Device for assisting plant growth management

Abstract

The invention discloses a device for assisting plant growth management. The device comprises a guide rail assembly serving as a system motion reference rail; the driving type supporting frame linearly moves along the guide rails through a motor driving mechanism; according to the integrated function module, a water tank, a power box and an electric control board box are fixedly connected to the supporting frame, and the pipeline and waterway laying process is omitted; according to the executing mechanism, an executing part is composed of a sliding rail assembly moving up and down, vertical movement of a nozzle array on a guide rail can be achieved, and a nozzle assembly driven by a motor is arranged in the nozzle array. The visual detection module is installed on the supporting frame, comprises an industrial camera and a light supplementing module and is used for collecting image information of a target plant and transmitting the image data to the control unit for algorithm processing. The sprayers distributed in an array mode enable liquid medicine to be more uniform during spraying, and the working efficiency is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of agricultural production technology and relates to a device for assisting in the management of plant growth. Background Technology

[0002] In crop growth management, thinning, pest and disease control, weeding, irrigation, and fertilization are the core steps. Thinning removes overly dense seedlings, optimizes resource allocation, and significantly increases crop yield; pest and disease control is carried out throughout the entire crop growth process and is crucial to crop health; irrigation and fertilization provide crops with the necessary water and nutrients; and weeding reduces competition for resources.

[0003] Currently, there are many problems in plant growth management. In thinning and weeding, traditional manual methods are labor-intensive, costly, and lack precision. Existing mechanized equipment relies on rigid screening, resulting in a high rate of seedling damage and failing to meet the needs of precision agriculture. In pest and disease control, traditional manual or fixed-pipe spraying suffers from uneven pesticide application, over-spraying, low pesticide utilization, and is prone to causing poisoning and environmental pollution. In watering and fertilization, most practices rely on experience and fail to provide scientific management based on seedling growth. These problems make existing management methods inadequate for meeting the requirements of modern precision and green agriculture. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of rigid screening of intermediate seedlings and weeding relying on traditional manual or mechanized equipment, which leads to high labor intensity and high seedling damage rate. In the prevention and control of diseases and pests, traditional manual or fixed pipeline spraying results in uneven pesticide application. Manual spraying also causes certain impacts on the operators and environmental pollution. This invention provides a device to assist in the management of plant growth.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution: A device for assisting plant growth management includes a track, a support frame slidably mounted on the track, an image acquisition unit and a vertical slide rail mounted on the support frame, a nozzle array mounted at the lower end of the vertical slide rail, and a vertical drive unit connected to the vertical slide rail, which can drive the vertical slide rail to move up and down along the support frame. The nozzle array includes several nozzles, each nozzle is connected to a water tank, and a solenoid valve is installed at the connection between each nozzle and the water tank.

[0006] A further improvement of the present invention is that: The vertical drive unit includes a drive gear, which is located at the upper end of the vertical slide rail, and a driven gear is located at the lower end of the vertical slide rail. The drive gear and the driven gear are connected by a belt drive, and the drive gear is connected to a motor. The support frame is provided with a pulley assembly, which includes a guide rail fixing plate and a guide wheel. The guide rail fixing plate is sleeved on the outside of the vertical slide rail. The guide rail fixing plate is fixedly connected to the belt, and the guide wheel is slidably connected to the outer wall of the vertical slide rail.

[0007] The vertical slide rail has circumferentially distributed grooves on its outer side, and the belt passes through the guide rail fixing plate; The belt is divided into a first belt section and a second belt section along both sides of the driving gear and the driven gear. The first belt section passes through the guide rail fixing plate and is fixedly connected to the guide rail fixing plate. The second belt section is located in any one of the grooves of the vertical slide rail. The guide wheels are symmetrically arranged in two sets, and each set of guide wheels is slidably connected to the corresponding groove on the side wall of the vertical slide rail.

[0008] The outer wall of the vertical slide rail is provided with a first slide groove, a second slide groove and a third slide groove; The second belt section is located in the second slide groove, and the two sets of guide wheels are respectively arranged in the first slide groove and the third slide groove; The first and third slides are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the second slide.

[0009] The nozzle array includes a mounting frame on which several nozzles are mounted, and the nozzles are connected to a water tank via water pipes.

[0010] The water tank is located on one side of the support frame.

[0011] The image acquisition unit includes a camera mount, on which a camera is mounted, and auxiliary lights are arranged around the camera.

[0012] The lower end of the support frame is provided with a set of movable wheels, which are connected to the support frame drive motor. The movable wheel assembly is slidably connected to the track.

[0013] The nozzle array consists of several parts.

