Autonomous Crop Protection Robot With Upstream-Downstream Damage Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural robots require human supervision to prevent damage to crops due to malfunctions or misalignments of treatment tools, lacking a reliable and easy-to-implement autonomous crop protection technique.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous agricultural robot equipped with a crop plot protection device that measures characteristic quantities of crops before and after treatment, comparing these measurements to detect damage and issue protective commands, such as stopping or raising tools, to prevent further damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If human supervision is used to monitor treatment tools, then crop damage can be prevented, but the robot cannot operate completely autonomously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop protection reliabilityVSAvoidautonomous operation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses sensors to continuously monitor the state of crops upstream and downstream of the treatment tools, comparing measurements to detect damage. This feedback loop enables the autonomous robot to detect malfunctions and adjust operations without human intervention, resolving the contradiction between reliability and automation extent.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The robot monitors its own operations and the state of crops it processes, automatically detecting when treatment tools cause damage and taking corrective action. This self-monitoring and self-correcting capability allows complete autonomous operation while maintaining crop protection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If treatment tools are positioned precisely to treat crops, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but the risk of damaging crops increases due to malfunctions or misalignments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidcrop damage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system measures characteristic quantities of crops upstream (before treatment) and downstream (after treatment) to establish baseline conditions and detect changes. This preliminary monitoring allows the system to identify damage before it spreads, maintaining treatment effectiveness while preventing crop damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By continuously comparing upstream and downstream crop measurements, the system receives real-time feedback on treatment impact. When damage is detected, the feedback mechanism triggers corrective actions to prevent further harm, allowing precise positioning to be maintained safely.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If autonomous positioning systems are used to position treatment tools, then operation efficiency is improved, but measurement inaccuracies can cause crop damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation efficiencyVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor system provides feedback on actual crop state and treatment impact, allowing the autonomous positioning system to detect and correct inaccuracies. This feedback loop maintains operation efficiency while ensuring positioning accuracy by compensating for sensor errors or malfunctions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces purely mechanical positioning verification with sensor-based measurement and comparison of crop characteristic quantities. This substitution allows the system to detect positioning errors through their effect on crop measurements, maintaining efficiency while improving measurement precision verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4412441B1Autonomous agricultural robot comprising a crop protection device

Publication Date: 2025.12.03 NAIO TECHNOLOGIES

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AI summary

Disclosed is an autonomous agricultural robot (100) comprising a control unit (10) and treatment tools (20). The autonomous agricultural robot is characterized in that it further comprises a protective device (40), said protective device being configured so as: to measure characteristic quantities of so-called upstream crops (51), said crops being located upstream of the treatment tools (20); to measure characteristic quantities of so-called downstream crops, said crops being located downstream of the treatment tools (20); the control unit (10) being configured so as: to receive the measurements of the characteristic quantities of the upstream crops (51) and downstream crops (52); to compare the measurements of the characteristic quantities, upstream (51) and downstream (52), relating to a single crop (50); to transmit a protection order to the autonomous agricultural robot (100) so as to protect the plot of the crop (50) when the comparison exceeds a predetermined threshold.