Four-Arm Plant Receptacle Gripper for Vertical Farm Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vertical farming faces challenges with high energy consumption and the need for improved automation to enhance crop yield and reduce human interference, while traditional field cultivation struggles with adverse climate changes and resource scarcity.
Innovation Solution
A gripper system with dual gripping elements allows for secure clamping and transportation of plants or plant receptacles within vertical farming facilities, optimizing placement and reducing energy consumption by enhancing automation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vertical farming is implemented to increase crop yield and reduce land use, then productivity and adaptability are improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables plants to receive natural sunlight through transparent facades while automated robotic systems handle cultivation tasks independently. The facility serves itself by utilizing free solar energy rather than requiring extensive artificial lighting, thus maintaining high productivity while minimizing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical farming facility serves multiple functions: it provides controlled cultivation environments for high productivity while simultaneously utilizing natural sunlight through transparent structures. The automated robotic systems perform multiple tasks including planting, monitoring, and harvesting, reducing the need for additional energy-intensive equipment.
2Productivity
If automation is increased to reduce human interference and improve performance, then productivity and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system is divided into modular robotic units that can independently perform specific cultivation tasks. Each robot is relatively simple in design but works in coordination with others, reducing individual device complexity while maintaining high overall productivity and reliability through distributed automation.
3Use of energy by moving object
If traditional field cultivation is used to reduce energy consumption, then energy use is reduced, but adaptability to adverse climate conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical farming facility creates locally optimized microclimates for each plant layer, allowing adaptation to adverse external climate conditions while utilizing natural sunlight. Each level can be independently controlled for humidity, temperature, and nutrient delivery, enabling high adaptability without excessive energy consumption by leveraging passive solar heating and natural convection.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that includes a vertical farming facility; a plant receptacle including a base element providing a cavity for a plant and at least two rim portions that extend outwardly from opposing sides of the base element, the at least two rim portions are part of a single-piece circumferential rim of the base element; and a gripper for handling the plant or the plant receptacle; the gripper includes a gripper head with a first and second gripping element, the first gripping element includes two first lateral holding arms and the second gripping element includes two second lateral holding arms; the gripper head is transferable between a clamping position, in which the first and second gripping elements clamp the plant or the plant receptacle, and a release position, in which the first and second gripping elements release the plant or the plant receptacle.