Automatic plant farm control system in planetary environment

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic plant farm control system in a planetary environment. The automatic plant farm control system comprises a central control system, an environment monitoring system, a plant cultivation cabin, a nutrient management system, an automatic sowing and harvesting system and a resource recovery and circulation system. Under the conditions of extreme temperature difference, low air pressure and non-earth type atmosphere, temperature, humidity and gas balance environment needed by plants can be provided, and adaptive growth of the plants on different planets is ensured. And secondly, cosmic rays, solar wind and planetary surface radiation can be resisted. Besides, a closed-loop resource circulation system is developed especially for the current situation that deep space resources are deficient, multi-stage purification and recovery of water resources and efficient degradation and utilization of waste are achieved, and the resource use efficiency is remarkably improved. And finally, aiming at the deep space communication delay problem, the AI autonomous decision technology is adopted, environment regulation and control, irrigation management and fault repair can be completed without human intervention, and deep space task requirements are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of plant cultivation, and particularly to an automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment, aiming to provide a plant cultivation device and method suitable for harsh planetary environments, with efficient resource utilization and high automation levels. Background Art

[0002] The environment on the surface of a planet is significantly different from that of the Earth, mainly manifested as extremely high or low atmospheric pressure, extreme temperature differences, high or low gravity, high radiation, etc., which pose extremely high requirements for plant growth. Traditional crop cultivation methods on Earth cannot be directly applied to ordinary planets. Therefore, it is necessary to design an automated plant farm system adapted to the special environment of ordinary planets to meet the food supply required for long-term human survival in a planetary environment.

[0003] Most of the existing plant cultivation systems are based on the Earth environment. Although some research has conducted certain plant cultivation experiments for the space station environment, these experimental devices have problems such as poor scalability, low automation level, and insufficient environmental control accuracy, and cannot fully meet the planetary cultivation requirements. Therefore, developing a plant farm system that can perform precise control, efficient resource utilization, and high automation in a planetary environment has important practical significance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment to solve the challenges of plant cultivation in harsh planetary environments. The system includes a central control system, a plant cultivation chamber, an environmental monitoring system, a nutrient management system, and an automatic seeding and harvesting system. The functions of each module are interconnected and work together to jointly ensure the efficient growth of plants.

[0005] The specific technical solution of the present invention is: an automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment, including the following modules:

[0006] A central control system for collecting and analyzing environmental data, soil humidity and nutrient concentration data from each module, feeding back seeding and harvesting status, and generating control instructions based on the analysis results;

[0007] An environmental monitoring system for real-time monitoring of environmental data such as temperature, humidity, CO 2 concentration, and light intensity in the plant cultivation chamber, and sending the environmental data to the central control system;

[0008] A plant cultivation chamber for providing a stable growth environment for plants, receiving control instructions from the central control system and adjusting the temperature, humidity, CO 2 concentration, and light intensity in the chamber;

[0009] A nutrient management system that provides an appropriate amount of water and nutrients to plants according to their water and nutrient requirements and feeds back soil humidity and nutrient concentration data to a central control system;

[0010] An automatic sowing and harvesting system that automatically sows plant seeds and harvests mature plants and feeds back sowing and harvesting status to a central control system;

[0011] A resource recovery and recycling system that recovers wastewater and plant residues in a cultivation chamber and converts them into reusable water and nutrients.

[0012] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0013] The distinctions between the automated farm of the present invention and the Earth smart farm and the innovation points in terms of deep space exploration requirements are as follows:

[0014] In terms of the dynamic environmental regulation technology for planetary environment adaptation, it is different from the Earth smart farm: The Earth farm operates under relatively stable atmospheric conditions, while planetary environments usually have extreme temperature differences (e.g., the day-night temperature difference on Mars can reach over 100 °C), low air pressure (the atmospheric pressure on Mars is about 1% of that on Earth), and non-Earth-like gas compositions (e.g., the CO 2 concentration in the Martian atmosphere is about 96%).

[0015] Deep space requirement: The system is designed with a sealed and adjustable environmental structure, capable of dynamically adjusting temperature, humidity, air pressure, and CO 2 concentration to adapt to the environmental conditions of different planets and ensure plant growth.

[0016] In terms of the radiation shielding and plant protection system, it is different from the Earth smart farm: The Earth's surface is protected by the atmosphere and magnetic field, and the impact of cosmic radiation is relatively small, while the planetary surface (such as the Moon or Mars) is exposed to high-energy cosmic rays, solar wind, and surface radiation (the radiation intensity on Mars is about 50 - 100 times that on Earth).

