Autonomous Plant Monitoring With Synchronized Imaging Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

The agricultural industry faces challenges in reducing labor costs and contamination risks in vertical farming, necessitating greater automation for efficient plant growth monitoring and optimization, particularly in urban environments where land and climate conditions are limited.

Innovation Solution

A system with actuation devices and image sensors dynamically adjusts environmental conditions based on plant features and environmental data, using processors to analyze images before and after actuations, and employing robotic arms, lighting, irrigation, and fans to enhance visibility and optimize growth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual monitoring and management of plants is used, then labor can directly adjust and care for plants, but labor costs account for 56% of operational expenses and contamination risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination riskVSAvoidautomation level

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables autonomous self-monitoring and self-adjustment of plant growth conditions through automated image capture, analysis, and actuation device control, eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining reliable contamination prevention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical monitoring and adjustment operations are replaced with an automated system comprising image sensors, processors, and actuation devices that capture, analyze, and respond to plant conditions without human intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If more laborers are deployed for plant monitoring, then plant care can be more attentive, but operational expenses increase significantly with 63 laborers per acre required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplant monitoring efficiencyVSAvoidautomation level

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs autonomous plant monitoring, image capture, analysis, and adjustment operations without human labor, achieving high productivity while completely eliminating the need for extensive manual workforce deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously captures images of plants, analyzes growth conditions through the processor, and automatically adjusts environmental parameters based on detected plant status, creating a closed-loop feedback system that maintains high monitoring efficiency without human intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If actuation devices are used to adjust environmental conditions, then plant growth can be optimized, but the system needs to dynamically adjust parameters based on real-time plant status detection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedynamic adjustment capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses image sensors to capture plant images, processors to analyze growth conditions and detect plant status, and actuation devices to adjust environmental parameters accordingly, creating a closed-loop feedback system that enables dynamic adaptation to changing plant conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated system performs multiple functions including image capture, image analysis, plant status detection, environmental parameter adjustment, and visibility enhancement through lighting control, all within a single coordinated platform that manages complexity through functional integration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Measurement precision

If lighting is increased to improve plant visibility in images, then image capture quality improves, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture qualityVSAvoidlighting energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies lighting selectively and dynamically - increasing illumination only when and where needed to improve plant visibility in images, rather than continuous full-intensity lighting, thereby achieving adequate image capture quality while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12457946B2Systems and methods for autonomous monitoring and/or optimization of plant growth

Publication Date: 2025.11.04 SIGNIFY HOLDING BV

AI summary

A system for autonomous monitoring and/or optimization of plant (140) growth is provided. The system may include actuation devices configured to interact with an agricultural area (120), image sensors (130) configured to capture images (170) of a plant (140) in the agricultural area (120), and a processor (150) in communication with the image sensors (130) and the actuation devices. The processor (150) may be configured to store, via a memory (160), a first image (170) of the agricultural area (120) captured prior to a first actuation of the actuation devices; and trigger, synchronously with the first actuation, the image sensors (130) to capture a second image (180) of the agricultural area (120). The processor (150) may be further configured to detect features of the plant (140) in the first and second images (170) of the agricultural area (120); evaluate the detected features of the plant (140) for visual plant qualities (210); and dynamically set one or more parameters (190) of the actuation devices based on the visual plant qualities (210).