Field autonomous walking irrigation robot with spectrum sensing and intelligent water and fertilizer management and control method

Abstract

This invention relates to an autonomous field irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing and a smart water and fertilizer management method. A spectral sensor is installed on the top of the integrated cabinet, which houses a main control unit and a mixing pump. The inlet of the mixing pump is connected to both a dispensing tank and a purified water tank, while the outlet is connected to a mixer. The mixer is connected via a pipe to a three-way solenoid valve at the rear of the self-propelled vehicle. The upper and lower ends of the three-way solenoid valve are connected to a foliar irrigation pipe and a root irrigation pipe, respectively. The main control unit is connected to a remote control host via the internet. The remote control host is connected to the dispensing pump, which is connected to a branch pipe via a distributor. The branch pipe is connected to a single-row storage tank, which is connected to a single-row underground pipe via a pump. This invention achieves precise water and fertilizer management, effectively improving the problems of insufficient water and fertilizer supply and uneven growth in localized crops, and significantly enhancing the precision of field irrigation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the fields of intelligent agricultural robots, multispectral crop non-destructive sensing, and integrated water and fertilizer intelligent irrigation technology, specifically to an autonomous field-walking irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing and an intelligent water and fertilizer management method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology and the deepening of the Internet of Things (IoT), smart irrigation technologies such as IoT, machine vision, and spectral sensing are being increasingly applied. Currently, the mainstream approach to smart water and fertilizer irrigation in fields mainly uses fixed pipeline networks combined with drone remote sensing. While this has achieved initial success, there are still areas for improvement in its application. First, traditional sensing and data collection methods are limited and cannot comprehensively analyze crop water and fertilizer requirements from multiple perspectives, resulting in one-sided irrigation solutions. Fixed pipeline networks rely solely on buried soil sensors, failing to capture real-time water demand characteristics of the crop canopy. While drone remote sensing collects crop spectra, it cannot simultaneously synchronize soil temperature, humidity, moisture, and fertilizer requirements at corresponding locations. Fixed pole-mounted data collection devices cannot achieve flexible and continuous data acquisition, further reducing data collection accuracy.

[0003] Secondly, traditional mobile irrigation equipment can only carry out extensive irrigation operations. Although it can irrigate while walking, its coverage area is large and it cannot provide customized irrigation services for individual plants or single-row crops. For a long time, it is impossible to improve the supply of water and fertilizer to diseased or weak crops in the field, and it lacks the ability to implement precision irrigation.

[0004] In addition, traditional irrigation and monitoring operations are separated. Taking drones as an example, after collecting image data, the data is uploaded and processed, and large-scale irrigation operations are carried out through remotely driven irrigation units. It is impossible to carry out differentiated water and fertilizer irrigation for single rows or single plants. Even if spray irrigation is carried out using mobile equipment, it is impossible to achieve customized irrigation for different crops between rows, which reduces the efficiency of precision irrigation.

[0005] In addition, existing technologies, once the overall water and fertilizer regulation ratio is fixed during irrigation, provide indiscriminate irrigation through a single main irrigation pipeline, which cannot achieve precise regulation of differentiated needs at the irrigation end, resulting in a waste of crop resources.

[0006] Therefore, existing technologies cannot achieve autonomous field movement, multi-directional data collection, dynamic water and fertilizer ratio, differentiated fixed-point irrigation, and single-row, single-plant irrigation operations. There is an urgent need for an autonomous field-walking irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing and a smart water and fertilizer management method. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a field-autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing, capable of autonomous field movement, multi-directional data collection, dynamic water and fertilizer ratio implementation, and differentiated fixed-point irrigation and single-row single-plant irrigation operations, as well as a smart water and fertilizer management method, to overcome the deficiencies in existing technologies.

[0008] The technical solution of this invention is implemented as follows: A field autonomous walking irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing includes a self-propelled trolley with a drive mechanism. The trolley has an integrated box at its bottom, an integrated cabinet on top of the box, a camera at the front of the cabinet, and a spectral sensor at the top. The cabinet contains a main control unit and a mixing pump. The inlet of the mixing pump is connected to a dispensing tank and a purified water tank, respectively. The outlet of the mixing pump is connected to a mixer. The mixer is connected via a pipe to a three-way solenoid valve at the rear of the trolley. The upper and lower ends of the three-way solenoid valve are connected to a foliar irrigation pipe and a root irrigation pipe, respectively. The main control unit is connected to a remote control host via the internet. The remote control host is connected to the dispensing pump. The dispensing pump is connected to a branch pipe via a distributor. The branch pipe is connected to a single-row storage tank. The single-row storage tank is connected to a single-row buried pipe via a pump.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom of the integrated box is equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor and a soil moisture sensor. The main control unit is an integrated hardware controller. The main control unit is electrically connected to the mixing pump, the spectrum sensor, the three-way solenoid valve, the temperature and humidity sensor, the soil moisture sensor, and the drive mechanism of the self-propelled trolley. The main control unit is equipped with a communication module, a data acquisition module, a data storage module, a water and fertilizer decision module, a vehicle-mounted irrigation control module, a liquid level acquisition module, and a navigation module.