[0017] Deep space requirement: The system effectively protects plants from high-energy radiation damage through a multi-layer composite shielding material and a dynamic radiation monitoring and adjustment mechanism, providing safety guarantees for plant cultivation during long-term planetary residence.

[0018] In terms of the resource efficient recovery and recycling system, it is different from the Earth smart farm: The Earth farm can rely on sufficient external water resources and soil nutrient supply, while the planetary farm needs to operate under extremely scarce resources.

[0019] Deep space requirement: The present invention adopts a closed-loop resource management mode, including multi-stage water purification and recycling technologies (extracting water from Martian underground ice and removing salts) and efficient biodegradation technologies for organic waste, ensuring that the resource recycling rate is close to 100%.

[0020] In terms of planting and irrigation technologies under low-gravity conditions, it is different from an Earth smart farm: The gravitational environment on Earth supports traditional irrigation and the normal growth of plant roots, while in a low-gravity environment (such as the Moon and Mars, which are 1 / 6 and 1 / 3 of the Earth's gravity respectively), the water distribution and root fixation will be significantly affected.

[0021] Deep-space requirements: The present invention adopts capillary action irrigation, spraying technology and a special planting substrate to ensure the uniform distribution of water under low gravity. At the same time, a support structure for the stable growth of plant roots is designed to solve the core problems of plant growth in a low-gravity environment.

[0022] In terms of planetary atmosphere adaptation and gas balance technology, it is different from an Earth smart farm: Earth farms rely on appropriate oxygen and CO 2 content, while the atmospheric composition of the planetary environment is often not suitable for plant growth (such as the atmosphere of Mars is mainly CO 2 , and the Moon has almost no atmosphere).

[0023] Deep-space requirements: This system realizes the dynamic regulation of CO 2 concentration through a gas control device, generates oxygen by plant photosynthesis, and removes harmful gases through filtration technology to build a self-circulating atmospheric environment suitable for plant growth.

[0024] In terms of high autonomous operation ability under deep-space communication delay, it is different from an Earth smart farm: Earth farms can rely on real-time monitoring and manual intervention, while the communication delay in the deep-space environment is serious (such as the communication delay between Mars and Earth can reach 20 minutes).

[0025] Deep-space requirements: This system integrates an AI-driven autonomous decision-making algorithm, which can analyze environmental changes in real time and make adjustments. Even in the case of communication interruption or delay, it can still autonomously complete environmental regulation, resource allocation and fault repair to ensure the long-term stable operation of the farm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of an automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

[0028] On the premise of conforming to the technical concept of the present invention, the structures, performances, effects or other features described in a certain specific embodiment can be combined into one or more other embodiments in any suitable manner.

[0029] In the process of introducing specific embodiments, the detailed descriptions of structures, performances, effects or other features are to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the embodiments. However, it does not exclude that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention with technical solutions that do not contain the above-mentioned structures, performances, effects or other features under specific circumstances.

[0030] The flowcharts in the drawings are only exemplary flow demonstrations, and do not mean that all the contents, operations and steps in the flowcharts must be included in the solutions of the present invention, nor does it mean that they must be executed in the order shown in the figures. For example, some operations / steps in the flowchart can be decomposed, some operations / steps can be combined or partially combined, etc. Without departing from the gist of the present invention, the execution order shown in the flowchart can be changed according to the actual situation.

[0031] The boxes in the drawings Figure 1 generally represent functional entities, and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software form, or implemented in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or implemented in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0032] The present invention is composed of multiple modules running in coordination to form an intelligent and automated closed-loop system to achieve stable growth of plants in a planetary environment. Each module of the present invention realizes precise control and efficient utilization of resources through data sensing, information processing, intelligent decision-making and execution feedback. The following details the operation modes of each module and the specific processes of their mutual cooperation.

[0033] As Figure 1 shown, the present invention is an automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment includes a central control system, a plant cultivation cabin, an environmental monitoring system, a nutrient management system, and an automatic sowing and harvesting system. The functions of each module are interconnected and work together to jointly ensure the efficient growth of plants.

[0034] The central control system in the present invention is the core of the entire planetary plant farm, responsible for data collection, analysis and processing, decision optimization, and the issuance of control instructions; responsible for overall monitoring, management and regulation of various resources and environmental parameters of the plant farm. Based on artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, the system automatically adjusts the working states of each system by obtaining data inputs from each module in real time and makes optimal decisions.