[0014] It also includes a power supply box and an electronic control board box, which are set on one side of the support frame. A communication module is installed inside the power supply box and electronic control board box. The input end of the communication module is connected to the output end of the image acquisition unit, and the output end of the communication module is connected to the controller.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention discloses a device for assisting plant growth management. The nozzle array can be adjusted up and down via a vertical slide rail to adjust the relative distance between the nozzle and the seedling. Each nozzle is equipped with a solenoid valve at its connection to the water tank, allowing each nozzle to be opened and closed independently. It supports on-demand opening and closing and directional spraying, enabling variable application of pesticides or watering for specific plant parts. This device differs from rigid mechanized screening, reducing accidental damage to seedlings. Unlike fixed pipelines, the array of nozzles ensures more uniform pesticide application and higher work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the overall device disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the image acquisition unit disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a diagram of the nozzle array structure disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the vertical slide rail disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the movable pulley assembly disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the pulley system disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Wherein: 1-track; 2-support frame drive motor; 3-nozzle array; 4-image acquisition unit; 5-pulley block; 6-water tank bracket; 7-water tank; 8-pulley block; 9-vertical slide rail; 10-motor; 11-baffle; 12-nozzle array connecting shaft; 13-support frame; 14-power supply box and control board box; 15-power supply box and control board box bracket; 16-moving pulley; 17-auxiliary light; 18-camera; 19-camera mounting bracket; 20-nozzle; 21-guide rail fixing plate; 22-guide wheel; 23-belt; 24-first belt section; 25-second belt section. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0020] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0021] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0022] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "horizontal," or "inner" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of the invention is in use, they are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Furthermore, terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0023] Furthermore, the use of the term "horizontal" does not imply that the component must be absolutely horizontal, but rather that it can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings: See Figures 1 to 6This invention discloses a device for assisting plant growth management. As described in the background section, there are currently many problems in important management aspects of plant growth, such as daily inspection, thinning, weeding, spraying, and watering. In particular, existing equipment has low integration and cannot solve these problems simultaneously. Furthermore, its level of intelligence and precision is low, relying on manual operation. To solve these problems, an adjustable precision spraying device is used to integrate the above functions into an automatic plant growth management system. When spraying a fine liquid jet, thinning and targeted weeding can be performed; when spraying a liquid mist, spraying pesticides and watering can be performed. The entire process relies on inspection programs, intelligent sensors, thinning algorithms, and weeding algorithms to control the mechanism, enabling automated management of plant growth.

[0026] The apparatus disclosed in this embodiment includes: Guide rail assembly: serves as the reference track for system motion; Driven support frame: linear movement along the guide rail is achieved through a motor drive mechanism; Integrated functional modules: A water tank, a power supply box, and an electrical control board box are fixedly connected to the support frame, eliminating the need for pipeline and water circuit laying and enabling automatic water replenishment and charging; Three-axis linkage actuator: The actuator is composed of a slide rail assembly that moves up and down, which can realize the up and down movement of the nozzle array on the guide rail. The nozzle array is equipped with a motor-driven nozzle assembly. Image acquisition unit: A vision inspection module, including an industrial camera and a supplementary lighting module, is installed on the support frame to acquire image information of the target plant and transmit the image data to the control unit for algorithm processing.

[0027] This device achieves a compact structure through modular design and high-precision position control with a servo control system. Based on seedling growth cycle parameters, it can perform multiple functions such as daily inspection, thinning, weeding, precision spraying, and quantitative watering. Compared to traditional manual operation and single-function agricultural machinery, this system, through its integrated design, significantly reduces agricultural non-point source pollution and water consumption while improving the intelligence level of seedling management. Through scientific and precise agronomic management strategies, it effectively improves crop yield and quality.

[0028] Specifically, the embodiments of the present invention include the following steps: This embodiment discloses a device for assisting plant growth management, including a track 1, a support frame 13 slidably mounted on the track 1, an image acquisition unit 4 and a vertical slide rail 9 mounted on the support frame 13, a nozzle array 3 mounted at the lower end of the vertical slide rail 9, and a vertical drive unit connected to the vertical slide rail 9, which can drive the vertical slide rail 9 to move up and down along the support frame 13; the nozzle array 3 includes a plurality of nozzles 20, each nozzle 20 is connected to a water tank 7, and a solenoid valve is mounted at the connection between each nozzle 20 and the water tank 7, the solenoid valve being connected to a controller.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cooperation structure between the vertical slide rail 9 and the vertical drive unit includes: The vertical drive unit includes a drive gear, which is located at the upper end of the vertical slide rail 9. A driven gear is located at the lower end of the vertical slide rail 9. The drive gear and the driven gear are connected by a belt 23. The drive gear is connected to the motor 10. The belt 23 is meshed with both the drive gear and the driven gear.