[0010] Furthermore, the liquid mixing tank consists of a first liquid mixing tank and a second liquid mixing tank installed within an integrated cabinet. Each of the two liquid mixing tanks is equipped with a first electronic level gauge and a second electronic level gauge. The mixing pump is connected to a four-way connector via a pipe. The three inlet ends of the four-way connector are connected to the first liquid mixing tank, the second liquid mixing tank, and the purified water tank via a first pipe, a second pipe, and a third pipe, respectively. A third electronic level gauge is installed in the purified water tank. A first flow control valve, a second flow control valve, and a third flow control valve are installed on the first pipe, the second pipe, and the third pipe, respectively. A first liquid mixing inlet and a second liquid mixing inlet are provided on the top of the integrated cabinet.

[0011] Furthermore, the stem and leaf irrigation pipe and the root irrigation pipe are arranged vertically, and atomizing nozzles are provided on both the stem and leaf irrigation pipe and the root irrigation pipe. The bottom of the root irrigation pipe is located above the bottom surface of the integrated box. The mixer is connected to the three-way solenoid valve through the horizontal infusion pipe. The horizontal infusion pipe is horizontally set in the longitudinal middle position of the integrated cabinet, and the top of the stem and leaf irrigation pipe is located above the integrated cabinet.

[0012] Furthermore, the self-propelled vehicle is equipped with off-road wheels, and shock absorbers are installed between the off-road wheels and the self-propelled vehicle. A battery box and a power installation compartment are installed at the bottom of the integrated box, and a clean water tank is located in the upper middle part of the integrated box. A clean water filling port is provided on one side of the top of the integrated box.

[0013] Furthermore, the single-row buried pipe is installed below the crop planting location in the field, and the slurry pump is a booster pump with an external outlet valve.

[0014] Furthermore, there are at least three dispensing pumps. The input end of each dispensing pump is connected to a purified water tank, a liquid fertilizer tank, and a liquid medicine tank, respectively. The output end of each dispensing pump is equipped with an output flow control valve. The output flow control valve is connected to a four-way solenoid valve through a pipeline. The outlet end of the four-way solenoid valve is connected to a distributor through a pipeline.

[0015] Furthermore, the top of the integrated cabinet is provided with a guide frame, and a lifting plate is slidably installed on the inner side of the guide frame. The bottom of the lifting plate is fixedly connected to the output end of the electric lifting rod installed in the integrated cabinet. An electric rotating seat is installed on the top of the lifting plate, and the spectral sensor is installed on the electric rotating seat.

[0016] Furthermore, the communication module is used to access the Internet to realize data interaction with the remote control host, the data acquisition module is used for local data acquisition, the data storage module is used for local data storage, the liquid level acquisition module is used to monitor the liquid level of the mixing tank and the purified water tank, the water and fertilizer decision module calculates and matches dynamic water and fertilizer ratio and irrigation duration parameters based on the collected multi-source data, the vehicle-mounted irrigation control module is used to control the mixing pump and the three-way solenoid valve to implement irrigation, and the navigation module integrates mapping, path planning and automatic obstacle avoidance, and controls the start, stop, steering and driving speed of the self-propelled vehicle.

[0017] A smart water and fertilizer management method for an autonomous field irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing, as described above, includes the following steps: S1. The self-propelled vehicle synchronizes the field environment through the navigation module, and generates a walking path by combining crop planting specifications and field map. The self-propelled vehicle drives autonomously along the ridges according to the planned path. The electric lifting rod drives the lifting plate to raise and lower the spectral sensor to the preset position. The electric rotating seat drives the spectral sensor to adjust the shooting angle to avoid direct sunlight. S2. During the journey, the main control unit synchronously collects data from the spectral sensor, temperature and humidity sensor, soil moisture sensor and camera. The data acquisition module corrects and reduces noise from the multi-source data, extracts spectral features, soil data and environmental data, and stores the data through the data storage module. S3, the water and fertilizer decision module calculates and matches the dynamic water and fertilizer ratio and irrigation duration parameters of the current collection point based on the stored multi-source data, and implements differentiated irrigation operations in different modes. The differentiated irrigation operations include two irrigation modes, namely walking synchronous irrigation and remote single-ridge differentiated irrigation. S4. When performing synchronous irrigation operation, the main control unit adjusts the opening of the first flow control valve, the second flow control valve and the third flow control valve synchronously according to the decision data of the water and fertilizer decision module, controls the mixing pump to extract the corresponding proportion of clean water and fertilizer solution and deliver it to the mixer, and then opens the three-way solenoid valve to select the stem and leaf irrigation pipe or the root irrigation pipe to complete the variable irrigation operation of the current point synchronously during the self-propelled trolley movement. S5. When performing remote single-ridge differential irrigation operations, the data storage module saves local data, and the communication module uploads data to the remote control host at regular intervals. The remote control host controls the liquid dispensing pump, output flow control valve, and four-way solenoid valve based on the decision data of the water and fertilizer decision module. The liquid is drawn from the water tank, liquid fertilizer tank, and liquid medicine tank to regulate the water and fertilizer ratio of single-ridge crops. The liquid is then delivered to the single-ridge storage tank on one side of the corresponding ridge through the diverter and branch pipe. After regulation is completed, the corresponding liquid pump is turned on to carry out single-ridge irrigation operations below the differentiated crop planting area through the single-ridge buried pipe. S6. The remote control host periodically summarizes field data and optimizes the calculation model of the water and fertilizer decision module. The self-propelled trolley regularly performs maintenance and implements periodic cyclical operations.

