Dynamic Plant Module Redistribution for Space Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural robotic systems lack an efficient method for automatically redistributing plants throughout an agricultural facility, leading to suboptimal space utilization and reduced throughput due to fixed plant slot densities that do not adapt to varying plant growth stages.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using a mobile robotic system that navigates and transfers plant modules between different density arrays, allowing for the redistribution of plants from higher density modules to lower density modules as they mature, optimizing space efficiency by using a robotic manipulator and loader to transfer plants between seeding, nursery, and finishing stages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plants are kept in fixed density modules throughout growth, then operational simplicity is maintained, but space utilization efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically reconfigures plant module densities based on growth stage. Young plants are kept in high-density modules (first density) while mature plants are transferred to low-density modules (second density), allowing the system to adapt its structure to operational needs rather than remaining static
Solution Approach 2:
The grow area is segmented into multiple modules with different plant slot densities. The system divides the plant population into groups based on growth stage, with each group occupying appropriate density modules, enabling simultaneous optimization of space utilization across different plant cohorts
2Productivity
If plant modules are manually redistributed between growth stages, then space efficiency can be improved, but labor requirements and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service through automated robotic redistribution. The robotic system independently identifies plants ready for transfer, navigates to appropriate modules, and executes transplanting operations without human intervention, maintaining space efficiency while eliminating manual labor requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical plant handling is replaced with an automated robotic system. The robotic manipulator with specialized end effectors performs plant extraction and insertion operations, substituting human mechanical actions with automated mechanical systems controlled by computer vision and navigation algorithms
3Quantity of substance
If high density plant slots are used throughout the facility, then space capacity is maximized, but plant growth quality deteriorates due to insufficient space at mature stages
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the facility (different modules) are assigned different plant slot densities based on the growth stage of plants occupying them. High-density slots are used locally for young plants where space is efficient, while low-density slots are used locally for mature plants where space is needed for growth, optimizing both quantity and quality locally across the facility
Data Source
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AI summary
One variation of a method for automatically redistributing plants throughout an agricultural facility includes, at a mobile robotic system: delivering a first module - defining a first array of plant slots at a first density and loaded with a first set of plants in approximately a second growth stage - from a grow area within a facility to a transfer station within the facility; delivering a second module - located within the facility and defining a second array of plant slots at a second density less than the first density - to the transfer station; and following transfer of a first subset of plants from the first array of plant slots in the first module into the second array of plant slots in the second module at the transfer station, delivering the second module to the grow area in the facility.