Plant treatment systems, especially those used in agriculture.

Abstract

This invention proposes a system for treating plants, comprising: a spray bar with a plurality of spray nozzles distributed on the spray bar and fed by a spray control device; a set of cameras capable of capturing images of an area to be treated; and a digital processing device capable of analyzing the images captured by the cameras, identifying the plants to be treated, and issuing instructions to the spray control device to spray at least one product onto the plants to be treated. According to the invention, the spray nozzles and the spray control device are configured to apply a substantially uniform dose of product to the area to be treated independently of the identification of the plants to be treated in the images, and to locally apply supplemental doses of product to the plants to be treated identified by the digital processing device. This is particularly suitable for agricultural applications or for treating non-cultivated spaces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Generally speaking, this invention relates to the field of plant treatment. Existing technology

[0002] Methods and systems for selectively treating vegetation in cultivated or railway areas are known according to applicants WO2018142371A1, WO2018141995A1, and WO2018154490A1. Such systems include a spray bar moved by a tractor and equipped with multiple spaced-apart nozzles. The spray bar also includes one or more cameras and one or more processing units, the cameras capturing images of the field while the system is moving, and the processing units identifying vegetation in the captured images using learning-based image recognition technology and controlling the spray nozzles in real time to apply treatment locally, such as herbicide treatment, only at locations where the presence of vegetation to be treated is detected.

[0003] Compared to conventional solutions where all nozzles feed simultaneously and continuously as the system moves through the area to be treated, this system allows for a significant reduction in the use of treated products, such as plant protection products.

[0004] However, one problem associated with spot spraying triggered by the identification of the plants to be treated is the fact that some plants may be very small and difficult to identify. Furthermore, some plants may be hidden beneath larger plants and invisible to the image processing system. Therefore, the effective spraying rate of the treated material can be significantly lower than 100%, thus losing a considerable portion of the advantages of spot spraying. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to limit such drawbacks.

[0006] To this end, a plant treatment system is proposed, comprising a spray bar having multiple spray nozzles distributed on the spray bar and supplied by a spray control device. The system includes: a set of cameras capable of capturing images of an area to be treated; and a digital processing device capable of analyzing the images captured by the cameras, identifying plants to be treated, and issuing instructions to the spray control device to spray at least one product onto the plants to be treated. The system is characterized in that the spray nozzles and the spray control device are configured to apply a substantially uniform dose of product to the area to be treated independently of the identification of the plants to be treated in the images, and to locally apply a supplementary dose of product to the plants to be treated identified by the digital processing device.

[0007] Preferred aspects of the system include the following optional additional features, considered individually or in any combination that can be designed by a person skilled in the art, such as

[0008] *The product used for applying a roughly uniform dose and the product used as a supplementary dose are the same product.

[0009] *The product used for applying a roughly uniform dose and the product used as a supplementary dose are different products.

[0010] The system includes two rows of nozzles distributed along the spray bar. The first row of nozzles is capable of applying a roughly uniform dose of product, and the second row of nozzles is capable of applying a local supplemental dose to the identified plant.

[0011] These two rows of nozzles are connected to a shared product container via a supply device.

[0012] *For the first row of spray nozzles, the supply unit includes a separate control valve for each nozzle.

[0013] *For the second row of nozzles, the supply device includes a common control valve for at least one group of nozzles.

[0014] *For the second row of nozzles, the supply device includes a control valve for each nozzle.

[0015] The system includes a row of nozzles distributed along the spray bar and associated with corresponding control valves having more than two open states. The spray control device is capable of putting the control valves into a first state that allows the application of a substantially uniform product dose, while occasionally putting at least one nozzle identified from plant identification by a digital processing device into a second state in which the product dose is increased.

[0016] The control valve features proportional control.

[0017] *A roughly uniform product dosage is a small fraction of the recommended nominal dosage for the product in question.

[0018] *The supplemental product dosage, when added to a roughly uniform dosage, approximately yields the recommended nominal dosage for the product in question. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which are provided by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] In the attached diagram:

[0021] - Figure 1 This is a schematic partial top view of a spray bar according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] - Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A partial side front view of the spray bar;

[0023] - Figure 3 This is a schematic partial top view of a spray bar according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The image shows a spray bar 10, which includes a support structure 100 and two sets of spray nozzles. The support structure is, for example, made of metal, and the two sets of spray nozzles are distributed on the extension of the spray bar 10.

[0025] The first series of spray nozzles 110a are fed by a first common line or pipe 112a connected to a source 130 of liquid to be sprayed under pressure, while the second series of spray nozzles 110b are fed by a second common line or pipe 112b also connected to a source 130 of liquid to be sprayed under pressure.