[0018] The present invention has the following positive effects: 1. This invention integrates multiple sensing devices, including a spectral sensor, field temperature and humidity sensor, soil moisture sensor, and high-definition camera, overcoming the limitations of traditional fixed pipeline networks, fixed-point monitoring equipment, and single data acquisition via UAV remote sensing. Through a height-adjustable and rotatable spectral sensing structure, it avoids interference from direct sunlight, flexibly adjusts the sensing height, angle, and sensing surface, dynamically acquiring spectral characteristic data of the crop canopy, and simultaneously matching and acquiring soil moisture, soil temperature and humidity, and field environmental data at corresponding locations. This achieves simultaneous acquisition of multi-source data on crop growth, soil condition, and field environment. It solves the shortcomings of traditional technologies, such as single-source and fragmented data acquisition, as well as low accuracy, providing precise real-time data for subsequent water and fertilizer ratio decisions and differentiated irrigation operations.

[0019] 2. This invention differs from traditional extensive, large-area, indiscriminate irrigation methods. It employs a dual-mode approach—simultaneous mobile irrigation and remote, single-ridge differentiated irrigation—to implement different irrigation operations. Irrigation scenarios are selectable, and irrigation methods are diverse. Utilizing a split-type sprinkler structure with vehicle-mounted foliage and root irrigation pipes, precise targeted irrigation can be implemented for different growth parts of crop stems, leaves, and roots. Simultaneously, combined with remote liquid dispensing and control, single-ridge liquid storage, and underground pipe fixed-point irrigation, independent single-ridge water and fertilizer supply can be provided for diseased or weak crops, crops with varying growth patterns, and different ridge planting areas. This overcomes the limitations of traditional equipment in providing customized irrigation for individual plants or ridges, achieving precise control of water and fertilizer, effectively improving the problems of insufficient water and fertilizer supply and uneven growth in localized crops, and significantly enhancing the precision of field irrigation.

[0020] 3. This invention efficiently synchronizes data acquisition and processing with irrigation execution. Through an onboard main control unit, it integrates data acquisition, storage, water and fertilizer decision-making, equipment control, and navigation and obstacle avoidance modules, achieving a closed-loop operation encompassing autonomous field movement, real-time data acquisition, dynamic water and fertilizer decision-making, and synchronized irrigation. Based on dynamic water and fertilizer decision-making, it can perform real-time analysis of point-based water and fertilizer demand and variable irrigation during field movement. Furthermore, with the support of a remote host and the internet, it achieves a high degree of coordination between local real-time operations and remote control operations.

[0021] 4. Unlike traditional irrigation methods that use a uniform, undifferentiated water-fertilizer ratio across large areas, this invention relies on a water-fertilizer decision-making module to collect multi-source field data. Based on crop growth, soil moisture, and environmental conditions at different locations, it dynamically matches the optimal water-fertilizer ratio, irrigation flow rate, and irrigation duration. Through multi-pipeline flow control valves, it precisely regulates the mixing ratio of purified water, fertilizer solution, and pesticide solution. Combined with dual-mode, fixed-point, and quantitative irrigation, it supplies the water and fertilizer needed for crop growth on demand. This fundamentally avoids the problems of excessive water and fertilizer application and resource waste caused by traditional large-scale flood irrigation and fixed-ratio irrigation, effectively improving water and fertilizer utilization efficiency and reducing the cost of water, fertilizer, and consumables in agricultural planting.

[0022] 5. This invention is equipped with an autonomous navigation module, supporting field mapping, path planning, and automatic obstacle avoidance, enabling automated field operations. It also features an off-road shock-absorbing walking structure, adapting to the complex, uneven terrain of fields. The entire process achieves intelligent and automated operation, reducing manual labor, saving human resources, and lowering agricultural production labor costs and workload.