[0035] The central control system has the following functions: monitoring the operating status of all sensors and devices; receiving data from modules such as the environmental monitoring system, water and nutrient management system, automatic seeding and harvesting system, etc., and analyzing and processing them; automatically adjusting the environmental parameters (such as temperature, humidity, CO 2 concentration, light intensity, etc.) in the plant cultivation cabin according to the AI optimization algorithm to ensure that the plants are in the best growth state; managing and allocating resources to ensure the precise supply of resources such as water, light, and nutrients; automatically detecting and predicting potential failures and issuing alarms through the alarm system to ensure the stable operation of the system.

[0036] The central control system operates the entire farm in the following steps: receiving real-time data (such as temperature, humidity, CO 2 concentration, light intensity, etc.) from each system module (sensor); inputting the sensor data into the AI decision-making module; automatically adjusting the environmental control system, irrigation system, lighting system, etc. according to the processing results of the AI algorithm to maintain a suitable growth environment; when abnormalities occur in the environment and resource allocation, the system automatically issues an alarm and performs repairs or switches to an alternative plan.

[0037] Specifically, the central control system can be composed of the following hardware: an industrial-grade central processing unit (CPU) or an embedded computing unit; a data acquisition interface for receiving real-time data from sensors; a control interface for sending instructions to execution devices (such as environmental adjustment devices, irrigation systems, light sources, etc.); a human-machine interface for displaying data and status and accepting manual operations and interventions.

[0038] Specifically, the central control system has the following operating processes:

[0039] Data acquisition: The central control system receives real-time data from the environmental monitoring system, water and nutrient management system, automatic seeding and harvesting system through wireless or wired communication protocols (such as Wi-Fi, LoRa, CAN bus), including: environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, CO 2 concentration, light intensity; plant status information such as soil humidity, nutrient concentration; plant growth images captured by cameras.

[0040] Data analysis: The artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm or expert system built into the central control system analyzes the current state of the cultivation environment based on the collected environmental parameters, plant status information, and image data; identifies whether the plants are in the best growth state; determines whether it is necessary to adjust environmental parameters or resource allocation;

[0041] Decision-making and Optimization: Based on the analysis results, the central control system executes an optimization algorithm to adjust the following control parameters; adjust the light intensity and light duration to simulate the Earth's circadian rhythm; regulate the temperature and humidity to ensure compliance with the optimal growth conditions of plants; optimize the supply of water and nutrients and customize the supply according to the growth stage of plants.

[0042] Instruction Issuance: The central control system sends the optimized parameter values to each execution module to ensure the precise adjustment of the environment and resources.

[0043] The environmental monitoring system in the present invention monitors the environmental conditions inside the cultivation chamber in real time through multiple sensors and sends the data to the central control system for analysis and adjustment.

[0044] The said environmental monitoring system consists of multiple sensors, which are responsible for real-time monitoring of the key environmental parameters inside the plant cultivation chamber, including temperature, humidity, light intensity, CO 2 concentration, etc. Through these data, the central control system can automatically adjust the environment of the cultivation chamber to ensure the optimal growth conditions of plants.

[0045] The said environmental monitoring system has the following functions: real-time monitoring of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, CO 2 concentration inside the cultivation chamber; transmission of sensor data to the central control system for data analysis and processing; providing real-time feedback according to preset thresholds and the growth requirements of plants to assist the central control system in environmental adjustment; automatically triggering an alarm and notifying the central control system when abnormal data appears (such as too high or too low temperature, too high humidity, etc.).

[0046] The said environmental monitoring system operates according to the following steps: each sensor collects the environmental data inside the cultivation chamber; transmits the data to the central control system for real-time processing; according to the data feedback, the central control system automatically adjusts conditions such as temperature, humidity, and light to ensure that the environment is within a suitable range; when an abnormality occurs, the system issues an alarm to indicate manual intervention or automatically starts a repair program.

[0047] Specifically, the environmental monitoring system can be composed of the following hardware: temperature sensor: used to detect the temperature inside the cultivation chamber; humidity sensor: used to monitor the humidity in the air; CO 2 sensor: used to detect the carbon dioxide concentration; light sensor: used to measure the light intensity.

[0048] Specifically, the environmental monitoring system has the following operation process:

[0049] Data Acquisition: Each sensor collects environmental data at fixed time intervals (such as every 5 minutes).

[0050] Data Transmission: The sensor transmits data to the central control system, adopting a communication protocol with low latency and high reliability.

[0051] Real-time Feedback: If an abnormal environment (such as too high temperature or too low humidity) is detected, the environmental monitoring system will immediately trigger an alarm and send an alarm signal to the central control system.

