Field Analysis Robotics for Unbiased Crop Trait Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for measuring agricultural traits like corn ear height and soybean pod count in dynamic environments are inefficient and unreliable, relying heavily on human labor and introducing selection biases, leading to inaccurate data.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system equipped with sensor devices and a management computing device that detects and analyzes agricultural objects of interest in image data, determining their characteristics and initiating actions, providing automated, accurate, and efficient measurements without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional manual sampling methods are used to measure agricultural traits, then human labor is required to collect measurements, but the measurements are inefficient and introduce selection bias leading to inaccurate data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement systems with an automated robotic system that uses sensors (cameras, LIDAR, depth sensors) and computer vision algorithms to detect and measure agricultural objects. The robotic system navigates autonomously through the field, captures images, and uses image processing to extract measurements, eliminating human labor while improving both efficiency and accuracy through consistent, unbiased data collection across the entire field.
2Productivity
If random sampling of a few plants is used to estimate average traits, then data collection is faster, but the statistics are skewed due to selection bias
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is designed to perform comprehensive field-wide measurements rather than limited sampling. It can measure all agricultural objects in the entire field, not just a selected subset, providing complete and representative data. The system's ability to navigate and measure across the full field area ensures statistical reliability while maintaining efficient automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system autonomously navigates the field, automatically detects agricultural objects, and collects measurements without human intervention. This self-service capability eliminates selection bias by consistently measuring all objects according to predetermined criteria, ensuring data reliability while maintaining high productivity through automated operation.
3Measurement precision
If manual measurement devices such as tape measures and poles are used, then measurements can be obtained, but the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical measurement devices (tape measures, poles, laser altimeters) with automated sensor systems including cameras, LIDAR, and depth sensors mounted on a robotic platform. These sensors capture data remotely and use computer vision algorithms to extract measurements, eliminating the need for physical contact with plants and dramatically reducing measurement time while maintaining or improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system continuously navigates through the field and continuously collects measurements of all agricultural objects in its path, rather than stopping to manually measure individual plants. This continuous automated operation significantly reduces the total time required for field-wide measurements compared to manual methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and system that manage agricultural analysis in dynamic environments includes detecting a location of one or more agricultural objects of interest in image data of an environment captured by a sensor device during active navigation of the environment. An orientation and position of the sensor device with respect to the image data is determined. Each of the one or more agricultural objects of interest is analyzed based on the image data, the detected location of the one or more agricultural objects of interest, and the determined orientation and position of the sensor device to determine one or more characteristics about the one or more agricultural objects of interest. At least one action is initiated based on the determined one or more characteristics about the one or more agricultural objects of interest.