[0023] 6. This invention enables real-time data interaction between the vehicle-mounted equipment and the remote control host through the main control unit's communication module. The remote host can periodically summarize crop growth data, soil environment data, and irrigation operation data across the entire field, continuously iterating and optimizing the water and fertilizer decision-making calculation model, thereby continuously improving the accuracy of water and fertilizer analysis and irrigation decisions over time. Simultaneously, the equipment supports periodic cyclical operation and routine maintenance, enabling long-term, stable, and accurate intelligent water and fertilizer management in the field. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the self-propelled vehicle of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the self-propelled vehicle of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a top view of the self-propelled vehicle structure of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the self-propelled vehicle form structure of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the control method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions in 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. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an autonomous field irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing is described. The core carrier is a self-propelled vehicle 1 with a four-wheel drive mechanism. The whole vehicle adopts a modular integrated design. The main body is divided into a walking support mechanism at the bottom, an integrated liquid storage and control mechanism in the middle, a sensing and control module at the top, and an irrigation execution module at the back end.

[0031] The self-propelled trolley 1 is equipped with large-sized off-road wheels 2 at its four corners. The off-road wheels 2 are made of non-slip treaded rubber material, which is suitable for complex road surfaces such as muddy, uneven, and loose soil in farmland. Each off-road wheel 2 is equipped with an independent shock absorber 4 between itself and the trolley frame, which effectively buffers the vibration of the machine body caused by bumps on the field road and ensures the accuracy of the spectral sensing equipment and the stability of the irrigation structure during operation.

[0032] An integrated box 3 is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the trolley frame. The integrated box 3 is waterproof, effectively protecting the internal electrical, liquid storage, and power structures. An integrated cabinet 5 is fixed above the integrated box 3. A high-definition industrial camera 6 is installed at the front of the integrated cabinet 5. The camera 6 uses a wide-angle high-definition lens, supports all-weather image acquisition, and is used to collect real-time data on crop plant shape, growth, and the appearance characteristics of pests, diseases, and weeds in the field. Combined with the spectral data from the top, it enables multi-dimensional judgment of crop status. A vertical guide frame 15 is fixed at the top of the integrated cabinet 5. The guide frame 15 has a rectangular frame structure, with a vertically sliding lifting plate 17 mounted on the inside. The bottom of the lifting plate 17 is rigidly connected to the output end of an electric lifting rod 16 installed vertically inside the integrated cabinet 5. Through the extension and retraction of the electric lifting rod 16, the lifting plate 17 can be driven to rise and fall smoothly vertically along the guide frame 15.

[0033] An electric rotating base 19 is fixedly installed on the top surface of the lifting platform 17. The electric rotating base 19 can be adjusted 360° back and forth. A multispectral sensor 18 is fixedly installed on the top surface of the electric rotating base 19. The multispectral sensor 18 adopts a dual-lens design. During operation, the sensing height can be adjusted by the electric lifting rod 16, and the sensing angle can be adjusted by the electric rotating base 19. This effectively avoids environmental interference such as direct sunlight or side backlighting, accurately collects spectral data of the crop canopy, and improves the accuracy of data collection.

[0034] The integrated cabinet 5 internally houses the main control unit 24, mixing pump 25, liquid dispensing components, and flow control components. The main control unit 24 is an integrated hardware controller with a built-in high-speed processing chip and multiple functional modules, including a communication module, data acquisition module, data storage module, water and fertilizer decision module, vehicle-mounted irrigation control module, liquid level acquisition module, and navigation module. All functional modules are integrated into a single design.

[0035] The liquid preparation assembly includes independently configured first liquid preparation tank 20, second liquid preparation tank 22, and purified water tank 32. The first and second liquid preparation tanks 20 and 22 are vertically arranged side-by-side inside the integrated cabinet 5, respectively used to store two different functional liquid solutions: liquid fertilizer and liquid pesticide, or different types of liquid fertilizer. The purified water tank 32 is sealed and fixed inside the integrated cabinet 3 at the upper center, used to store irrigation water. Liquid level monitoring devices are installed in each tank: a first electronic level gauge 21 is installed inside the first liquid preparation tank 20, a second electronic level gauge 23 is installed inside the second liquid preparation tank 22, and a third electronic level gauge 52 is installed inside the purified water tank 32. All three types of electronic level gauges are electrically connected to the liquid level acquisition module of the main control unit 24, enabling real-time monitoring of the remaining liquid capacity in each tank and reminding staff to replenish the liquid in a timely manner. Meanwhile, the top of the integrated cabinet 5 is equipped with a first liquid filling port 12, a second liquid filling port 13, and a purified water filling port 14, all of which are equipped with sealed dustproof caps for convenient and quick liquid replenishment.