[0030] A pulley system 8 is installed on the support frame 13. The pulley system 8 includes a guide rail fixing plate 21, on which guide wheels 22 are installed. The vertical slide rail 9 has a rectangular structure, and longitudinal first, second, third, and fourth grooves are sequentially opened on the four side walls of the vertical slide rail 9. The first and third grooves are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the second groove. The guide rail fixing plate 21 is sleeved on the outside of the vertical slide rail 9. The belt 23 is divided into a first belt section 24 and a second belt section 25 along both sides of the driving gear and the driven gear. The first belt section 24 passes through the guide rail fixing plate 21, and the second belt section 25 is located in the second groove. The two sets of guide wheels 22 are respectively set in the first and third grooves. The first belt section 24 is fixedly connected to the guide rail fixing plate 21. When the motor 10 rotates, the driving gear, the driven gear, and the belt 23 rotate. At this time, the first belt section 24 is fixedly connected to the guide rail fixing plate 21, so the vertical slide rail 9 moves up or down along the guide wheels 22.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a nozzle array connecting shaft 12 is provided on the support frame 13, and pulley groups 8 are respectively provided at both ends of the nozzle array connecting shaft 12. Each pulley group 8 is connected to a vertical slide rail 9 through a vertical drive unit, and the nozzle array 3 is located between two vertical slide rails 9.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide wheel 22 can both guide the vertical slide rail 9 and prevent the vertical slide rail 9 from derailing.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the specific structure of the nozzle array 3 is as follows: The nozzle array 3 includes a mounting frame with several nozzles 20 spaced apart on it. Each nozzle 20 is connected to a water tank 7 via a water pipe. A solenoid valve is installed at each nozzle 20 and the water pipe. The solenoid valve controls the opening and closing of the nozzle 20, enabling independent control of each nozzle 20.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nozzle 20 is a common straight-tube high-pressure nozzle, which is a common high-pressure nozzle on existing agricultural sprayers, and can change the size and shape of the sprayed liquid.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the specific structure of the image acquisition unit 4 is as follows: The system includes a camera mounting bracket 19, with a camera 18 mounted on its lower end. An auxiliary light 17 is positioned around the camera 18 to facilitate operation during low light conditions, such as evenings and nights, enabling 24-hour operation. The camera 18 captures images of the plant and transmits these images to the control terminal via a communication module within the power supply box and control board box 14.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the water tank bracket 6 is installed on the support frame 13, and the water tank 7 is installed on the water tank bracket 6.

[0037] A power supply box and control board box bracket 15 is installed on the opposite side of the support frame 13 relative to the water tank 7. A power supply box and control board box 14 is installed on the power supply box and control board box bracket 15. A power supply and communication module are installed inside the power supply box and control board box 14. The communication module is connected to the control terminal. In this embodiment, the YOLOv8 model algorithm is introduced. The working principle includes the following steps: The YOLOv8 model algorithm is pre-trained. When the camera 18 captures an image, the image is input into the trained YOLOv8 model algorithm. The YOLOv8 model algorithm analyzes the acquired image and identifies the image according to the needs of thinning, weeding, spraying pesticides, or watering. Then, based on the identification results, the controller opens the solenoid valve of the corresponding nozzle 20 to spray pesticides or irrigate.

[0038] It should be noted that in this embodiment, when thinning is required, pesticides are sprayed onto the target plants to remove them. Compared to traditional rigid removal, this method reduces accidental damage to other seedlings. When full coverage irrigation is required, all nozzles can be turned on for irrigation.

[0039] It should be noted that the nozzle 20 in this embodiment is a common high-pressure nozzle, and the size and shape of the liquid at the nozzle outlet can be adjusted according to requirements.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a limiter is provided at the end of the vertical slide rail 9. During task execution, since the target execution process involves the transformation between pixel coordinates and physical coordinates, the upper left corner of the captured image is taken as the pixel coordinate zero point. Each nozzle of the nozzle array is a point on the physical coordinate X-axis, the vertical slide rail 9 is the physical coordinate Z-axis, and the track 1 is the physical coordinate Y-axis. Limiters are present at the ends of the vertical slide rail 9 and the track 1.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support frame 13 is provided with four legs, and each leg is provided with a pulley group 5 at its lower end. The pulley group 5 includes a mounting plate, and a plurality of movable wheels 16 are mounted on the mounting plate. The movable wheels 16 are slidably connected to the track 1, and the support frame 13 can move linearly along the track 1 under the drive of the support frame drive motor 2.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, several baffles 11 are also provided on the support frame 13.