[0052] The plant cultivation chamber in the present invention is the main space for plant growth. By simulating and regulating the environmental conditions for plant growth, it provides a stable and suitable growth environment for plants. Its main function is to provide a controllable growth environment for plants, simulating conditions such as temperature, humidity, and light in the Earth's environment to ensure the healthy growth of plants. The cultivation chamber adopts a closed structure, which can efficiently manage environmental conditions such as light, temperature, and humidity, and is automatically adjusted through the central control system.

[0053] The plant cultivation chamber has the following functions: providing suitable light, temperature, and humidity conditions to ensure that plants can carry out photosynthesis; configuring a CO 2 injection system to increase the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere and promote plant growth; having efficient heat insulation and sealing functions to prevent external environmental factors (such as extreme temperature differences and radiation on the planet) from affecting plant growth; configuring climate regulation devices, including heating, cooling, and humidity regulation equipment.

[0054] The plant cultivation chamber operates as follows: adjusting the light intensity, temperature, and humidity in the cultivation chamber according to the instructions of the central control system; adjusting the CO 2 concentration to maintain a level suitable for plant photosynthesis; ensuring good air flow and oxygen supply through the air circulation system in the chamber; during the plant growth process, the central control system adjusts the internal environment of the chamber in real time according to sensor data to promote the healthy growth of plants.

[0055] Specifically, the plant cultivation chamber can be composed of the following hardware: Environmental regulation equipment: including heaters, refrigeration devices, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, etc.; CO 2 supply system: used to control the carbon dioxide concentration; adjustable LED light source: used to provide the light required for plant photosynthesis; air circulation system: used to keep the air flow in the chamber uniform.

[0056] Specifically, the plant cultivation chamber has the following operation process:

[0057] Environmental regulation: According to the instructions of the central control system, the environmental regulation equipment automatically adjusts the temperature, humidity, and CO 2 concentration.

[0058] Light management: The adjustable LED light source adjusts the wavelength, intensity, and time of light according to different growth stages of plants to ensure that plants obtain suitable light conditions.

[0059] Air circulation: The air circulation system maintains the air flow in the cultivation chamber to ensure uniform distribution of oxygen and CO 2 .

[0060] In the present invention, the nutrient management system realizes precise control and distribution of water and nutrients through automated equipment, ensuring that plants obtain appropriate amounts of water and nutrients during the growth process.

[0061] The said nutrient management system includes an automatic irrigation system and a nutrient rationing system, which can precisely control the supply of water and nutrients according to the needs of plants, avoid waste and ensure that plants obtain sufficient resources required for growth.

[0062] The said nutrient management system has the following functions: The automatic irrigation system automatically adjusts the water supply according to the data of the soil humidity sensor to avoid overwatering or water shortage; the nutrient management system precisely proportionates nutrients according to the growth stage and nutrient requirements of plants and transports them to the roots of plants through pipelines; according to the feedback of sensors, the supply of water and nutrients is adjusted in real time to ensure the healthy growth of plants.

[0063] The said nutrient management system operates according to the following steps: The moisture sensor continuously monitors the humidity of the roots of plants; according to the humidity data, the irrigation system automatically adjusts the water volume to ensure that the roots of plants maintain appropriate moisture; the nutrient management system provides corresponding fertilizers and nutrients according to the growth needs of plants to promote plant growth; during the whole process, the system continuously feedbacks the status of water and nutrients to ensure the efficient utilization of resources.

[0064] The said automatic sowing and harvesting system consists of robots and automated equipment, which can precisely sow and harvest crops, reduce manual operations and improve planting efficiency. The system can automatically complete tasks such as sowing, harvesting, sorting and storing according to different growth stages of plants.

[0065] The said automatic sowing and harvesting system has the following functions: The automatic sowing system precisely sows seeds into the cultivation chamber according to the preset planting plan; the harvesting system judges the maturity of plants through image recognition and AI algorithms and automatically performs harvesting operations; the harvested crops are classified by an automated sorting system and stored according to variety or quality.

[0066] The said automatic sowing and harvesting system operates according to the following steps: The automatic sowing equipment evenly sows seeds at appropriate positions according to the pre-designed plan; the harvesting system identifies the maturity of plants through cameras and AI algorithms when the plants are mature; after harvesting, the crops enter the sorting system for automatic classification; the qualified crops are stored in the storage area for further processing or consumption.

[0067] The resource recovery and recycling system is a key part to ensure the sustainable development of the planetary plant farm. This system minimizes resource consumption through efficient water recovery and nutrient reuse mechanisms.