[0036] The mixing pump 25 is an adjustable speed booster mixing pump. Its inlet is connected to a four-way connector 31, which is connected via three independent pipes to the first mixing tank 20, the second mixing tank 22, and the clean water tank 32, respectively. The first pipe 27, the second pipe 28, and the third pipe 34 are respectively equipped with a first flow control valve 30, a second flow control valve 29, and a third flow control valve 33. All three types of valves are high-precision electromagnetic flow regulating valves, capable of receiving pulse signals from the main control unit 24 to precisely adjust their opening degree and control the extraction flow rate of fertilizer solution, pesticide solution, and clean water, providing hardware support for dynamic water-fertilizer ratios.

[0037] The outlet of the mixing pump 25 is connected to the mixer 26, which adopts a spiral counter-flushing mixing structure to achieve thorough and uniform mixing of water, fertilizer solution, and pesticide solution as needed, avoiding the problems of water-fertilizer-pesticide solution stratification and uneven concentration. The outlet of the mixer 26 is connected to the horizontal delivery pipe 7, which is horizontally arranged in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the integrated cabinet 5, and its end is connected to the three-way solenoid valve 8. The three-way solenoid valve 8 is a two-position three-way solenoid reversing valve, with its upper and lower output ends vertically connected to the stem and leaf irrigation pipe 9 and the root irrigation pipe 10, respectively. The two irrigation pipes are symmetrically arranged on the rear side of the machine, and atomizing nozzles 11 are evenly arrayed on the pipe body. The bottom end of the root irrigation pipe 10 is close to the bottom surface of the integrated box 3, which is suitable for shallow soil irrigation of crop roots, while the top end of the stem and leaf irrigation pipe 9 extends to the top of the integrated cabinet 5, which is suitable for spraying the stems and leaves of the crop canopy. The irrigation channel can be flexibly switched according to the needs of the crop growth part.

[0038] Temperature and humidity sensor 37 and soil moisture sensor 38 are fixedly installed on the outer bottom of the integrated box 3. Both types of sensors are waterproof and dustproof probe-type structures, which are close to the surface of the soil in the field during operation. They can collect data on field air temperature and humidity, soil moisture, and soil moisture content in real time at the operation point. This data is matched with crop growth data collected by the spectral sensor 18 to form multi-source data matching, ensuring the comprehensiveness and accuracy of water and fertilizer decisions. The inner bottom of the integrated box 3 is equipped with a battery box 36 and a power installation compartment 35. The battery box 36 has a built-in high-capacity lithium battery pack to provide continuous power to all vehicle electrical equipment, walking mechanism, and sensing equipment. The power installation compartment 35 centrally houses the drive motor, wiring hub, and other power components, with neat wiring and strong protection.

[0039] The remote control host interacts with the vehicle-mounted main control unit 24 in real time via the Internet. The remote control host is equipped with three independent liquid dispensing pumps 42, each employing a variable frequency booster pump structure. These pumps are connected to the water purification tank 39, liquid fertilizer tank 40, and liquid medicine tank 41, respectively, enabling independent extraction and delivery of clean water, fertilizer solution, and medicine solution. Each dispensing pump 42 is equipped with a high-precision output flow control valve 43 at its output end, allowing independent adjustment of the output flow rate of various liquids. The outlets of all output flow control valves 43 are connected to a four-way solenoid valve 44, which controls the on / off switching and proportioning of multiple liquids. The outlet of the four-way solenoid valve 44 is connected to a distributor 45 via a main pipeline. The distributor 45 employs a multi-path distribution structure, allowing independent dispensing for multiple planting areas in the field. Each dispensing port is connected to an independent branch pipe 46, and each branch pipe 46 is individually connected to the single-row storage tank 47 of the corresponding ridge.

[0040] Each single-row slurry storage tank 47 is an independent, sealed storage tank, set up one-to-one with the single-row crop planting area 50 in the field, realizing independent storage of water, fertilizer, and pesticide solutions for each single row without interference. Each single-row slurry storage tank 47 is equipped with a booster pump 48 with an external outlet valve at its bottom. The outlet of the pump 48 is connected to a single-row buried pipe 49 pre-buried below the crop planting location. The single-row buried pipe 49 adopts a porous seepage irrigation pipe structure, buried below the concentrated distribution layer of crop roots, allowing water, fertilizer, and pesticide solutions to slowly permeate into the root soil, avoiding water and fertilizer evaporation and waste, precisely adapting to the differentiated water and fertilizer needs of single-row crops, and effectively solving the irrigation problems of uneven crop growth and large differences in water and fertilizer requirements between different rows in the field.