[0026] At least at the first series of nozzles 110a, spraying is controlled by a plurality of control valves 114a installed between the common line 112a and the respective nozzles, such that each valve can be selectively opened independently of the other valves at any desired time, so that the corresponding nozzle can be placed into the line 112a for spraying liquid.

[0027] Regarding the second series of nozzles 110b, multiple control valves 114b are provided that are associated with the respective nozzles and enable the nozzles to communicate individually with the common line 112b, or (as shown by the dashed line) a single common valve 115b is installed between the container 130 of the liquid to be dispersed and the line 112b.

[0028] Different control valves are controlled by the spray control unit 120. The control valves are preferably commercially available solenoid valves with PWM (pulse width modulation) control, which allows for proportional control of the average rate and therefore the dose applied to the plant per unit time.

[0029] The spray bar is either integrated into machine E, towed by the machine, or carried by the machine, wherein the machine may in particular be an agricultural tractor or a road or rail vehicle used for handling non-cultivated spaces.

[0030] The spray boom 110 also carries a set of cameras 210, whose axis AC is oriented upwards in a vertical plane parallel to the machine's direction of travel D, and is capable of capturing images of the area Z in which the spray boom 100 is moving to identify the plants to be treated. The plants can be weeds on which herbicides are selectively sprayed, or cultivated plants on which phytosanitary products (insecticides, fertilizers, growth regulators, etc.) are selectively sprayed. In a variant not shown, the cameras may be oriented vertically downwards.

[0031] Camera 210 is connected to one or more digital processing units 220, which are capable of analyzing images captured by the camera to determine the presence of a target plant. This analysis is accomplished, for example, by decomposing each image into sub-images of a defined size, applying a convolution function to each of these sub-images using a weight matrix, and determining the probability of the target plant's presence based on the result of the convolution. Such techniques are described in the applicant's documents WO2018142371A1 and WO2018141995A1.

[0032] Depending on the situation, each spray bar may include any supplementary equipment, such as height measuring devices, devices for controlling the position or geometry of the spray bar, lighting systems, etc.

[0033] Whenever a plant to be treated is detected in an image by the processing unit 220, its position in the image allows inference of its actual position in the area being treated, and the corresponding data is transmitted to the spray control unit 120.

[0034] According to one aspect of the invention, the control unit 120 is capable of controlling the spraying operation such that, initially, as the machine moves, the area to be treated is uniformly sprayed using all the second series of nozzles 110b. Preferably, the composition of the control circuit 120 and / or the nozzle supply circuit is configured such that the dose applied by the nozzles 110b is substantially uniform across the entire area to be treated, taking into account, in particular, the head loss in the supply line 112b. This uniform spraying is implemented independently of the detection of the actual presence or absence of the plants to be treated in area Z by a vision system including camera 210 and processing unit 220.

[0035] Preferably, the dose applied for such uniform spraying (generally defined by the product weight or volume per unit treated surface) is a small fraction of the recommended nominal dose, for example, 10% to 40%, preferably about 20% in the case of herbicides, said dose being applied by appropriately controlling control valves 114b or 115b associated with the nozzles of the second series.

[0036] In parallel with the continuous operation, the system is configured to perform spot spraying of the product at the location where the plant to be treated has been identified in an image captured by camera 210. To this end, processing unit 220 sends data to spray control unit 120, allowing spray control unit to determine which nozzle 110a of the first series of nozzles must be activated and when it must be activated (particularly depending on the machine's travel speed), as described in the applicant's previous patent application, and sends an opening command to the corresponding control valve at that time (taking into account possible delays).

[0037] The dosage used for such spot spraying is preferably close to the nominal dosage recommended for the product in question, and for example, in the case where the nozzle of the second series 112b applies a dosage of 20% of the nominal dosage, the dosage used for such spot spraying is approximately 80% of the nominal dosage. Alternatively, in the case where the solenoid valve 112a has proportional control, it is conceivable to adjust the dosage according to one or more criteria (such as the detected plant type, the developmental stage of the plant as estimated by the vision systems 210, 220, and / or other factors (such as environmental conditions, the speed of the machine, etc.)).

[0038] Therefore, the first series of nozzles 110a allows for localized treatment with guaranteed efficiency at the plants to be treated, which are detected by the vision systems 210, 220, while the second series of nozzles 110b applies safe treatment to the entire area to treat plants that may not have been detected by the vision system for any reason (plants are too small, plants are hidden, plants were not classified during identification, etc.).

[0039] In the second implementation scheme and referenced Figure 3 The nozzle rod has a single series of nozzles 110a, each nozzle being connected to a common supply line 112a via a corresponding control valve.

[0040] In this embodiment, each valve 112a has proportional control, meaning it can release a product dose that varies according to instructions and subsequently between 0% and 100%.

