intake angle, oxygen / carbon dioxide content, etc.

[0073] Preferably, the central control module 505 can simulate the spatial state of the internal cavity to determine the flow field state in the space, wherein the flow field state includes at least the air flow field state and the atomized nutrient solution flow field state. Further, when an air flow field is formed in the internal cavity, it affects the flow field state of the atomized nutrient solution, thereby adjusting the mist dispersion state of the internal cavity. Based on airflow at different angles and speeds, the atomized nutrient solution, after being sprayed, can switch to the corresponding dispersion state and fill the internal cavity in a manner conducive to the growth of at least some of the seedlings, based on the flow trend of the air flow field.

[0074] Example 3

[0075] This embodiment is a further improvement on Embodiment 1 and / or 2, and the repeated content will not be described again.

[0076] Preferably, the residual nutrient solution exported from the aeroponic system of the present invention can be recycled or discarded after testing. The decision to recycle or discard can be based on the test results. When the residual nutrient solution still has recycling value and will not have a negative impact on the nutrient solution stored in the supply tank 24 that could cause changes in the properties of the nutrient solution, it can be recycled and returned to the supply tank 24. Preferably, the concentration of the nutrient solution in the supply tank 24 will change constantly with the introduction of the recycled residual nutrient solution. The concentration of the nutrient solution supplied by the supply tank 24 to the nutrient nozzle 21 can be balanced by adjusting the concentration of the newly added original nutrient solution. Alternatively, the recycled residual nutrient solution can be recycled and returned to the supply tank 24 without mixing with the original nutrient solution. After a certain amount of recycling is reached, the concentration is adjusted uniformly to maintain the concentration of the nutrient solution supplied by the supply tank 24 to the nutrient nozzle 21.

[0077] Preferably, the nutrient solution provided by the nutrient supply tank 24 to the nutrient nozzle 21 is output after strict control of the EC value and pH value. The EC value is used to measure the concentration of soluble salts in the solution. High concentrations of soluble salts can damage plants or cause the death of plant roots. The pH value is used to characterize the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution. Plants can only grow normally under suitable acid-base conditions.

[0078] Preferably, the discharged residual nutrient solution, if it has recycling value, can be separated and sterilized by a recycling component. The separation by the recycling component aims to separate larger suspended particles in the nutrient solution, preventing them from entering the nutrient nozzle 21 and causing blockage, thereby saving maintenance costs for the nutrient nozzle 21. The sterilization by the recycling component can prevent cross-contamination of the nutrient solution by avoiding the generation of other impurities, unnecessary chemical reactions, and significant changes in the nutrient solution temperature, thus preventing contaminated nutrient solution from re-entering the internal cavity of the main module 10 through the nutrient nozzle 21 and causing nutritional damage to the normally growing seedlings. For example, the separation function of the recycling component can be achieved by configuring one or more of the following: a sieve, microfiltration membrane, ultrafiltration membrane, nanofiltration membrane, reverse osmosis membrane, pervaporation membrane, and ion exchange membrane. For example, the recycling component can be configured with one or more of the following: an ultraviolet sterilizer, an ionizing radiation sterilizer, and a thermal sterilizer.

[0079] Preferably, the recycling unit is able to transport the collected, atomized nutrient solution in liquid form to the recovery component of the atomization module 20.

[0080] Example 4

[0081] This embodiment is a further improvement on embodiments 1, 2 and / or 3, and repeated content will not be described again.

[0082] This invention discloses a mist culture method based on air circulation, which includes at least the following steps:

[0083] The seedlings are placed in the planting holes 12 opened on the top cover 11, and the planting holes 12 have corresponding planting coordinates based on the long side position and the wide side position of the top cover 11.

[0084] Based on the imaging parameters of the acquisition module 404 and / or the opening method of the planting hole 12, determine the number of acquisition modules 404 that are set or enabled, and assign corresponding shooting tasks to the enabled acquisition modules 404.

[0085] The image information acquired by the acquisition module 404 is analyzed and processed to determine the growth status of the root region of the seedlings.

[0086] Based on the overall and / or local growth of the root regions (especially characteristic parts) of each breeding plant in the internal cavity, determine targeted harvesting schemes and / or methods for adjusting environmental parameters for the characteristic parts.

[0087] It should be noted that the specific embodiments described above are exemplary. Those skilled in the art can devise various solutions inspired by the disclosure of this invention, and these solutions all fall within the scope of this invention and its protection. Those skilled in the art should understand that this specification and its accompanying drawings are illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on the claims. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. This specification contains multiple inventive concepts; terms such as "preferredly," "according to a preferred embodiment," or "optionally" indicate that the corresponding paragraph discloses an independent concept. The applicant reserves the right to file divisional applications based on each inventive concept. Throughout the text, features introduced by "preferredly" are merely optional and should not be construed as mandatory. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to abandon or delete relevant preferred features at any time.