[0041] The main control unit 24 has various built-in functional modules that work together. The specific implementation logic is as follows: The communication module adopts a 4G / 5G dual-mode communication architecture to stably access the Internet and realize real-time data uploading and command issuance between the vehicle-mounted equipment and the remote control host; the data acquisition module synchronously connects to all sensing sensors, cameras and liquid level detection equipment to collect spectral data, soil data, environmental data, image data and liquid level data in real time, and completes data denoising, correction and normalization preprocessing to remove invalid data caused by field light, dust and equipment vibration; the data storage module adopts a dual mode of local solid-state storage and cloud backup to retain the entire operation data and sensing data.

[0042] The water and fertilizer decision-making module is the core computing module of this invention. It has a built-in optimized water and fertilizer ratio algorithm model, which can dynamically calculate and match the optimal water and fertilizer ratio, irrigation flow rate, and irrigation duration parameters at the current location based on multi-dimensional data such as crop spectral growth characteristics, soil moisture, environmental temperature and humidity, and crop growth cycle, replacing the traditional fixed ratio irrigation mode. The vehicle-mounted irrigation control module accurately adjusts the operating status of each flow control valve, mixing pump, and three-way solenoid valve according to the decision results to perform localized precision irrigation. The navigation module has built-in SLAM mapping algorithm, intelligent obstacle avoidance algorithm, and path planning algorithm. It can autonomously complete field environment mapping, optimal path planning between rows, obstacle identification and avoidance, and accurately control the start, stop, driving speed, and steering angle of the self-propelled vehicle 1 to ensure unmanned autonomous operation.

[0043] At runtime, such as Figure 5 As shown, the intelligent water and fertilizer management method of the present invention adopts a dual-mode collaborative operation mechanism, combining real-time field sensing and remote full-area control. The specific implementation steps are as follows: S1. Equipment Initialization and Operation Preparation: After the equipment is powered on, the main control unit 24 navigation module automatically starts, completes field environment scanning and mapping, and automatically plans a full-coverage inter-row driving path based on planting specifications such as row spacing, plant spacing, and ridge length. Workers can preset the spectral sensing operation height and angle parameters. During operation, the electric lifting rod 16 automatically adjusts the height of the spectral sensor 18 according to the preset parameters, and the electric rotating seat 19 fine-tunes the shooting angle in real time to avoid direct sunlight and backlight interference, ensuring the accuracy of spectral data acquisition. Subsequently, the self-propelled trolley 1 autonomously travels at a constant speed along the planned inter-row path 51, initiating the full-area inspection operation.

[0044] S2. Multi-source data synchronous acquisition and preprocessing: During the operation of the trolley, the main control unit 24 synchronously activates the high-definition camera 6, the spectral sensor 18, the temperature and humidity sensor 37, and the soil moisture sensor 38 to collect data across the entire area through the data acquisition module. It acquires real-time crop canopy spectral characteristic data, crop appearance image data, field air temperature and humidity data, and soil moisture and humidity data. Then, it performs preprocessing on all multi-source data, including filtering and noise reduction, outlier removal, and data dimension matching. Valid operational data is stored in real-time to the data storage module, providing accurate data support for water and fertilizer decision-making.

[0045] S3. Dynamic Water and Fertilizer Decision-Making and Irrigation Mode Matching: The water and fertilizer decision-making module retrieves pre-processed multi-source data and combines it with the built-in crop growth water and fertilizer demand model. For each data collection point, it dynamically calculates and matches a specific water and fertilizer ratio, irrigation flow rate, and irrigation duration. Simultaneously, it automatically matches irrigation modes based on crop growth differences and soil drought levels. For crops with localized growth differences at single points, it initiates a walking synchronous irrigation mode; for crop areas with weak overall growth and severe water and fertilizer stress, it initiates a remote single-row differential irrigation mode.

[0046] S4. Implementation of Simultaneous Precision Irrigation During Walking: In the simultaneous walking irrigation operation mode, the main control unit 24 precisely adjusts the opening of the first flow control valve 30, the second flow control valve 29, and the third flow control valve 33 based on real-time decision parameters, precisely controlling the extraction ratio of fertilizer solution, pesticide solution, and clean water. The mixture is then transported to the mixer 26 via the mixing pump 25 for thorough mixing. Subsequently, the three-way solenoid valve 8 is automatically switched according to the crop growth stage. For seedlings, the root irrigation pipe 10 is switched to complete root soil seepage irrigation; for growing crops, the stem and leaf irrigation pipe 9 is switched to complete canopy spraying. During the uniform movement of the trolley, point-to-point and individual-plant differentiated variable irrigation is simultaneously completed, achieving integrated operation of walking, measuring, and irrigating simultaneously.

