Automated Crop Spacing Adjustment in Transverse Gutters
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cultivation systems require extensive manual labor and increase the risk of pathogens due to frequent manual processing of crops as they grow, necessitating a system that minimizes manual operations and allows for efficient adjustment of spacing between crop holders.
Innovation Solution
A cultivation system with multiple sections of transverse and axial gutters, where crop holders and spacers are moved automatically to increase spacing as the crop grows, allowing for compact and efficient cultivation without manual intervention, using displacing means and spacer inserting units to adjust distances in both axial and transverse directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual processing and operations are used to transfer crops to larger holders, then the crop can be cultivated through growth stages, but labor costs increase and the risk of pathogen contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service cultivation where the infrastructure automatically adjusts to crop growth needs. The adjustable gutter system and removable dividers allow the cultivation environment to adapt without manual crop handling, eliminating the need for labor-intensive transfers while maintaining continuous cultivation throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms where gutter configurations and divider positions can be changed as crops grow. This dynamic infrastructure adaptation replaces static cultivation methods that require manual intervention, allowing continuous cultivation while reducing labor requirements and pathogen risk.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual processing is used to increase mutual distance between substrates, then the crop growth space can be adjusted, but labor costs increase and pathogen risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces static substrate positioning with dynamic adjustable gutters and removable dividers. These mechanisms allow spacing to be modified as crops grow, providing adaptability without requiring complex manual operations. The infrastructure itself becomes adjustable rather than requiring manual intervention for spacing changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cultivation system is divided into modular sections with removable dividers and adjustable gutters. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of spacing in different zones without affecting the entire system, enabling versatile spacing configuration through simple modular changes rather than complex manual operations.
3Area of stationary object
If a compact cultivation system is used to reduce floor area, then space efficiency increases, but the ability to adjust spacing during growth is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The compact system incorporates dynamic elements including adjustable gutter positions and removable dividers that allow spacing to be changed as crops grow. This maintains compact footprint while providing growth-stage-appropriate spacing, combining space efficiency with adaptability through infrastructure that can reconfigure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses modular, segmented construction with individual adjustable gutters and removable dividers. This allows compact overall footprint while enabling localized spacing adjustments in different sections, maintaining both space efficiency and spacing flexibility through independent modular configuration.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a cultivation system (1) and a method for cultivating a crop on liquid, wherein crop is grown in transverse cultivation gutters (10,11,12).