[0041] In a steady state, the control valve 112a causes each nozzle in the nozzle 110a to release, for example, 10% to 40% of the nominal dose of product, preferably about 20% of the product dose in the case of foliar herbicides.

[0042] When the plants to be treated are identified by vision systems 210 and 220, the relevant nozzles and the start and end times of the spot treatment are determined at treatment unit 220 and control unit 120. The control valves of the relevant nozzles are also controlled by control unit 120 to perform a larger opening of the control valve 112a associated with the relevant nozzles between the calculated start and end times, so as to perform a spraying operation with a higher dose (e.g., the nominal dose for the product in question) during that time window.

[0043] Therefore, the same advantages as the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0044] Of course, the present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described and depicted, but those skilled in the art will be able to make many variations and modifications. In particular:

[0045] - "Nozzle" means a single nozzle or a group or a string of nozzles, such as nozzles that operate in different directions and / or have different spraying geometries;

[0046] - In the case of a group of nozzles, the associated control valve may include a valve for each nozzle, a valve for each group, or a valve for a subgroup;

[0047] - Control valves (whether they are on / off or have proportional control) can be made by any suitable technology that integrates them into the nozzle or separates them from the nozzle;

[0048] - The system of the first embodiment can be used to apply two different products, such as applying a uniformly wetting product by means of a second series of nozzles, and applying a local treatment product by means of a first series of nozzles;

[0049] - The activation of the associated nozzles for point spraying also includes the activation of a group of adjacent nozzles;

[0050] - "Digital processing unit" refers to a single processing device and a group of processing devices, especially processing devices for parallel processing, which may be distributed in different locations of the plant treatment system and associated with corresponding cameras or corresponding camera groups.

[0051] This invention relates to agriculture and any field in which plant treatment may be necessary, such as the application of herbicides to weeds, particularly in areas such as transportation and urban management. This can be implemented by an operator based on his or her on-site observations and decisions regarding the operation to be performed.

[0052] Alternatively, it can be implemented automatically or semi-automatically based on image analysis of a sample, for example, the area to be processed, wherein the selection can be uniform processing, local processing, or a combination of uniform processing and local processing as described above.

Claims

1. A plant treatment system, the plant treatment system comprising a spray bar, the spray bar having a plurality of spray nozzles distributed on the spray bar, and the spray nozzles being fed by a spray control device, the plant treatment system comprising: A set of cameras, the set of cameras being capable of capturing images of the area to be processed; A digital processing device capable of analyzing the image captured by the camera, identifying the plant to be treated, and issuing instructions to the spray control device to spray at least one product onto the plant to be treated, the plant treatment system being characterized in that the spray nozzle and the spray control device are configured to apply a uniform dose of product to the area to be treated independently of the identification of the plant to be treated in the image, and to apply a supplementary dose of product locally to the plant to be treated identified by the digital processing device.

2. The plant treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The product applied for the uniform dose and the product applied as a supplementary dose are the same product.

3. The plant treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The product applied for the uniform dose and the product applied as a supplementary dose are different products.

4. The plant treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The plant treatment system includes two rows of nozzles distributed along the spray bar, the first row of nozzles being capable of applying the uniform dose of the product, and the second row of nozzles being capable of applying the localized supplemental dose to the identified plant.

5. The plant treatment system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plant treatment system includes two rows of nozzles distributed along the spray bar, the first row of nozzles being capable of applying the uniform dose of the product, and the second row of nozzles being capable of applying the localized supplemental dose to the identified plant, both the first row of nozzles and the second row of nozzles being connected to a common product container via a supply device.

6. The plant treatment system according to claim 5, characterized in that, For the first row of nozzles, the supply device includes a separate control valve for each nozzle.

7. The plant treatment system according to claim 6, characterized in that, For the second row of nozzles, the supply device includes a common control valve for at least one group of nozzles.

8. The plant treatment system according to claim 6, characterized in that, For the second row of nozzles, the supply device includes a control valve for each nozzle.

9. The plant treatment system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The plant treatment system includes a row of nozzles distributed along the spray bar and associated with corresponding control valves having more than two open states. The spray control device is capable of causing the control valves to enter a first state that allows the application of the uniform dose of product, while occasionally causing at least one nozzle identified by the digital processing device from plant identification to enter a second state in which the product dose is increased.

10. The plant treatment system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control valve has proportional control.

11. The plant treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The uniform dose of the product is a small fraction of the nominal dose recommended for the product.

12. The plant treatment system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The uniform dose of the product is a small fraction of the nominal dose recommended for the product, and the supplementary dose of the product plus the uniform dose yields the nominal dose recommended for the product.

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