[0047] S5. Remote Single-Ridge Differentiated Irrigation Implementation: For areas where water and fertilizer stress or weak growth is detected in the entire ridge, the data storage module retains the full-area data of the corresponding ridge, and the communication module periodically uploads the ridge crop data, soil environment data, and water and fertilizer demand parameters to the remote control host. Based on the received decision data, the remote control host precisely controls the start and stop of each liquid dispensing pump 42, the opening of the output flow control valve 43, and the on / off state of the four-way solenoid valve 44, extracting clean water, fertilizer solution, and pesticide solution as needed to complete the exclusive water and fertilizer ratio for each ridge, and accurately delivering it to the single-ridge storage tank 47 of the corresponding ridge through the distributor 45 and branch pipe 46. After the ratio is completed, the remote control host triggers the start of the corresponding liquid pump 48, and the water, fertilizer, and pesticide solution are evenly permeated into the crop root soil through the single-ridge buried pipe 49, completing the differentiated precision irrigation of the entire ridge and solving the problem of insufficient or uncoordinated water and fertilizer supply to crops in some ridges.

[0048] S6. Periodic Cyclic Operation: Throughout the field operation, the remote control host periodically summarizes crop growth data, soil environment data, and irrigation operation effect data across the entire field. Through big data analysis, it continuously iterates and optimizes the algorithm model of the water and fertilizer decision-making module, thereby continuously improving the accuracy of water and fertilizer decisions with the duration of operation. Simultaneously, the equipment supports routine autonomous operation. Operators can set operation cycles. After completing a single round of comprehensive irrigation inspection, the equipment automatically returns to its standby position to perform autonomous charging, liquid level self-checks, and other maintenance tasks, awaiting the next round of periodic cyclic operation. This achieves automated, routine, and precise operation of intelligent water and fertilizer management in the field.

[0049] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A field-walking autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing, comprising a self-propelled trolley (1) equipped with a drive mechanism, characterized in that: The self-propelled vehicle (1) has an integrated box (3) at its bottom, an integrated cabinet (5) on its top, a camera (6) at its front end, a spectral sensor (18) at its top, a main control unit (24) and a mixing pump (25) inside the integrated cabinet (5). The inlet of the mixing pump (25) is connected to the mixing tank and the purified water tank (32) respectively, and the outlet of the mixing pump (25) is connected to the mixer (26). The mixer (26) is connected to the self-propelled vehicle (1) through a pipe. The three-way solenoid valve (8) at the rear is connected to the stem and leaf irrigation pipe (9) and the root irrigation pipe (10) at the top and bottom ends of the three-way solenoid valve (8) respectively; the main control unit (24) is connected to the remote control host via the Internet, the remote control host is connected to the liquid dispensing pump (42), the liquid dispensing pump (42) is connected to the branch pipe (46) via the diverter (45), the branch pipe (46) is connected to the single-row liquid storage tank (47), and the single-row liquid storage tank (47) is connected to the single-row buried pipe (49) via the pump (48).

2. The field autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the integrated box (3) is equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor (37) and a soil moisture sensor (38). The main control unit (24) is an integrated hardware controller. The main control unit (24) is electrically connected to the mixing pump (25), the spectral sensor (18), the three-way solenoid valve (8), the temperature and humidity sensor (37), the soil moisture sensor (38), and the drive mechanism of the self-propelled trolley (1). The main control unit (24) is equipped with a communication module, a data acquisition module, a data storage module, a water and fertilizer decision module, a vehicle-mounted irrigation control module, a liquid level acquisition module, and a navigation module.

3. The field autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid preparation tanks are the first liquid preparation tank (20) and the second liquid preparation tank (22) set in the integrated cabinet (5). The two liquid preparation tanks are respectively equipped with a first electronic level gauge (21) and a second electronic level gauge (23). The mixing pump (25) is connected to the four-way connector (31) through a pipe. The three liquid inlet ends of the four-way connector (31) are respectively connected to the first liquid preparation tank (20), the second liquid preparation tank (22) and the clean water tank (32) through the first pipe (27), the second pipe (28) and the third pipe (34). The clean water tank (32) is equipped with a third electronic level gauge (52). The first flow control valve (30), the second flow control valve (29) and the third flow control valve (33) are respectively installed on the first pipe (27), the second pipe (28) and the third pipe (34). The top of the integrated cabinet (5) is equipped with a first liquid preparation filling port (12) and a second liquid preparation filling port (13).

4. The field autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The stem and leaf irrigation pipe (9) and the root irrigation pipe (10) are arranged vertically. Atomizing nozzles (11) are provided on both the stem and leaf irrigation pipe (9) and the root irrigation pipe (10). The bottom of the root irrigation pipe (10) is located above the bottom surface of the integrated box (3). The mixer (26) is connected to the three-way solenoid valve (8) through the horizontal infusion pipe (7). The horizontal infusion pipe (7) is horizontally set in the longitudinal middle position of the integrated cabinet (5). The top of the stem and leaf irrigation pipe (9) is located above the integrated cabinet (5).