[0068] The resource recovery and recycling system has the following functions: collecting and filtering water, and recovering water in the air through transpiration; after being processed, plant residues are converted into organic nutrients and supplied back to the plants.

[0069] The resource recovery and recycling system operates according to the following steps: the water circulation system recovers and filters the excess water, and re-collects the water resources through the processes of evaporation and condensation; plant waste is converted into nutrients through a biological decomposition device, forming a closed-loop resource supply system.

[0070] All the outer layers of the modules of the plant farm are equipped with a radiation shielding and protection system to protect the modules and the plants inside from the high radiation on the planetary surface.

Claims

1. An automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment, characterized in that: Includes the following modules: Central control system, which is used to collect and analyze environmental data, soil moisture and nutrient concentration data from each module, feedback sowing and harvesting status, and generate control instructions based on the analysis results; Environmental monitoring system, used to monitor the temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, light intensity and other environmental data in the plant cultivation cabin in real time, and send the environmental data to the central control system; Plant cultivation cabin, used to provide a stable growth environment for plants, receive control instructions from the central control system and adjust the temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration and light intensity in the cabin; Nutrient management system, which is used to provide the right amount of water and nutrients to plants according to their water and nutrient requirements, and feeds soil moisture and nutrient concentration data back to the central control system; Automatic sowing and harvesting system, used to automatically sow plant seeds and harvest mature plants, and feedback the sowing and harvesting status to the central control system; Resource recovery and recycling system, used to recycle wastewater and plant residues in the cultivation cabin and convert them into reusable water and nutrients.

2. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central control system includes but is not limited to: Data acquisition module for receiving real-time data from environmental monitoring systems, water and nutrient management systems, and automatic sowing and harvesting systems; Data analysis module, used to analyze environmental parameters and plant growth status; A decision optimization module for generating optimized control instructions for adjusting the environment and resources; Control output module, used to send control instructions to each module.

3. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The environmental monitoring system includes but is not limited to: Temperature sensor, used to monitor the temperature in the cultivation cabin; Humidity sensor, used to monitor the air humidity in the cultivation cabin; CO2 sensor, used to monitor the carbon dioxide concentration in the cultivation cabin; Light sensor, used to monitor the light intensity in the cultivation cabin.

4. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plant cultivation cabin includes but is not limited to: Environmental conditioning equipment, including heating devices, cooling devices, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, used to adjust the temperature and humidity in the cultivation cabin; Light source control equipment, used to provide lighting adapted to different plant growth stages; Air circulation device for evenly distributing oxygen and carbon dioxide in the cabin.

5. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The light source control device is an LED light source with adjustable spectrum and intensity, and can adjust the wavelength and intensity of light according to the growth stage of the plant.

6. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water and nutrient management system includes but is not limited to: Irrigation devices to supply water according to the water requirements of plants; A nutrient distribution device for supplying a nutrient solution in a specific ratio according to the growth stage of the plant; Soil moisture sensors and nutrient concentration sensors are used to monitor the moisture content and nutrient concentration in the soil and feed the data back to the central control system.

7. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The irrigation device includes a drip irrigation system or a micro-sprinkler irrigation system to achieve precise water supply.

8. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic sowing and harvesting system includes but is not limited to: A sowing device for automatically sowing seeds according to instructions from a central control system; Image recognition system to determine the growth status and maturity of plants; A harvesting device for automatic harvesting according to the maturity of the plants.

9. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The image recognition system uses a deep learning algorithm to analyze plant growth images to determine whether the plants have reached harvest standards.

10. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The resource recovery and recycling system includes: A wastewater recovery device is used to collect wastewater in the cultivation cabin and recover water through evaporation and condensation processes; Plant waste treatment plant for converting plant residues into organic fertilizer and reusing it for plant nutrient supply.

11. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to claim 10, characterized in that: The wastewater recovery device comprises: Evaporator, used to evaporate wastewater; The condenser is used to condense the evaporated water vapor and recover it into liquid water.

12. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The central control system and each module perform data transmission via a wireless communication protocol, and the wireless communication protocol includes but is not limited to Wi-Fi, ZigBee, LoRa or Bluetooth.

13. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The central control system includes an artificial intelligence algorithm for performing predictive analysis and adjustment based on environmental data and plant growth status to achieve adaptive optimization control.

14. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: All modules of the plant farm are modularly designed through standardized interfaces to facilitate replacement and expansion of modules with different functions.

15. The automated plant farm control system in a planetary environment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: All modules of the plant farm are equipped with radiation shielding and protection systems on the outer layer.

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