Linked-Chain Gutter System for Automated Transplanting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural systems face limitations in yield, space efficiency, and adaptability due to seasonal and environmental dependencies, and require manual or difficult-to-automate transplanting processes, which hinder increased plant density and overall output.
Innovation Solution
A linked-chain gutter system within a controlled agricultural environment allows for densely packed plantlets connected by biodegradable materials, enabling adjustable spacing and automated transplantation using robotics, reducing waste and increasing yield through optimized plant placement and growth conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If crops are spaced apart based on predicted growth in conventional agriculture, then plants have sufficient space to grow, but large amounts of space is wasted and plant density is low
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses adjustable spacing mechanisms that allow plant spacing to be dynamically modified based on current plant size and growth stage. Plants can be moved closer together during early growth phases to maximize density, then spaced apart as they mature, optimizing both space utilization and plant health throughout the growth cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional two-dimensional ground-based spacing to three-dimensional vertical stacking arrangements. Multiple layers of plants are positioned at different heights, allowing significantly higher plant density within the same footprint area while maintaining adequate space for growth and maintenance access.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual transplanting is used in CEA systems, then plants can be relocated and adjusted, but the process is difficult to implement or automate and requires significant time and labor
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the transplanting process into standardized modular operations. Plants are grown in uniform containers with consistent dimensions and connection points, allowing robotic systems to grasp, lift, and position multiple plants using the same motion patterns and force levels, greatly simplifying automation while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary mechanical linkage system that connects plants in a chain configuration. This linkage acts as a mediator between the robotic gripper and individual plants, allowing a single robotic end-effector to manipulate multiple plants simultaneously through the chain, reducing the number of discrete operations required while preserving transplant flexibility.
3Reliability
If traditional substrate volumes are used for each plant, then each plant has adequate growing medium, but environmental impact and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple individual substrate units into a shared communal substrate reservoir that serves multiple plants in the chain. This consolidated substrate volume is significantly smaller than the sum of individual substrates required for each plant, reducing material consumption and waste while maintaining adequate nutrient and moisture availability for all plants through shared access.
Data Source
AI summary
A linked-chain system and custom gutter within an agricultural environment may be shown and described. In an exemplary embodiment, plantlets, seedlings, plant pods, or crops may be connected to one another in a linked-chain. The linked-chain may be placed within a gutter that may be provided within a growing facility. The gutter system may include multiple gutters for receiving and growing crops. The gutters may be arranged parallel to one another. In an exemplary embodiment, the gutters may include a linked-chain of plantlets or plant plugs. Plants in a linked-chain configuration can be transplanted together. The chain of plantlets may be densely planted initially and then may be pulled apart to increase spacing as the crops grow and density increases.