5. The field-walking autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The self-propelled vehicle (1) is equipped with off-road wheels (2), and a shock absorber (4) is provided between the off-road wheels (2) and the self-propelled vehicle (1). The bottom of the integrated box (3) is provided with a battery box (36) and a power installation compartment (35). The water tank (32) is located in the upper middle part of the integrated box (3), and a water filling port (14) is provided on one side of the top of the integrated box (3).

6. The field autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The single-ridge buried pipe (49) is set below the planting position of the field crops, and the liquid pump (48) is a booster pump with an external water outlet valve.

7. The field autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are at least three liquid dispensing pumps (42). The input end of each liquid dispensing pump (42) is connected to the water tank (39), the liquid fertilizer tank (40), and the liquid medicine tank (41), respectively. Each liquid dispensing pump (42) is equipped with an output flow control valve (43) at its output end. The output flow control valve (43) is connected to a four-way solenoid valve (44) through a pipeline. The outlet end of the four-way solenoid valve (44) is connected to a distributor (45) through a pipeline.

8. The field autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the integrated cabinet (5) is provided with a guide frame (15), and a lifting plate (17) is slidably installed on the inner side of the guide frame (15). The bottom of the lifting plate (17) is fixedly connected to the output end of the electric lifting rod (16) installed in the integrated cabinet (5). An electric rotating seat (19) is installed on the top of the lifting plate (17), and a spectral sensor (18) is installed on the electric rotating seat (19).

9. The field autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The communication module is used to access the Internet to realize data interaction with the remote control host. The data acquisition module is used for local data acquisition. The data storage module is used for local data storage. The liquid level acquisition module is used to monitor the liquid level of the liquid mixing tank and the water purification tank (32). The water and fertilizer decision module calculates and matches the dynamic water and fertilizer ratio and irrigation duration parameters based on the collected multi-source data. The vehicle-mounted irrigation control module is used to control the mixing pump (25) and the three-way solenoid valve (8) to implement irrigation. The navigation module integrates mapping, path planning and automatic obstacle avoidance, and controls the start, stop, turn and driving speed of the self-propelled vehicle (1).

10. A smart water and fertilizer management method for a field-based autonomous irrigation robot equipped with spectral sensing, as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: S1. The self-propelled vehicle (1) synchronizes the field environment through the navigation module, generates a walking path by combining crop planting specifications and field map. The self-propelled vehicle (1) drives autonomously along the ridges (51) according to the planned path. The electric lifting pole (16) drives the lifting plate (17) to lift the spectral sensor (18) to the preset position. The electric rotating seat (19) drives the spectral sensor (18) to adjust the shooting angle to avoid direct sunlight. S2. During the journey, the main control unit (24) synchronously collects data from the spectral sensor (18), temperature and humidity sensor (37), soil moisture sensor (38) and camera (6). The data acquisition module corrects and reduces noise from the multi-source data, extracts spectral features, soil data and environmental data, and stores the data through the data storage module. S3, the water and fertilizer decision module calculates and matches the dynamic water and fertilizer ratio and irrigation duration parameters of the current collection point based on the stored multi-source data, and implements differentiated irrigation operations in different modes. The differentiated irrigation operations include two irrigation modes, namely walking synchronous irrigation and remote single-ridge differentiated irrigation. S4. When performing synchronous irrigation operation, the main control unit (24) adjusts the opening of the first flow control valve (30), the second flow control valve (29) and the third flow control valve (33) according to the decision data of the water and fertilizer decision module, controls the mixing pump (25) to draw the corresponding proportion of clean water and fertilizer solution to the mixer (26), and then opens the three-way solenoid valve (8) to select the stem and leaf irrigation pipe (9) or the root irrigation pipe (10) to complete the variable irrigation operation of the current point synchronously during the walking of the self-propelled trolley (1). S5. When performing remote single-ridge differential irrigation, the data storage module saves the local data, and the communication module uploads the data to the remote control host at regular intervals. The remote control host controls the liquid pump (42), the output flow control valve (43) and the four-way solenoid valve (44) according to the decision data of the water and fertilizer decision module. The liquid is drawn from the water tank (39), the liquid fertilizer tank (40) and the liquid medicine tank (41) to regulate the water and fertilizer ratio of single-ridge crops. The liquid is delivered to the single-ridge storage tank (47) on one side of the corresponding ridge through the diverter (45) and the branch pipe (46). After the regulation is completed, the corresponding liquid pump (48) is turned on, and the single-ridge irrigation operation below the differentiated crop planting area (50) is carried out through the single-ridge buried pipe (49). S6. The remote control host periodically summarizes field data and optimizes the calculation model of the water and fertilizer decision module. The self-propelled trolley (1) regularly performs maintenance and implements periodic cycle operations.

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