Claims

1. A misting system based on air circulation, comprising: The main module is defined as a narrow, strip-shaped internal cavity for accommodating the root region of the seedlings. This module is used to acquire image information of the root region of the seedlings located in the internal cavity. The central control module receives image information acquired by the acquisition module. Its features are, The internal cavity of the main module provides a growth environment for the root region of the seedlings, which is regulated by the central control module through control signals sent to the atomization module and / or air supply module. The growth environment includes the spatial flow field state of the internal cavity air flow field state and the atomized nutrient solution flow field state. The central control module generates corresponding control signals for adjusting the growth environment based on the received image information. The processing of image information by the central control module includes identifying characteristic parts of the root region of the seedlings. When identifying characteristic parts in the image information, the central control module performs secondary identification in cases where abnormal characteristic parts appear in the root region of the seedlings. When the central control module identifies the presence of abnormal feature areas, it determines the cause of their formation. If the abnormal growth is due to environmental factors, the module adjusts the environmental parameters. If the overlapping of multiple feature areas is caused by the imaging angle of the acquisition module, the module determines the number and order of overlapping feature areas in the image information through boundary delineation, and sequentially delineates the outer contours of each feature area from front to back. The central control module receives image information and / or environmental detection information from the acquisition module to determine the current growth status of the seedlings and the impact of environmental factors on their current growth status. In response to the received image information, it initiates an analysis program to determine the growth status of the root region of the corresponding seedling, and determines the adjustment method for growth environment parameters based on the overall and / or local growth status of the root regions of each seedling within the internal cavity. The main module is configured with connecting ports divided into air inlets and air outlets based on the different functions of the connected pipes. The air inlets and outlets are set in a way that is not directly opposite each other and does not share a side. The central control module sends control signals to the air supply module to adjust the air flow field in the spatial flow field state, thereby affecting the flow field state of the atomized nutrient solution. Based on the air flow at different angles and speeds, the atomized nutrient solution, after being sprayed, switches to the corresponding dispersion state in a way that is conducive to the growth of some seedlings and fills the internal cavity, based on the flow trend of the air flow field. The air supply module includes air inlet pipes and air outlet pipes that are connected to different connecting ports of the main module. The adjustment of the air flow field by the air supply module causes a change in the flow field of the atomized nutrient solution, and the flow field of the atomized nutrient solution is also changed based on the adjustment of the operating parameters of the atomization module.

2. The aeroponic system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central control module (50) can assign corresponding shooting tasks to the set or enabled acquisition module (40), wherein the acquisition module (40) can at least set the imaging angle in a manner that is not on the line connecting any two planting holes (12).

3. A method for aeroponic cultivation based on air circulation, characterized in that, The aeroponic method is implemented based on the aeroponic system according to claim 1 or 2, and the aeroponic method includes the following steps: The seedlings are placed in the planting holes (12) opened on the top cover (11), and the planting holes have corresponding planting coordinates based on the long side and the wide side of the top cover (11) where they are located. Based on the imaging parameters of the acquisition module (40) and / or the opening method of the planting hole (12), determine the number of acquisition modules (40) to be set or enabled, and assign corresponding shooting tasks to the enabled acquisition modules (40). The image information acquired by the acquisition module (40) is analyzed and processed to determine the growth status of the root area of ​​the seedlings; Based on the overall and / or local growth of the root regions of each breeding plant in the internal cavity, determine targeted harvesting plans and / or methods for adjusting environmental parameters for characteristic parts.

4. The aeroponic method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Planting holes (12) are made on the top cover (11) in such a way that planting holes (12) at any two adjacent positions do not have the same long side coordinates or wide side coordinates.

5. The aeroponic method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The imaging parameters of the acquisition module (40) include at least the imaging angle, wherein the acquisition module (40) is at least able to set the imaging angle in a manner that is not on the line connecting any two planting holes (12).

6. The aeroponic method according to claim 3, characterized in that, When analyzing breeding plants with characteristic parts in the root region, it is possible to identify all characteristic parts in the image information of the root region based on the pre-recorded feature model, and delineate the outer contour of each characteristic part separately for comparison with the pre-stored feature model.

7. The aeroponic method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The environmental parameters can be adjusted at least by sending control signals to the atomization module (20) and / or the air supply module (30), wherein adjusting the air flow field by driving the air supply module (30) can at least cause a change in the atomized nutrient solution flow field.

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