[0043] When in use, this device moves along the guide rail to perform inspections. Camera 18 collects information on the growth of seedlings and integrates it with environmental information collected from the smart greenhouse for information processing. It then determines whether operations such as thinning, weeding, spraying, and watering are needed. If so, this information is sent to the user, and the task is executed after the user confirms or modifies the information.

[0044] During thinning, nozzle 20 switches to jet spray mode, and the height (Z-axis) of nozzle array 3 is adjusted according to the plant height, and the device initializes. The device moves to the designated position and then stops, and camera 18 takes a picture. The computer processes the picture, and determines the targets to be removed based on information such as seedling density and leaf expansion. The thinning algorithm performs path planning and generates pixel coordinates. Through a coordinate transformation algorithm, the pixel coordinates are converted into working coordinates and sent to the microcontroller one by one. The nozzle array is the X-axis, and the device movement is the Y-axis. As the device moves along the Y-axis, the nozzle array corresponds to the corresponding nozzle according to the coordinates, and the solenoid valve is activated to spray the agent. This process is repeated until the thinning is completed.

[0045] When weeding, the entire process is similar to the thinning process, except that this process targets all detected weeds for removal, without needing to consider information such as density.

[0046] When spraying pesticides and watering, the nozzle 20 switches to mist spray mode according to the required dosage, and the Z-axis height is adjusted according to the plant height. After the device moves to the designated position, the entire device moves forward. The amount of pesticide and water sprayed can be adjusted by regulating the flow rate of the peristaltic pump, the number of nozzles opened, or the movement speed of the device.

[0047] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for assisting in plant growth management, characterized in that, Includes a track (1), on which a support frame (13) is slidably mounted, on which an image acquisition unit (4) and a vertical slide rail (9) are mounted, at the lower end of the vertical slide rail (9) a nozzle array (3) is mounted, the vertical slide rail (9) is connected to a vertical drive unit, and the vertical drive unit can drive the vertical slide rail (9) to move up and down along the support frame (13); The nozzle array (3) includes several nozzles (20), each nozzle (20) is connected to a water tank (7), and a solenoid valve is provided at the connection between each nozzle (20) and the water tank (7).

2. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical drive unit includes a drive gear, which is set at the upper end of the vertical slide rail (9) and a driven gear is set at the lower end of the vertical slide rail (9). The drive gear and the driven gear are connected by a belt (23) and the drive gear is connected to a motor (10). The support frame (13) is provided with a pulley group (8), the pulley group (8) includes a guide rail fixing plate (21), the guide rail fixing plate (21) is provided with a guide wheel (22), the guide rail fixing plate (21) is sleeved on the outside of the vertical slide rail (9), the guide rail fixing plate (21) is fixedly connected to the belt (23), and the guide wheel (22) is slidably connected to the outer wall of the vertical slide rail (9).

3. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 2, characterized in that, The vertical slide rail (9) has circumferentially distributed grooves on its outer side, and the belt (23) passes through the guide rail fixing plate (21). The belt (23) is divided into a first belt section (24) and a second belt section (25) along both sides of the driving gear and the driven gear. The first belt section (24) passes through the guide rail fixing plate (21) and is fixedly connected to the guide rail fixing plate (21). The second belt section (25) is located in any one of the grooves of the vertical slide rail (9). The guide wheels (22) are symmetrically arranged in two sets, and each set of guide wheels (22) is slidably connected to the corresponding groove on the side wall of the vertical slide rail (9).

4. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 3, characterized in that, The vertical slide rail (9) has a first slide groove, a second slide groove and a third slide groove on its outer side wall; The second belt section (25) is located in the second groove, and the two sets of guide wheels (22) are respectively arranged in the first groove and the third groove; The first and third slides are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the second slide.

5. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle array (3) includes a mounting frame on which several nozzles (20) are mounted. The nozzles (20) are connected to a water tank (7) via water pipes.

6. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 5, characterized in that, The water tank (7) is located on one side of the support frame (13).

7. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The image acquisition unit (4) includes a camera mounting bracket (19), on which a camera (18) is mounted, and an auxiliary light (17) is provided around the camera (18).

8. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the support frame (13) is provided with a set of movable wheels (5), which is connected to the support frame drive motor (2). The movable wheel assembly (5) is slidably connected to the track (1).

9. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle array (3) consists of several units.

10. The device for assisting plant growth management according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a power supply box and an electrical control board box (14), which is located on one side of the support frame (13). A communication module is installed inside the power supply box and electrical control board box (14). The input end of the communication module is connected to the output end of the image acquisition unit, and the output end of the communication module is connected to the controller.

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